Elbert County residents plead their case to PUC over Xcel's Power Pathway project

Colorado’s Power Pathway is a $1.7 billion transmission infrastructure investment that will enhance the reliability of the state's electric grid and unlock clean energy resources from the Eastern Plains.

To be clear, Colorado’s Power Pathway was submitted to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission in March of 2021 and went through the full regulatory approval process. It was approved in the spring of 2022, and construction began on June 7, 2023.

Xcel Energy strives to work collaboratively with local communities and jurisdictions to locate utility infrastructure projects and secure necessary local permitting. Despite over four years of collaboration with local officials, landowners and other stakeholders, Elbert and El Paso County Commissioners have denied the necessary permits for the project.

Elbert and El Paso counties’ decisions jeopardize the timely and cost-effective completion of Colorado’s Power Pathway, which is crucial for ensuring that we can provide safe and reliable service, acquire new clean energy resources to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate clean energy resources’ ability to qualify for federal tax credits before the opportunity expires. In response, Xcel Energy filed appeals with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to seek permission to proceed with the project along the proposed route despite the permit denials. We originally sought an expedited process for resolution of the permit denials to promote our ability to meet the construction schedule for the project, as the Commission determined in 2022 that the project was necessary and in the public interest for the state, and because delays will increase project costs and adversely impact the ability of Xcel Energy to reliably serve customers the new generation resources connecting to our transmission system. We appreciate that the Commission is still considering options for resolving the appeals on less than 250 days.

We have also filed an appeal in district court to protect our statutory authority to provide safe, reliable and economical electricity in Colorado.

In certain circumstances, we use condemnation authority to acquire property rights as consistent with Colorado statutes and local codes, which themselves recognize that for large right of way projects that cross hundreds of landowners the use of condemnation authority is appropriate to ensure no single landowner may prevent critical infrastructure from being built. Condemnation is a last resort after we’ve made every reasonable effort to work with landowners.

Colorado’s Power Pathway will deliver significant economic benefits to rural communities through local tax revenue, landowner lease payments and temporary and permanent jobs, while expanding and enhancing the state’s interconnected transmission network — benefiting all Coloradans. We look forward to working with the Commission to ensure we can deliver these benefits to our customers and communities on a timely basis.