Colorado’s largest electric utility may keep running some coal-fired power plants longer than planned because of an expected electricity shortfall — the latest pressure point on the state’s climate goals.
In a March 2 filing with state regulators, Xcel Energy said it faces “significant capacity shortfalls” through the winter of 2028 due to a range of factors, including increasing demand growth, supply chain shortages and changing dynamics on the grid. Those shortfalls could extend beyond 2028 if any of those factors continues to change.
One solution, the utility said, would be to extend three existing coal units: Unit 2 of the Comanche Generating Station, which was supposed to retire last year, and two units at the Hayden Generating Station that are scheduled to retire in 2027 and 2028. Operating those — along with the currently idled Unit 3 at the Comanche plant — through 2030 would help address the potential shortage.
The language was included in a status report on Comanche 3, which is scheduled to run until the end of 2030. Because that turbine was forced offline last summer, state regulators begrudgingly allowed Unit 2 of that plant to run through this year but warned Xcel about the high cost of its coal units.
