Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Coal

Behind Colorado’s Renewable Energy Headlines Are Critical Missing Details
Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Behind Colorado’s Renewable Energy Headlines Are Critical Missing Details

By: Sarah Montalbano | Commentary, Complete Colorado Allen Best, at his blog Big Pivots, published recently that Colorado for the first time saw a majority of the state’s energy   generation come from renewables:   Colorado achieved an energy and climate milestone during the first quarter of 2026. During those three months, 53% of electricity in Colorado came from renewable sources, up from 43% in 2025, according to an Energy Information Administration report filed in May.  Details matter The trouble is that this jubilant announcement of a “majority” renewables power grid owes more to a stark drop in coal-fired generation than the wind and solar that was added. Percentages rely on both the numerator — how much wind, sola...
Energy Secretary Chris Wright Pushes Expanding Energy Supply To Lower Costs In Colorado
Colorado Politics, Approved, National

Energy Secretary Chris Wright Pushes Expanding Energy Supply To Lower Costs In Colorado

By: Mark Samuelson | Colorado Politics As a heatwave in the U.S. and Europe punctuated widespread calls for recommitments to solar and other “renewable” sources, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright doubled down on America’s current policy, telling a Thornton crowd on Monday that energy goals would be fixed on increasing the nation’s capacity — no matter what the source. “I went to college to work on fusion energy. I worked on solar energy in graduate school, and geothermal energy right after,” Wright told the Colorado audience. “I don’t care where the energy comes from,” Wright said. “The lights are kept on by gas, coal and nuclear. We have got to grow the capacity, and we are majorly focused on that.” Wright’s visit to Colorado coincides with new calls for le...
‘War on coal is finally over’: Energy experts say Trump admin’s deregulation agenda could fuel coal’s revival
Approved, National, The Daily Caller

‘War on coal is finally over’: Energy experts say Trump admin’s deregulation agenda could fuel coal’s revival

By Audrey Streb | Daily Caller Within the first months of his second administration, President Donald Trump has prioritized “unleashing” American energy and has already axed several of what he considers to be burdensome regulations on the coal industry, promising it’s “reinvigoration.” Trump signed an executive order on April 8 to revive the coal industry, and shortly after moved to exempt several coal plants from Biden-era regulations. Though it has become a primary target of many climate activists, coal has been historically regarded as readily available and affordable, and several energy policy experts who spoke with Daily Caller News Foundation believe Trump has the cards necessary to strengthen the industry. “When utility bills are skyrocketing or blackouts are happening in w...
Colorado will continue closing coal-fueled electric plants in 2025, all by 2031
The Center Square, Approved, State

Colorado will continue closing coal-fueled electric plants in 2025, all by 2031

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square Colorado is slowly phasing out the last of its coal-fueled electrical power plants, even though they still generated a third of the state’s total in-state energy generation in 2023. The Colorado Department of Labor and Energy reports that 10 coal-fired units remain operational throughout the state. One of those 10 is scheduled to close by the end of this year, with the remaining nine units all set to close by the end of 2031. The department reports that the plants are closing for a “variety of reasons.” “The era of coal in Colorado appears to be ending, and that poses serious challenges to the workers and communities that rely on it,” it states. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE CENTER SQUARE