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CPW nominee under scrutiny as broader concerns surface about board power
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

CPW nominee under scrutiny as broader concerns surface about board power

Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Some questions for CPW hopeful Christopher Sichko Last Wednesday I posted about the upcoming Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing for three of Gov. Polis’ CPW appointees. If you want or need the context from the earlier newsletter, you’ll find it linked first below. A reader noted something interesting about one of the commissioner candidates. When I read what they wrote, I got curious and thought I would follow up with Mr. Sichko. The second link below is to a 10/25/2024 article in Elevation Outdoors entitled “LOCAL HEROES: Christopher Sichko, PHD”. The relevant part comes from the bottom of the article. Quoting: “Sichko says, ‘My ultimate goal is to support the regener...
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Colorado Regulators Override Local Denial To Advance Renewable Energy Grid
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local

Colorado Regulators Override Local Denial To Advance Renewable Energy Grid

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun The ruling was based on a statute used just 3 times in 21 years allowing regulators to override local land use decisions on electric and gas infrastructure projects. State utility regulators have overruled local land use decisions and cleared the way for Xcel Energy to build its $1.7 billion Power Pathway transmission line through Elbert County. The line will bring Eastern Plains wind and solar to the Front Range. The Elbert County Commission voted in June 2025 to deny Xcel Energy two key permits responding to protests by landowners and ranchers and an unwillingness by the utility to reroute the path, which cut through the heart of the county. The county commission and many landowners sought to have the route moved fa...
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Colorado Lawmakers Push Major Expansion Of Public Utilities Commission Authority
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Uncategorized, Approved, Complete Colorado, State

Colorado Lawmakers Push Major Expansion Of Public Utilities Commission Authority

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER – Colorado lawmakers are trying to introduce major changes to how the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) operates. The PUC, consisting of three members appointed by the governor, oversees numerous industries serving the public, from setting rates for your monthly electric bill to regulating Ubers. New legislation not only extends the PUC for another 11 years, but also introduces an onslaught of changes claiming to protect Coloradans.  However, according to critics, it adds additional burdens to an already over-regulated industry, takes transparency away from consumers and gives an already powerful board of unelected bureaucrats, even more power in other areas. Rideshare companies targeted House Bill 26-1326, Sunset ...
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Hidden Costs And Secret Repairs Cloud Colorado’s Largest Coal Plant
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Colorado Public Radio, Approved, State

Hidden Costs And Secret Repairs Cloud Colorado’s Largest Coal Plant

By Ishan Thakore | CPR News Last week, state utility regulators sharply questioned Xcel Energy’s repairs to Colorado’s newest coal-fired power plant, Comanche 3.  Since it opened more than a decade ago in Pueblo, the behemoth plant has been beset by technical problems and months-long outages. It has been offline since August 2025, when it suffered a catastrophic breakdown. Xcel now believes the plant won’t reopen until at least August 2026, because repairs have been delayed.  Multiple commissioners on the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) said the plant’s woes could put the state in a bind during the summer, when demand for electricity can skyrocket.  “Not to state the obvious, but we have a real problem with Comanche 3,” said ...
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Colorado Faces Summer Power Crunch As Comanche Power Plant Repairs Are Delayed Again
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado Faces Summer Power Crunch As Comanche Power Plant Repairs Are Delayed Again

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun Xcel Energy has until April 15 to present a plan for dealing with the projected electricity shortfall during the hottest days of summer. elays in getting Xcel Energy’s damaged Comanche 3 coal-fired power plant back online may create a shortfall in electricity this summer, requiring customers to cut back on use during heat waves and other peak periods. Concerned about the potential gap between electricity generation and demand, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission this week ordered Xcel Energy to file a plan by April 15 to deal with the looming deficit. Xcel Energy had projected a manageable 77-megawatt deficit in capacity for this summer, but when Comanche 3’s return to operation was pushed from June to Augus...
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Colorado Lawmakers Debate Future Of Utilities Commission And Energy Policy
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Pueblo Today, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Debate Future Of Utilities Commission And Energy Policy

By Pueblo Today Staff | Pueblo Today Decision could impact clean air, water, and energy costs for residents. Colorado lawmakers are considering whether to reauthorize the state's Public Utilities Commission, which regulates energy, water, and other utilities. Advocates argue the commission plays a crucial role in promoting clean energy and protecting vulnerable communities from pollution, but past decisions have also favored the interests of investor-owned utilities over the public. Why it matters The Public Utilities Commission's decisions have a direct impact on air quality, water quality, and energy costs for Colorado residents, especially in communities like Pueblo and Commerce City that already face higher levels of pollution and health issues. Reauthorizin...
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Xcel Warns Grid May Need Coal Plants Longer Amid Delays In New Energy Projects
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Xcel Warns Grid May Need Coal Plants Longer Amid Delays In New Energy Projects

By: Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun The plants in Pueblo and Hayden were slated to phase out between 2025 and 2030. Now the company has proposed running all their units for four more years. Xcel Energy, facing what it says is a shortfall in electricity generating capacity for the next two years, is proposing to run its four coal-fired units until 2030. Comanche Unit 2, in Pueblo, was supposed to close at the end of 2025. One unit at the Hayden Station is to close in 2027 and the second unit is slated to shut in 2028. Comanche Unit 3 is set to close in 2030. Comanche 3 suffered turbine damage in August taking the unit offline. Xcel Energy initially said repairs would be completed in June, but in a March 2 report to state regulators the company said it h...
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Colorado Lawmakers Move To Rein In Utility Eminent Domain After Xcel Land Dispute
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Move To Rein In Utility Eminent Domain After Xcel Land Dispute

By: Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics After months of backlash over Xcel Energy’s use of eminent domain in eastern Colorado, lawmakers representing Elbert and El Paso counties are advancing legislation that would bar utilities from initiating property takings until they’ve secured state approval and all required local permits — a move supporters say will restore fairness and prevent landowners from being forced into legal limbo. House Bill 1278, sponsored by Rep. Chris Richardson, R-Elizabeth, and Sens. Marc Snyder, D-Colorado Springs, and Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, would require utilities to receive a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Public Utilities Commission, as well as all necessary local land use approvals and permits, before initiating em...
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Xcel Reports $903 Million Colorado Profit While Seeking Higher Electric And Gas Rates
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Xcel Reports $903 Million Colorado Profit While Seeking Higher Electric And Gas Rates

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun On Feb. 18, the PUC also approved 4,100 MW of new generation — a mix of wind, solar, natural gas and storage — to be fast-tracked in an effort to get federal tax credits before they expire. The proposed gas rate increase would raise gas customers’ bills by an average $7.59 to $74.41 a month to pay for safety improvements, meet rising operating and maintenance costs and provide investor returns. The electricity rate increase Xcel Energy is seeking would raise bills about 10% to $110 a month to recover infrastructure investments, operating costs and lost revenue sources. “Enough is enough. Coloradans are being crushed under the weight of gas and power bills that get bigger every year,” Sarah Tresedder, senior climate and energy o...
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CMU student leaders press governor hopefuls on taxes, energy and rural control
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

CMU student leaders press governor hopefuls on taxes, energy and rural control

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice TPUSA chapter leaders from Colorado Mesa University opened Monday night’s gubernatorial forum with a question more typical of a legislative hearing than a campaign rally. Instead of easing into the forum, they went straight to TABOR. “How would you approach balancing Colorado’s budget while complying with TABOR? And what are your priorities when it comes to taxes, refunds and state spending during periods of surplus and economic stagnation?” Six candidates were at the forum that evening. Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer told the crowd she almost didn’t make the trip, saying she rearranged her Joint Budget Committee schedule and decided to “head on over to Grand Junction” when the weather held. Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs share...
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