Colorado Springs Utilities Coal Plant May Get Stay of Execution
Last week, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) earned a likely stay of execution for its Ray Nixon coal plant. It came in the form of a surprise compromise bill pushed by environmental groups meant to head off more sweeping relief. The bill, SB26-182, would allow a three-year extension of the retirement of the coal unit until […]
Colorado PUC Steamrolls Local Decisions on Xcel’s $1.7B Power Pathway Transmission Line
When Xcel Energy started condemning Elbert County ranchland for its $1.7 billion, 550-mile Power Pathway transmission line, it hadn’t yet bothered to secure local permits. The monopoly utility filed condemnation actions against landowners while holding signed easement agreements on just 27 of the 48 properties it needed to access. Even Colorado Public Utilities Commissioner Tom […]
Fossil Fuels Bail Out Colorado’s Grid Yet Again
Coloradans might want to begin brushing up on their German. At least enough to be familiar with the word Dunkelflaute, which roughly translates to “dark doldrums.” The term describes a weather pattern of low wind and limited sunlight that makes generating electricity from renewables nearly impossible. The event is relatively common in northern and western Europe during […]
