On Wednesday, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) granted a request to allow Xcel Energy to model and present its Clean Energy Plan (CEP) portfolio for consideration as part of its current electric resource plan.
The portfolio, which proposes the early retirement of two coal units at Xcel’s Comanche generation facility in Pueblo to be replaced by new renewable and natural gas resources, will be presented along with other alternatives in the company’s Phase II 120-day report, which is due April 27.
The CEP would include the issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) that could result in additions of up to 1 GW of wind, 700 MW of solar and 700 MW of natural gas and/or storage. No coal resource would be added as part of the RFP. In addition, carbon emissions could be reduced up to 60% by 2026 in comparison to 2005 levels, according to the utility.
According to the PUC, the latest decision allows Xcel to present the CEP portfolio with additional evaluation data sufficient to determine if it is in the public interest to proceed down the coal plant retirement path.
Colorado’s regulated electric utilities are required to file a plan every four years forecasting future electric demand and how the utility will meet that demand. This process carries out the policy of the state that new electric resources have the lowest impact on rates, factoring in all relevant costs to be encountered during the planning period, the commission says.
Once the 120-day report is received, all parties to the case will have the opportunity to comment and respond to the report. The PUC will issue a final decision approving a preferred portfolio for Xcel by the end of July.
