Xcel Continues To Pursue Plans To Purchase Wind From Colorado Project

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Xcel Continues To Pursue Plans To Purchase Wind From Colorado Project Xcel Energy says it still wants to purchase wind power that would have been sold to the City of Boulder under a proposed deal. The utility filed a request on Aug. 18 with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to purchase 200 MW of power for its Windsource program.

Earlier this year, Xcel had proposed selling 200 MW of wind power to Boulder, but that deal was contingent on the city's signing a 20-year franchise agreement with the utility. The city, however, had already decided last year against renewing a franchise agreement with Xcel.

Discussions regarding the sale of wind power to the city broke down in July after both parties disagreed about whether Boulder citizens should have the chance to vote on the proposed wind/franchise agreement. The city ultimately decided to allow citizens to only vote on whether to form a municipality.


In June, Xcel Energy announced that it would add 200 MW of wind energy in Colorado through a contract with NextEra Energy Resources LLC, which plans to develop and build the Limon Wind Energy Center in Lincoln County. But Xcel will need approval from the CPUC before it can purchase the power.

‘This proposed purchase contains the lowest-cost wind energy we've seen, making it competitive with other energy sources,’ said David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company, in a press release.

Xcel plans to submit a second filing within 45 days that will examine the details of its new Windsource product offerings, according to the company.

If Xcel receives approval, construction of the project is expected to begin in early 2012 and be completed by year-end. The company says it currently generates 12% of its power from renewable energy, the majority of which comes from wind.

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