Eastern Colorado is marked by the expansive prairie, rolling hills and arroyos, windstorms, and a rural population that calls it all home. Soon, it may also be the home of a proposed $1.7 billion energy transmission system, known as the Colorado Power Pathway, built by Xcel Energy. Spokesperson Randy Fordice from Xcel Energy was able to provide some information about this proposal.
The Plan By Xcel Energy
According to Xcel Energy, the eastern side of Colorado is full of renewable energy in the form of wind and solar, and they aim to build new transmission lines (and several substations) to harness this energy and bring it to the Front Range. Though not directly producing renewable energy, Xcel is hoping to provide the infrastructure that will attract solar and wind plants to this area to take advantage of these resources.
On their website, the company says, “Colorado’s Power Pathway will carry the approximately 5,500 megawatts of new wind, solar and other resources Xcel Energy plans to add through 2030 to meet the state’s growing electricity needs reliably and affordably.”
According to Fordice, this is all part of Xcel Energy’s Clean Energy Plan, currently under consideration by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Outlined in the plan is “early retirement or transition of coal plants while adding wind, solar and battery storage.”
El Paso, Pueblo, Lincoln, and Elbert counties will all be affected by this project. These counties fall under “Segment 5.” The original map for the pathway had it running alongside Peyton Highway across most of El Paso County; as of the end of April, they had adjusted the proposed route to the east of Yoder.
This pathway has a generous timeline, broken into different stages. The first segments, located in southeastern Colorado, are planned to go live in 2025, with others coming online in 2026 and 2027.
In Segment 5, construction is expected to begin in 2025. Xcel Energy filed its initial application in 2021 and is currently in the extensive public debate and permit approval process. The timeline is subject to adjustment depending on how the permitting process goes.
The Benefits
The Power Pathway is expected to have several benefits for Colorado, some direct and some indirect. Directly, the Front Range region will experience the benefits of having an increased supply of renewable energy that is able to meet area demands. The reliability of the overall grid is expected to improve, and improved infrastructure will allow for more renewable energy plants to be built.
Indirectly, the building of these transmission lines is projected to provide the infrastructure needed to encourage the building of wind and solar plants, both new plants and older projects that have been sidelined by a lack of ability to transmit the produced power.
Xcel Energy also states that rural areas will see an increase in tax revenue, and more job opportunities (both contract and permanent), and some landowners may receive payments for allowing the pathway on their property. In addition, “all utilities, such as Colorado Springs Utilities, Black Hills Electric in Pueblo and Colorado’s electric cooperatives, as well as generation developers will also have access to connect projects to the new transmission lines, providing benefits for other cooperatives and municipal utilities in the state.”
The Costs
As with any large project, there are some potential negatives as well. Some possible concerns include property rights, increased energy costs, environmental effects, and just where the energy is being transmitted.
When it comes to property rights, Fordice explained that easements are typically purchased from landowners, who can continue to use their property. “Generally, the only new restrictions are to limit tall-growing trees and new buildings inside the easement (which will be 150 feet wide for this project, or 75 feet on either side of the transmission center line).” The company does state on its FAQ page that they reserve the right to utilize eminent domain in cases when an agreement cannot be reached.
Another area of concern is the effect on customer energy prices. Per Fordice, “We don’t have an estimate on bill impacts for the Pathway project, which is an estimated investment of $1.7 to 2 billion, we do expect that the overall Clean Energy Plan, including the new energy resources and the pathway project, will impact bills by about 1.5% annually.”
Such an ambitious project is sure to have environmental effects. So far, impact studies have yet to be completed as the planned path is still being worked out, and permits are being processed. Fordice explains that the permitting process will also “address specific environmental issues in the county.”
When it comes to the ongoing drought and increased wildfire risk, Xcel is prepared. They already have a “comprehensive wildfire protection program” that includes “increased inspections, repair and replace programs, tree and brush removal programs,” as well as protocols and monitoring per Fordice. In addition, easements for the metal power poles and lines mean some brush will be cleared away, minimizing the risk of vegetation contacting the lines themselves as well as the overall fire risk.
Finally, one Frequently Asked Question in the “Resource Planning & Renewables” section asks if eastern Colorado will get the benefit of more access to renewable energy because of this project. Fordice’s response was that the project will increase access to renewable energy for rural Coloradans and that it will strengthen the “backbone” of the transmission grid, increasing reliability in the state.
“Xcel Energy provides electricity to more than 1.4 million customers in Colorado, the bulk of whom are located in the Denver metro area, as well as wholesale electricity to cooperatives and municipal utilities throughout the state. The new energy that connects to the Pathway project will serve all of our customers.”
How to Stay Informed
Xcel Energy has made the effort to keep residents informed, and Fordice reports many interested parties being active in the process. He states that the company has taken their concerns and suggestions seriously and that recent feedback from residents in the Pikes Peak region has “resulted in expanding the study area and evaluating additional routes based on feedback from the community.”
Xcel recently held a string of local open houses regarding the pathway, though none are scheduled for the immediate future. More can be expected as the route approval process begins. In the meantime, residents can follow the regularly updated website www.ColoradosPowerPathway.com. At this site one can find the most up-to-date information, a list of frequently asked questions as alluded to above, and maps of proposed routes.
A final statement from spokesperson Fordice:
“Colorado’s Power Pathway project is a major infrastructure project that will deliver benefits to the entire state by increasing access to new renewable energy resources, increasing reliability by strengthening the transmission grid, and helping create jobs as we build the project in these local communities throughout the state.”
