Colorado regulators are being asked to step in as referee after two counties blocked a major Xcel Energy transmission project meant to move more power across the state. (Denver Post)
Xcel wants the Colorado PUC to overturn Elbert and El Paso counties’ permit denials for a $1.7B, 550-mile transmission buildout it says is critical for reliability and renewable goals.
Counties and landowners argue the route choices, fire risks, and eminent domain tactics weren’t meaningfully negotiated, putting the PUC in the middle of a larger fight over statewide grid needs vs. local land-use control.