Xcel plans to close coal-fired plant in Colorado

• 3 years ago (2021-11-25)
• David Flin

Coal 300 North America 1027

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Xcel Energy has announced plans to close Colorado’s largest coal-fired power plant, Comanche 3 in Pueblo, Colorado, USA, by 2035. This is well ahead of its original planned retirement date of 2070. The plan calls for Comanche 3 to run at half capacity by 2025, a third capacity by 2029, prior to closure in 2035.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission said in a report earlier this year that Comanche 3 has faced operational, equipment, and financial problems that resulted in over 700 days of unplanned shutdowns since 2010.

If the closure plan is approved, Xcel could reduce its CO2 emissions in Colorado by nearly 90 per cent.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency , Comanche 3 was Colorado’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018.