Denver is turning its back on us by signing onto Xcel Energy’s backroom deal

The statement criticizes the City of Denver for supporting a settlement with Xcel Energy that delays the retirement of the Comanche 3 coal plant until 2035 and allows continued use of fracked gas for at least 40 years. The author contends that this agreement contradicts Denver's goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and harms vulnerable Latino communities in Pueblo and North Denver who suffer from pollution-related health issues.

• Xcel Energy proposed a settlement to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that would delay the retirement of the Comanche 3 coal plant in Pueblo until 2035 and allow the utility to recover the plant's remaining balance through rate increases.
• The settlement agreement allows Xcel Energy to continue using fracked gas for a minimum of 40 years, which the author argues perpetuates fossil fuel reliance and impacts disproportionately affected communities.
• The City of Denver's support for the settlement is described as contradictory to its own stated goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and the 2020 voter-approved funding for environmental justice via 2A.
• The document highlights severe health impacts in specific areas, noting that Latino communities near Comanche 3 in Pueblo experience high rates of asthma and COPD, and residents in North Denver's Cole, Globeville, and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods suffer from pollution, including from Xcel's Cherokee fracked gas plant.

APA

GreenLatinos (2022). Denver is turning its back on us by signing onto Xcel Energy’s backroom deal. GreenLatinos. https://www.greenlatinos.org/denver-is-turning-its-back-on-us-by-signing-onto-xcel-energys-backroom-deal/

Chicago

GreenLatinos. Denver is turning its back on us by signing onto Xcel Energy’s backroom deal. GreenLatinos, 2022. https://www.greenlatinos.org/denver-is-turning-its-back-on-us-by-signing-onto-xcel-energys-backroom-deal/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=GreenLatinos |title=Denver is turning its back on us by signing onto Xcel Energy’s backroom deal |publisher=GreenLatinos |date=20 January 2022 |url=https://www.greenlatinos.org/denver-is-turning-its-back-on-us-by-signing-onto-xcel-energys-backroom-deal/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{greenlatinos2022denver, author = {GreenLatinos}, title = {{Denver is turning its back on us by signing onto Xcel Energy’s backroom deal}}, publisher = {GreenLatinos}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.greenlatinos.org/denver-is-turning-its-back-on-us-by-signing-onto-xcel-energys-backroom-deal/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }