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Federal Government Commits $250 Million to Colorado Power Grid Project
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Federal Government Commits $250 Million to Colorado Power Grid Project

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Denver Gazette The U.S. Department of Energy is investing $250 million in a transmission connection between Colorado and Texas, which it says will improve grid reliability and meet growing electricity demand. One connection will move from Lamar to the higher-capacity May Valley substation in Brandon. That connects it directly to the Colorado Power Pathway transmission network. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Denver Voters Face Xcel Decision but 3% Utility Fee May Remain Either Way
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Colorado Politics, Approved, Local

Denver Voters Face Xcel Decision but 3% Utility Fee May Remain Either Way

By Nico Brambila | Colorado Politics Xcel Energy’s slogan makes this promise: “Our energy. Your power.” Denver voters will have the power in November when they decide whether to approve a new 20-year franchise agreement with the utility. But even if they say no, they will continue paying the 3% franchise fee on their electric and natural gas bills. The reason? A provision on page 22 of Denver’s existing 20-year agreement with Xcel says that, if the franchise is not renewed, the utility must continue paying the city an amount equal to the franchise fee as long as Xcel continues using Denver’s public rights-of-way to provide service. The agreement expires Dec. 31. Colorado law requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to order utilities to recover muni...
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Colorado Springs Delays Data Center Decision After Intense Public Opposition
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local

Colorado Springs Delays Data Center Decision After Intense Public Opposition

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun Public overwhelmingly against massive computing warehouse, as 3 protesters are arrested and 1 hit with stun gun. Colorado Springs City Council voted Thursday night to delay a hotly controversial data center proposal near Garden of the Gods, after a raucous daylong hearing with speakers overwhelmingly and profanely shouting down the concept. A scuffle broke out between police and speakers who claimed they had been denied a time slot and grabbed a megaphone to denounce the project. Social media and local TV stations showed one man being hit with a stun gun while he was being handcuffed, as police and at least two protesters wrestled between the theater-style seats. Colorado Springs Police said on X.com they had “three people in custo...
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Colorado Cities Wrestle With Costs and Benefits of Data Center Expansion
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Axios Denver, Approved, State

Colorado Cities Wrestle With Costs and Benefits of Data Center Expansion

By Alayna Alvarez | Axios Denver Colorado communities are taking dramatically different approaches to the boom in data center development, with a patchwork of moratoriums, incentives and new restrictions. Why it matters: The local experimentation is filling a vacuum left by state lawmakers, who failed last legislative session to agree on how Colorado should regulate the resource-hungry facilities. State of play: The fragmentation sets up another potential fight at the Colorado State Capitol next year over how to capture the upside of data center development without saddling communities with their enormous electricity, water and infrastructure demands. Driving the news: Denver — which already has 50 data centers — has&...
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Tech Leaders Say Misinformation Is Driving Resistance to Data Centers
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Just The News, Approved, National

Tech Leaders Say Misinformation Is Driving Resistance to Data Centers

By Christina Park | Just the News Facing NIMBY: Industry experts and lawmakers are pushing back against "disinformation" about data centers, arguing that they are vital for American jobs and technological leadership. State lawmakers and big tech are pushing back against misinformation surrounding data centers. Once welcomed for their local economic benefits, they say these facilities now face resistance due to fear and disinformation over water and electricity consumption, complicated by a global AI race against China. “What I want to do, and what President Trump wants to do is make sure we dominate the next revolution in technology, which is of course, AI and data centers,” economist Stephen Moore told the Just the News, No Noise show at the American ...
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Xcel Urges Coloradans To Shift Power Use During Summer Peak Hours
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Xcel Urges Coloradans To Shift Power Use During Summer Peak Hours

By: Ethan Carlson | Denver7 Xcel Energy's "Energy Action Days" ask customers to reduce usage between 4 and 8 p.m. on hot days, but some customers say the timing is inconvenient. DENVER – Xcel Energy customers in Colorado may have noticed text messages recently asking them to reduce their energy use during certain hours of the day. The utility calls these "Energy Action Days" - requests for customers to cut back on energy consumption between 4 and 8 p.m. when temperatures climb above 90 degrees, along with a variety of other grid conditions. Customers who do not reduce their usage during those hours will pay more for their energy, as part of Xcel’s Time of Use pricing policy. Andrew Holder, Xcel Energy Colorado's director of community relations, ...
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NERC Report Raises New Questions About Colorado Energy Reliability
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Complete Colorado, Approved, State

NERC Report Raises New Questions About Colorado Energy Reliability

By: Sarah Montalbano | Complete Colorado The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) 2026 State of Reliability report contains lessons for Colorado’s electricity sector. While the grid as a whole “continues to deliver reliable electric service,” challenges are mounting thanks in part to the “declining availability of aging combustion generation.”  NERC’s report finds that power plants failed more in 2025, with the fleet-wide forced outage rate climbing to 9.2 percent against “historical norms rarely exceeding” 8 percent. Coal-fired plants saw their forced outage rate rise from 11.2% in 2024 to 14.1% in 2025. NERC surveyed owners of generators that s...
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Colorado Seniors Feel Heat as Xcel Seeks Double-Digit Rate Increase
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Seniors Feel Heat as Xcel Seeks Double-Digit Rate Increase

By: Maggie Bryan | Denver7 Xcel Energy is proposing electric and gas rate increases that would raise the average customer's bill by about 10% as early as August. DENVER — Some Coloradans are facing tough decisions as they try to stay cool during this week's heat wave, especially those on fixed incomes. Jimmy Cano and his wife, who live in Aurora, received a free portable air conditioning unit Tuesday night thanks to local nonprofit Bright Leaf, an organization that provides food assistance and other resources for seniors in the City and County of Denver. "Usually right at this time, I would probably be sitting here dripping sweat," Cano said. He said the portable AC unit has been a game changer for them as their home does not have a central AC system. B...
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Northern Colorado Leaders Warn Power Shortage Could Slow Growth
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Northern Colorado Leaders Warn Power Shortage Could Slow Growth

By: Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado Rapid growth across parts of Northern Colorado is colliding with a growing challenge — being able to access enough electricity to support new homes and businesses. Local leaders in Greeley say demand for power has increased significantly in recent decades. This is as technology becomes more integrated into everyday life, and it creates pressure on an electric grid that is struggling to keep pace with population growth and development. "We are growing pretty rapidly," said Don Threewitt, interim community and economic developer for the city of Greeley. Threewitt said the state's electric demand has shifted dramatically in the last decade, as residents rely more heavily on technology. From smartphones and electric vehicles to incre...
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