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Xcel Energy speeds up retirement of northwest Colorado coal plant
Colorado’s largest electric utility on Monday announced that it intends to close two of its coal-fired generating units earlier than previously planned, boosting the state’s efforts to transition to clean energy as it seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Xcel Energy will retire Unit 1 at the Hayden Generating Station in northwest Colorado in […]
5 of the biggest Colorado political stories of 2020
Though Colorado wouldn’t confirm its first case of COVID-19 until March 5, 2020, public health officials later concluded that it had been circulating in the state as early as January — fittingly enough, for a year that would come to be defined, above all else, by the spread of the novel coronavirus. But a deadly […]
Colorado finalizes stricter emissions rules to battle ozone pollution
The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission on Friday finalized a new set of emissions rules aimed at bringing the Denver metro area into compliance with federal ozone pollution standards — but the region’s decade-long struggle with smoggy skies is expected to continue to run afoul of the Clean Air Act for years to come. In […]
Early coal retirements reversed after pressure from utilities, Polis administration
Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission abruptly reversed a decision it made last month to accelerate the planned retirement dates of three coal-fired power plants after pressure from electric utilities and top officials in Gov. Jared Polis’ administration. In an unusual move, AQCC commissioners on Wednesday reopened debate on its proposed Regional Haze rule, which they […]
Colorado, Nevada leading energy-efficiency progress in Southwest, report finds
The southwestern United States continues to lag behind other regions in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, but Colorado and Nevada are among the states making the most progress, a new report from a national energy-efficiency group found. Colorado ranked 11th among all states on the American Council for an Energy-Efficient […]
Bennet unveils $60 billion proposal for wildfire recovery, forest-management programs
Sen. Michael Bennet on Tuesday introduced the Outdoor Restoration Force Act, a proposal to spend more than $60 billion in new federal funding on wildfire recovery and prevention efforts on public lands across the West. “For years, Congress has failed to invest in the outdoors — undermining our forests and watersheds, which sustain our economy […]
UCHealth workers to form union, citing COVID-19 ‘crisis within a crisis’
A group of nurses and other health care workers at UCHealth announced Tuesday that they are forming a union aimed at addressing longstanding concerns about staffing, workplace safety and inadequate patient care across Colorado’s largest hospital system. UCHealth Workers United says it will organize staff members across all job titles and locations in the UCHealth […]
First doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive at state lab in Colorado
Gov. Jared Polis and state health officials were on hand Monday morning to receive Colorado’s first shipment of the coronavirus vaccine at a lab in Denver, beginning the first phase of a vaccination process that could last for six months or more. Polis personally signed for the delivery of 975 doses of a vaccine developed […]
Gov. Polis, Western governors push senators to revise aid formula in COVID-19 relief proposal
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday joined a bipartisan group of Western governors in calling on congressional negotiators to revise a proposed formula for state and local aid distribution in a potential COVID-19 relief deal, saying it would “unfairly and inequitably distribute revenue across the states.” “The current formula, which distributes ⅓ of the state […]
New unemployment claims top 36,000 as COVID-19 economic fallout deepens
More than 36,000 Coloradans filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits in the first week of December, continuing a worsening trend as a nationwide spike in COVID-19 infections and new public-health restrictions impact many businesses, especially in the service sector. The week ending Dec. 5 was the worst period for initial unemployment claims since early June, […]
Front-line workers call for stronger enforcement of COVID-19 safety restrictions
Sandra Chavez, a grocery worker, had to switch to the night shift to reduce her risk of contracting COVID-19. Bob Dinegar, a bus operator, is worried about increased crowding on public transit as layoffs and service cuts loom. Rachel Wolter, a hairstylist, believes she lost her job in retaliation for her safety complaints. The three […]
First Gentleman Marlon Reis home after COVID-19 hospital stint
Marlon Reis, partner of Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado’s first gentleman, is home and “feeling well” after being hospitalized for two days due to worsening COVID-19 symptoms, the governor’s office said Tuesday. “I am so thankful to the doctors, nurses, and staff and for the support and well wishes we have received from friends, neighbors […]