Xcel Energy - Independence Institute

Smart Thermostats Are Looking Like Dumb Policy 0
- Energy
- September 21, 2022
Earlier this month Xcel Energy made national headlines when it locked out 22,000 customers in Colorado from adjusting their thermostats as temperatures rose into the 90s. Those affected were customers who had signed up for the Colorado AC Rewards program, which allows the company to adjust the temperature setting on internet-connected “smart thermostats.” In exchange
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New DOE Study Finds 5 Coal Plant Sites in Colorado That Could Convert to Nuclear 0
- Energy
- September 13, 2022
A brand new study released today from the Department of Energy (DOE) finds multiple locations in Colorado that could benefit from a coal-to-nuclear power transition. The study authors examined both operational and recently retired (within the last 10 years) coal plants across the country to screen for siting characteristics deemed favorable for a nuclear conversion.
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What Not to Do: California Energy Policy Serves As a Warning to Colorado 0
- Energy
- August 31, 2022
Just days after finalizing a future ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) sent out a bulletin Tuesday afternoon warning that an expected heat wave posed serious threats to the reliability of the state’s electric grid. Starting tomorrow through Tuesday, California and the West are expecting extreme heat that
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Study: Shoddy Public Charging Infrastructure Hampers EV Take-Up 0
- Energy, Environment
- August 22, 2022
Policymakers at both the national and state levels are making a concerted effort to encourage the widespread adoption of electric vehicles among the general public. Here in Colorado, the Polis administration has set a goal of having 940,000 EVs on the road by 2030 as part of its plan to electrify the state’s transportation sector
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Virginia Regulators Set an Example for Ratepayer Accountability 0
- Energy, ENERGY - Governing Bodies / Agencies
- August 11, 2022
Last Friday, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC)—a regulatory agency that, among other things, oversees the state’s utilities—imposed a strict performance standard that carries financial consequences if a proposed offshore wind project from the state’s largest utility fails to perform. This is a huge win for ratepayer accountability, and it has real implications for customers
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Energy and Land Use: A Sober Look at the Space Needed to Power the Future 0
- Energy
- August 1, 2022
Much of the conversation surrounding energy policy in Colorado these days has to do primarily with the emissions currently being produced and ways to continue reducing said emissions. The arguments over the role of various energy sources in getting to a decarbonized future are familiar at this point. But there has been comparatively little discussion
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