U.S. Energy Secretary Warns Colorado Energy Policies Could Raise Prices Drive Jobs Away

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Monday warned that Colorado’s energy policies could lead to higher electricity prices and deter businesses, such as data centers, from locating in the state.

Wright, a former executive of a Colorado-based energy company tapped by the Trump White House to lead the energy department, urged state policymakers to focus on natural gas and nuclear power during a news conference with U.S. Rep. Gab Evans at Xcel Energy’s Fort St. Vrain Generating Station on Monday.

State policymakers have maintained that Colorado’s energy policy is balanced, taking into accounts the needs of consumers in their push for “net zero” carbon in just a few decades. Democrats have also argued that Colorado should take advantage of “clean” energy technology to achieve its carbon goals.

Last January, Gov. Jared Polis touted Colorado’s progress in reaching his goal of a carbon-free state, saying that, by 2030, “more than 70% of Colorado’s electricity will come from low-cost wind and solar” and adding that emerging technologies, such as geothermal or carbon capture, would get the state to “100%.”

At the Fort St. Vrain plant, Wright highlighted the need to lower energy costs to attract investment and raise wages, criticizing state mandates that he said have stifled oil and gas production and grid expansion.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE