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Tag: Comanche Generating Station

Pueblo Takes Center Stage in Battle for Colorado Senate Control
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Pueblo Takes Center Stage in Battle for Colorado Senate Control

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Of the roughly two dozen state Senate seats up for election this year, one race in Southern Colorado is drawing particular attention. The outcome of this race could decide the contours of power at the state Capitol, with ramifications for what major policies get adopted next year. Just as importantly, this area called the “last purple” district in Colorado offers an interesting inflection point for a state that has become considerably bluer in each election cycle. Indeed, Pueblo presents a kind of political enigma — a union town that has voted for Pesident Donald Trump at the same time it had sent Democrats to the state Capitol. Mix in a fire that has devastated parts of the district, the debate over energ...
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Before Closing Pueblo’s Coal Unit Colorado Must Guarantee Reliable Power
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

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 a...
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Xcel Seeks One-Year Extension to Keep Comanche Coal Unit Running as Grid Pressures Rise
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Xcel Seeks One-Year Extension to Keep Comanche Coal Unit Running as Grid Pressures Rise

By Scott Weiser | Colorado Politics Colorado’s largest utility company has petitioned energy regulators to push back the retirement of a coal-fired, electrical generating unit located in the Southern part of the state from December 2025 to the end of 2026. The Polis administration is backing the petition. Comanche Unit 2 is one of three coal-fired units at the Pueblo-based Comanche Generating Station. In its petition, Xcel Energy cites as reason an extended outage at the adjacent Unit 3, surging peak demand and supply chain hurdles. The petition underscores admissions from both Xcel and state officials about a potential generating resource shortfall exacerbated by a failure at the Comanche Unit 3, taking it off-line for the next 11 months, and by delays in bringing new “rene...
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Pueblo County Urges Trump To Step In To Preserve Coal Plant
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Local, Approved, The Colorado Sun

Pueblo County Urges Trump To Step In To Preserve Coal Plant

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun Big economic impacts are on the line as Xcel Energy transitions from generating power at the expensive Comanche Station. The county wonders if its citizens are being punished for twice voting for Donald Trump. Pueblo County is asking the Trump administration to issue an emergency order to keep Xcel Energy’s troubled, coal-fired Comanche power station open indefinitely. Comanche’s Unit 1 was closed in 2022. Unit 2 is set to close this year and Unit 3 by 2031. By that time all of Colorado’s six remaining coal-fired plants are scheduled to be closed to meet state emissions standards. But Pueblo County, in a filing to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, said it will seek relief from President Donald Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. ...
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