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Xcel does an end run on the legislature — with an assist from Colorado’s PUC
Colorado Politics ^ | September 20, 2018 | Ray Scott

Posted on 09/20/2018 7:02:33 AM PDT by george76

When the Colorado Public Utilities Commission recently approved Xcel Energy’s Colorado Energy Plan, the commissioners made a highly politicized decision that ignored economic reality, bypassed the state legislature and allowed the company to break its promise to save customers money. Coloradans should be troubled not just by the plan itself, but by how it won approval through an end-run of the democratic process.

In August 2017, Xcel unveiled the Colorado Energy Plan .. The plan’s cheerleaders, including Gov. John Hickenlooper and state agencies, celebrated the monopoly utility’s proposal to spend $2.5 billion on fuel switching

...

Earlier in 2017, Xcel Colorado’s then-vice president (now CEO) Alice Jackson confirmed in public testimony to the Public Utilities Commission .. that the Colorado legislature is the most appropriate entity to approve prematurely shutting-down two coal-fired power plants and replacing them with wind and solar.

...

During the 2017 legislative session, Xcel.. failed in the Senate.. because it made zero economic sense to force Coloradans to pay to shut down our most affordable and dependable power plants, in favor of unreliable wind turbines and solar panels that can increase electricity costs while decreasing dependability.

After the session, Xcel changed its tune.. by going to the Public Utilities Commission for something it couldn’t get passed through the Legislature.

...

Xcel broke its pledge to pursue its aims democratically and an unelected Public Utilities Commission let the for-profit monopoly get away with it. Instead of deciding based on economics and the public good, Commissioners made a political decision and set the stage for an economic boondoggle that should infuriate Coloradans.

Xcel is sticking it to its 1.4 million captive Colorado customers, who will have to pay millions of dollars more, while its Minnesota executives and Wall Street shareholders laugh their way to the bank.

(Excerpt) Read more at coloradopolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Colorado; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: climatechange; coal; coalpower; coalpowerplants; colorado; corruption; deepstate; electricity; energy; globalwarming; minnesota; politics; powerplants; puc; solar; waroncoal; windmills; xcel; xcelenergy

1 posted on 09/20/2018 7:02:33 AM PDT by george76
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To: MileHi; dynachrome; Balata; backspace; bboop; Benito Cereno; BulletBobCo; bravo whiskey; Carley; ...

Colorado Ping ( Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)


2 posted on 09/20/2018 7:03:21 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

This should be saved and sent on because the Gov says he wants to run for higher office.


3 posted on 09/20/2018 7:16:46 AM PDT by rstrahan
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To: george76

Left the state in 2018...

Solar and wind are scams...good luck


4 posted on 09/20/2018 7:16:58 AM PDT by Hojczyk
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To: george76

This is we get for electing Democrats.

I can afford it but as usual it’s the middle and working classes that will suffer.


5 posted on 09/20/2018 7:22:05 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (Hmmm.)
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To: rstrahan

15 years ago Xcel said spending $190 million to upgrade existing power plants was in the ratepayers best interest to keep the units running through 2035.

Xcel does not really care about the rate payers.


6 posted on 09/20/2018 7:23:15 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76
In Colorado its a contest between XCEL and CDOT to see which is the biggest crook.

CDOT construction costs per highway mile are about 30% higher than necessary.

XCEL plays this game with "renewable energy" by assigning fossil fuel energy to backup solar and wind, when they fall short. (but the bookkeeping shows it as renewable)

7 posted on 09/20/2018 7:27:20 AM PDT by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: SaxxonWoods

Hick supported shutting down reliable, cost efficient, paid for : coal fired units and now spending (at least) $2.5 Billion / replace them with intermittent, not reliable wind mills.


8 posted on 09/20/2018 7:29:03 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76

It’s really hard to believe that these people are this stupid. China will have built five more coal-fires plants before these two are shut down.


9 posted on 09/20/2018 7:37:53 AM PDT by Behind the Blue Wall
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To: G Larry

Vote YES for : Fix Our Damn Roads in November. .. known as Proposition 109.

If it passes, then hopefully, CDOT will be prohibited from transferring or using our money for any other purpose, including mass transit or multimodal projects like buses, trains, or bike paths. It’s strictly to fix and improve crumbling and inadequate highway infrastructure.

And vote NO : on an initiative supported by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce that would increase the statewide sales and use tax from 2.9 percent to 3.52 percent ... aka : Proposition 110.


10 posted on 09/20/2018 7:46:17 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76
A press release announcing the company’s change of tack not only touted the “broad” coalition that supports the plan, and the $2.5 billion in “clean energy” investments it could bring to rural Colorado. It also made the rather astounding claim that all this could be done at “no additional cost to the company’s electricity customers."

Just wait for the day when all those rural Coloradans wake up to a beautiful vista of...WINDMILLS EVERYWHERE!! They sold their souls to the devil for a few jobs. Wait until they see what he in store for them. Rocky Mountains? Lots of good wind there.

11 posted on 09/20/2018 7:48:02 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Behind the Blue Wall

Not stupid, rather Evil. Kickbacks to Hick and his pals?

The Minneapolis-based monopoly - Xcel is guaranteed a profit on every dollar it spends building new facilities. This is a tremendous incentive for Xcel.


12 posted on 09/20/2018 7:49:32 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: G Larry
In Colorado its a contest between XCEL and CDOT to see which is the biggest crook.

In the contest between XCEL and CDOT to see which is the most corrupt and stupid, I vote for CDOT. Electricity is one of my lowest monthly bills; but CDOT's incompetence degrades the road system I need to get around the county and affects me more directly.

13 posted on 09/20/2018 7:59:58 AM PDT by snarkpup ("We need to have a REAL political campaign - rivaling the scale of Comic-Con!" - Tan)
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To: george76

It makes economic sense to someone. Find out who’s benefiting by raping the taxpayer and put them on the CWII target list.


14 posted on 09/20/2018 8:00:21 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

The intermittent, not reliable, noisy, ugly, expensive to build & maintain, made in China ... wind mills kill endangered eagles and other birds..

It takes hundreds of tons of coal to build and install (concrete & steel) the monsters that will cover huge chunks of real estate.


15 posted on 09/20/2018 8:01:57 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: Hojczyk

Left in 2018 also. This is just one more step towards the Californifacation of Colorado. Liberal BS paybacks. Peter Boyle (KNUS) must be boiling man.
He hates Hickenpooper.


16 posted on 09/20/2018 8:30:02 AM PDT by wardamneagle
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To: george76

Then, when they are running, there’s a low pitch thrum-thrum-thrum for miles around. In early- to mid-morning and again in late-afternoon and evening, the blades block sunlight causing a strobe effect for miles around. In California near the Altamont pass, ranches in families for generations were essentially abandoned as people could no longer live there because of the incessant, infernal light and sound problems.


17 posted on 09/20/2018 8:44:06 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: george76

What a load. I sent this to my state reps. We’ll see if they reply.


18 posted on 09/20/2018 10:00:56 AM PDT by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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