An agreement announced Tuesday would close a coal-fired power plant with longstanding mechanical and operational problems early, ending Xcel Energy’s use of coal in Colorado by the start of 2031.
The agreement is between Xcel Energy-Colorado and several local governments, business, labor and environmental organizations.
The closure date of the Comanche 3 plant in Pueblo was a big point of contention as state regulators have considered Xcel Energy’sproposed energy resource plan. The company originally proposed shutting the chronically troubled plant by 2040 and then Dec. 31, 2034.
But several parties involved in the proceedings before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission said that wasn’t soon enough. Two of the commission members recently expressed concerns about how long Xcel Energy would keep the plant running.
Last week, the PUC postponed a hearing on the utilities resource plan to give the parties time to work out an agreement. Bob Frenzel, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy, called the pact an “historic milestone” for the company.