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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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Why the AI Data Center Debate Is About More Than Energy and Water
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Fox News, Approved, Commentary, National

Why the AI Data Center Debate Is About More Than Energy and Water

By Taylor Budowich | Commentary, Fox News A report found 61% of small-business owners using artificial intelligence to boost their operations. Everywhere you look, people are talking about artificial intelligence (AI). It’s on your TV. It’s on your radio. It’s on your social media feed. And it seems like Democrats and their media allies are doing their very best to scare you away from it by telling you that AI is going to destroy the environment, take your job and hike up your utility bills. But anytime Democrats and liberal journalists are in lockstep on an issue, that should set off your alarm bells – why do they want you to be scared? The reason is that left-wingers want to seize control of AI for their own political purposes. But don’t take my word for it...
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Xcel Electric Bills Rise Again as Colorado Regulators Approve $157 Million Increase
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Xcel Electric Bills Rise Again as Colorado Regulators Approve $157 Million Increase

By Mark Jaffe | The Colorado Sun The state Public Utilities Commission cut Xcel Energy’s original rate hike request but the utility could ask for a rehearing. Xcel Energy received approval from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday for a $157 million electricity rate increase that will raise the average residential bill by about $5 a month. The average residential bill for 601 kilowatt hours will rise to $109.92 a month from $104.91. When Xcel Energy originally filed the rate request in 2025 it said the average monthly bill was about $100. The average bill for small commercial customers will rise a little less than 5% to $164.37 a month for 1,041 kilowatt-hours. The parties to the rate case, including Xcel Energy, the state Office o...
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New Analysis Ties Net Zero Policies To Higher Household Energy Costs
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Just The News, Approved, National

New Analysis Ties Net Zero Policies To Higher Household Energy Costs

By Kevin Killough | Just the News “Blue States, High Rates” study analyzes climate and net-zero policies in each state and shows that the common factor when it comes to high electricity rates is whether a state has these policies in place. And those are primarily blue states. Polls consistently show that affordability is a top concern for voters, and that includes the cost of their utility bills. An Ipsos poll released in May showed that 79% of respondents would support a political candidate who promises to lower their utility bill. The poll also found that 58% of American bill payers don’t understand what drives their utility costs. Always On Energy Research and the Institute for Energy Research have been attempting to analyze the relationsh...
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Colorado Customers Push Back as Xcel Seeks Another Rate Increase
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Customers Push Back as Xcel Seeks Another Rate Increase

By Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 Denver7's Jefferson County reporter Allie Jennerjahn has more on Xcel Energy's proposed rate increase to $166 million, which customers say is making their bills already unmanageable. DENVER — Colorado residents are pushing back on Xcel Energy's latest request for a rate increase, with some telling Denver7 their electric bills are already stretching household budgets to the breaking point — especially during a stretch of intense summer heat. Xcel Energy proposed a $225 million rate increase that would have raised customers' monthly electric bills by about 6%. Last week, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) reduced that request to closer to $185 million. "A technical conference where Xcel will calculate the impact of the Commission...
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Colorado Voters Will Decide Right To Natural Gas in November
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Voters Will Decide Right To Natural Gas in November

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics A citizen initiative that seeks to enshrine the right to natural gas has qualified for the November ballot, Colorado’s election office confirmed on Thursday. Petitions containing signatures for Initiative No. 177 were turned in to the Secretary of State’s Office for review in late June. On Thursday, the Secretary of State’s Office said 146,165 of the 189,508 signatures collected were valid, surpassing the threshold. The initiative from Advance Colorado establishes consumers’ right to purchase natural gas for cooking and heating their homes and businesses, as well as the right of distributors and utilities to sell natural gas to homes and businesses. “Natural gas is a clean, reliable and affordable form of energy...
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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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Denver Ballot Measure Will Determine Xcel Partnership As Millions In Revenue Are At Stake
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Ballot Measure Will Determine Xcel Partnership As Millions In Revenue Are At Stake

By: Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette This November, Denver voters will decide whether to renew the city’s longstanding franchise agreement with Xcel Energy. Members of the Denver City Council approved on Monday sending a proposed 20-year franchise agreement with Xcel that would deliver more than $180 million a year in franchise fees, infrastructure relocation savings and other undergrounding funds to the ballot. The vote was 10-2 with Councilmembers Shontel Lewis and Sarah Parady holding the two dissenting votes. “Denver has negotiated the strongest energy partnership agreement in the history of Colorado, and importantly, the benefits of this agreement and of being a franchisee extend far beyond any of the individual listed improvements and accomplishments,”...
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Xcel says it has no affordability crisis. Its customers and regulatory filings tell another story.
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Xcel says it has no affordability crisis. Its customers and regulatory filings tell another story.

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Every week, Carlos H. sits down with his bills and works out what his family can go without. Some weeks it is dinner. “I just opt out to say, hey, okay, maybe won’t be cooking up something tonight, so we can just make ends meet,” the Denver father said. Some weeks it is gas—a quarter tank instead of a full one, and the math of whether that gets him to the next payday. He has a 14-year-old daughter and a baby due in February. His electric bill runs $120 to $150 a month. A proposed Xcel settlement could push it higher. “We don’t have an affordability crisis,” Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado, told the House Energy and Environment Committee on April 23, arguing against a proposal to give regulators more power over how util...
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