Pueblo County is asking the Trump administration to keep coal burning as Colorado regulators greenlight the state’s largest clean energy build. (Big Pivots)
For context: The PUC approved 6,000 MW of new resources for Xcel—$15B in wind, solar, gas peakers, and batteries—but far less than the 14,000 MW the utility sought to meet data center demand. Commissioners insisted data centers, not households, shoulder the risk if demand projections flop.
Local leaders say the plan abandons their community when its Comanche 3 coal plant closes in 2030, demanding a nuclear or gas plant to replace both the jobs and tax base. Their appeal to Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright signals a possible federal push to keep the county’s coal units running.