Xcel Energy last week announced plans to reduce coal-fired electricity generation emissions as called for under Colorado’s Clean Air Clean Jobs Act.
The company intends on retiring 900 megawatts (MW) of coal generation at its Valmont and Cherokee power plants by the end of 2017 and the end of 2022, respectively. Xcel Energy will re-power the Cherokee power plant with natural gas generation of 883 MW and will also switch to natural gas generation at its Arapahoe plant.
Xcel Energy says it will also perform retrofits on approximately 950 MW of coal-fired generation at its Pawnee and Hayden power plants with emission control technology.
Under the plan, the company would reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 84 percent and mercury emissions by 85 percent for the power plants targeted by 2023.
The company has also made extensive progress in the area of renewable energy in recent years.
Xcel Energy ended 2009 with almost 3,200 megawatts (MW) of wind generation and a growing portfolio of solar power. The company states it is the leading provider of wind energy in the nation and number five for installed solar power capacity.
Xcel Energy also operates a first of its kind demonstration of a hybrid solar-coal approach, using parabolic-trough solar technology integrated with a coal-fired power plant.
Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. The company provides products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers and spent more than USD$140 million on energy-efficiency programs during last year.
