{"id":15500,"date":"2025-10-22T09:58:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T09:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/15500\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T09:58:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T09:58:21","slug":"xcel-asks-to-skip-public-hearings-to-expedite-projects-in-elbert-el-paso-counties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/15500\/","title":{"rendered":"Xcel asks to skip public hearings to expedite projects in Elbert, El Paso counties,"},"content":{"rendered":"

Xcel Energy is asking state utility regulators to use a little-used statute to override decisions by Elbert and El Paso counties rejecting the proposed route for the company\u2019s $1.7 billion Power Pathway<\/a> high-voltage transmission line.<\/p>\n

The utility also asked for an expedited decision, cutting the time for responses and discovery, and even skipping a hearing, saying that the project could face construction delays, mounting costs or \u201cat worst\u201d risk foundering.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission agreed Wednesday to review Xcel Energy\u2019s motion, but not expedite the proceeding, which means the process could take up to the statutory limit of 250 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would emphasize that 250 days would be the maximum, and then we\u2019ll endeavor where possible to beat that timeline,\u201d PUC Commissioner Megan Gilman said.<\/p>\n

The statute<\/a> Xcel Energy wants the PUC to use gives the commission so-called backstop siting authority to overrule local land use decisions on electric power and gas infrastructure projects. It has been used three times in the past 21 years.<\/p>\n

Xcel Energy filed a motion in 2022 seeking an expedited ruling on a project in the Weld County town of Eaton, but withdrew it after the company and the municipality reached an agreement.<\/p>\n

A few legs of a 550-mile line in play<\/p>\n

The 345-kilovolt Power Pathway transmission line will run 550 miles bringing wind and solar power from the Eastern Plains to the Front Range. It is being built in five segments in a large loop<\/a> across 12 counties from Longmont to Pueblo and then up to Denver.<\/p>\n

Land acquisition, the company said, has gone smoothly in all the segments except Segment 5, which runs through Elbert and El Paso counties. Segment 5 also goes through Pueblo, Lincoln, Elbert, Douglas and Arapahoe counties.<\/p>\n

On June 25, the Elbert County Commission voted to deny Xcel Energy the permits<\/a> to build a 48-mile section of the line, voicing concern that the route ran through a populated part of the county and that the company would not consider another path.<\/p>\n

\"\"Xcel Energy\u2019s Power Pathway is being built in five segments with plans to ask for a sixth. The utility says securing right of way for the 550-mile loop was relatively smooth until it began work in Elbert and El Paso counties for the fifth leg of the loop. Segment 2, from Canal Crossing to May Valley is in service. No work has begun on Segment 5, from Harvest Mile to Sandstone. (Xcel Energy map)<\/p>\n

The commissioners said they were also unhappy that even before getting county approvals Xcel Energy was seeking court-ordered eminent domain<\/a> to get rights of way from uncooperative landowners.<\/p>\n

The El Paso County Commission on July 24 also denied permits<\/a> for the 45-mile portion of Segment 5 running through the county, citing several concerns including the risk of lines causing wildfires.<\/p>\n

Xcel Energy filed complaints against the two county commissions in their respective district courts. \u201cCounties cannot use that authority to effectively preclude a project that is a matter of statewide concern from coming to fruition,\u201d the utility argued in its Elbert County complaint.<\/p>\n

Public Service of Colorado, Xcel Energy\u2019s subsidiary, then filed motions with the PUC asking it to grant the necessary approvals, saying it will be a challenge to meet the goal of having Segment 5 completed in 2027.<\/p>\n

In its motion, Public Service proposed one-day hearings before the PUC each for Elbert County and El Paso County in November and a commission decision by Jan. 16, 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile Elbert County understands the urgency that Public Service now feels, this is a problem of Public Service\u2019s own making,\u201d the county said in a PUC filing, noting that the company waited until November 2024 to file for permits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe company chose this timing despite knowing the risks of delay since at least 2021,\u201d the county said.<\/p>\n

El Paso County, in a filing to the PUC, said its commission was never supplied with alternative siting options and was asked \u201cto rubber stamp\u201d Xcel Energy\u2019s choice.<\/p>\n

With decisions now pending at the county level, in district court and at the PUC, Elbert County argued that sorting through these \u201ccomplex legal issues \u2026 will take time and should not be rushed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither Elbert County nor El Paso County challenged Xcel Energy\u2019s right to file the motion for a backstop judgment.<\/p>\n

There is more at stake than just a power line route, Xcel Energy said, as the Power Pathway is a backbone to providing reliable electricity and meeting the state goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n

\u201cElbert County\u2019s denial of the company\u2019s requests for siting permits unreasonably impairs the company\u2019s ability to provide safe, reliable, and economical service to the public in a manner consistent with the state\u2019s emission reduction goals,\u201d the utility said in a filing.<\/p>\n

It also cited Aug. 1 letter<\/a> from Gov. Jared Polis who called for \u201cleveraging existing PUC authorities to evaluate and approve existing and forthcoming resource acquisitions, utilizing applicable PUC appeal authority when projects are denied at the local level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The letter, however, \u201cdoes not purport to negate statutory requirements,\u201d El Paso County said.<\/p>\n

Among the requirements in the backstop statute is a public hearing in a place designated by the local government and prehearing conferences among the parties.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thankful that the PUC denied Xcel Energy\u2019s request for an expedited hearing and thankful for staff\u2019s recognition associated with the complexities of our case,\u201d Elbert County said in a statement. \u201cWe look forward to giving our community another opportunity to share their voice regarding this proposed transmission line project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Type of Story: News<\/p>\n

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Xcel Energy is asking state utility regulators to use a little-used statute to override decisions by Elbert and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15501,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[12586,138,1060,140,139,12587,12588,12589,955,11367,12590],"class_list":{"0":"post-15500","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-el-paso","8":"tag-colorado-public-utilities-commission","9":"tag-el-paso","10":"tag-el-paso-county","11":"tag-el-paso-headlines","12":"tag-el-paso-news","13":"tag-elbert-county","14":"tag-jared-polis","15":"tag-power-pathway","16":"tag-solar-energy","17":"tag-wind-energy","18":"tag-xcel-energy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15500"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15500\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}