Xcel Energy Proposes Large-Load Tariff for Data Centers
Last week, Xcel Energy proposed a long-awaited large-load tariff on data centers that want to build in Colorado. The impulse to ensure data centers don’t shift costs onto residential ratepayers is admirable, and this tariff could help in the short term. But if the terms are too restrictive, data centers will bypass Colorado’s grid entirely […]
Testimony on Bill to Implement Consumer-Regulated Electricity
On Thursday, March 12, 2026, Independence Institute Energy Policy Analyst Sarah Montalbano testified in favor of consumer-regulated electric utilities (CREUs) in the Colorado House Energy & Environment Committee. The bill would allow the development of CREUs, which serve new large electricity loads through systems that are physically islanded from the existing grid. These projects would […]
More energy bills with bigger stakes
In early February, Independence Institute’s Energy & Environmental Policy Center flagged the early energy bills introduced in the Colorado legislature. As we enter March, some bills have had hearings and their fates decided. Here’s where things stand. Early casualties in committee hearings include SB26-033, which would have added some pre-permitting requirements and grid reliability statements […]
Bad and Worse for Data Centers in Colorado
Denver just added a new layer to an already hostile environment for data centers. This week, Mayor Mike Johnston and members of the Denver City Council announced that they intend to file a moratorium on new data center construction in the city. The moratorium is expected to last for “several months,” or perhaps longer, while […]
Early Energy Rumblings from the Colorado Legislature
The Colorado legislature is putting some energy hearings on the board for February, and 13 energy bills have been filed so far. Here is what the Independence Institute is watching. SB26-028, “Removal of Wind Energy from State Energy Goals,” is going to be heard Wednesday, February 18, in Senate Transportation and Energy committee. The bill […]
Powering Data Centers Out of Colorado
By Sarah Montalbano Legislators in Denver are off to the races this session with a heavy-handed bill that will chase data center investment out of Colorado. The bill, HB26-1030, creates a new bureaucracy, imposes burdensome labor and workforce requirements, and requires data centers to use 100% clean energy. If lawmakers believe data centers are “essential […]
