Before Closing Pueblo’s Coal Unit Colorado Must Guarantee Reliable Power

By The Gazette Editorial Board | The Denver Gazette

To meet Colorado’s surging need for electricity, our state needs energy from a diverse array of dedicated sources. Unfortunately, with the pending closure of the two remaining, operational, coal-fired units at Xcel Energy’s Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, things are getting tricky.

Comanche is the state’s largest power plant, with an original capacity of 1,410 megawatts. But its Unit 1 was shut down in 2022 as part of the statewide phaseout of coal-burning power plants. Unit 2 now is set to close at the end of this year, with Comanche Unit 3 scheduled for closure in 2030. It’s all part of Gov. Jared Polis’ green-energy agenda, which aims to move away from fossil fuels like coal in favor of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Comanche 3 is already offline because it’s down for repairs until at least June. So, Xcel — the power plant’s owner and Colorado’s largest electric utility — has petitioned Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission to postpone retiring Comanche 2. Without it, Xcel won’t have enough generation capacity to cover demand.

Polis backs the delay alongside several state agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission itself. The announcement came within weeks after U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, who represents Pueblo, requested the Trump administration indefinitely delay Comanche 2’s closure.

“Fundamentally, I think this is an issue of grid stability, which goes beyond the state borders of Colorado,” Hurd wrote.

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