RENEWABLE ENERGY PARKS: AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR PUEBLO, COLORADO

This report proposes the creation of an "energy park" in Pueblo, Colorado, as an economic development strategy to replace the retiring Comanche coal plant. The strategy involves a diversified portfolio of clean energy resources and "flexible" industrial technologies to maintain tax revenue and grid reliability while reducing costs for electricity customers.

• The Comanche coal plant's final 857 megawatt (MW) unit, built in 2010, is scheduled for retirement in 2031—significantly earlier than the original 2070s estimate—due to reliability issues and Xcel Energy's clean energy goals.
• The proposed "energy park" strategy would provide Pueblo County with approximately $40 million in annual replacement property tax by the mid-2030s. This approach aims to stimulate job creation and economic development while minimizing risk by using a diverse range of electricity resources rather than a single large power plant.
• The energy park would utilize "flexible" industrial technologies that absorb excess electricity during high production periods and convert it into other commodities. Specifically, thermal batteries could provide high-heat steam (up to 1700°C) for local facilities like the EVRAZ steel mill and GCC cement plant, while hydrogen electrolyzers at the PuebloPlex site could produce ammonia or sustainable aviation fuels.
• An example energy park portfolio requires a total capital investment of approximately $6.9 billion. Only about 25 percent of this cost (approximately $1.8 billion) would be borne by Xcel's electricity customers, with the remainder covered by industrial customer payments (approximately $1.7 billion), third-party investments in electrolyzers ($1 billion), and Inflation Reduction Act investment tax credits.

APA

GIMON, E., & SOLOMON, M. (n.d.). RENEWABLE ENERGY PARKS: AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR PUEBLO, COLORADO. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Renewable-Energy-Parks-An-Economic-Development-Strategy-for-Pueblo-Colorado-1.pdf

Chicago

GIMON, ERIC, and MICHELLE SOLOMON. RENEWABLE ENERGY PARKS: AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR PUEBLO, COLORADO. Energy Innovation, n.d. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Renewable-Energy-Parks-An-Economic-Development-Strategy-for-Pueblo-Colorado-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=GIMON |first1=ERIC |last2=SOLOMON |first2=MICHELLE |title=RENEWABLE ENERGY PARKS: AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR PUEBLO, COLORADO |publisher=Energy Innovation |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Renewable-Energy-Parks-An-Economic-Development-Strategy-for-Pueblo-Colorado-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gimonndrenewable, author = {GIMON, ERIC and SOLOMON, MICHELLE}, title = {{RENEWABLE ENERGY PARKS: AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR PUEBLO, COLORADO}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Renewable-Energy-Parks-An-Economic-Development-Strategy-for-Pueblo-Colorado-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }