Colorado

High-voltage substation construction and transformer work across Colorado. Here is the grid ESS operates in.

How Colorado makes its power

In 2024, natural gas was Colorado's largest single source of electricity at roughly 30 percent of in-state generation, with wind and coal each supplying close to 27 to 29 percent. Renewable sources together provided about 43 percent, led by wind and followed by solar and hydropower. Coal's share has fallen sharply over the past decade, down from around 60 percent.

Grid challenges

Colorado is retiring its remaining coal units, including Comanche Unit 3, which is scheduled to shut down by January 1, 2031, while building transmission to connect wind and solar on the eastern plains. Xcel Energy's Colorado Power Pathway adds about 550 miles of new 345kV lines for that purpose. Several Colorado utilities are also shifting into organized wholesale markets, with providers such as Tri-State joining the Southwest Power Pool and others joining a California-run imbalance market.

Major utilities and grid operators

  • Xcel Energy (Public Service Company of Colorado)
  • Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association
  • Colorado Springs Utilities
  • Platte River Power Authority
  • Black Hills Energy
  • Western Area Power Administration

Sources

Substation work in Colorado?

Tell us the voltage class, the site, and the timeline. ESS mobilizes across the West.

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