Customer Advisory Group reaches decision on Drake Power Plant’s fate

The Customer Advisory Group announced it has decided what it believes is best for the Drake Power Plant and plans to present the decision to the Colorado Springs Utilities Board.

The group of 15 volunteers spent the past year collecting data and public input on the power plant. A fire shut down part of the plant in May 2014. The group, which formed shortly after, looked into the best options for the plant moving forward.

The group selected Portfolio D, which would not start to decommission coal burning units of the plant until after 2020. A business owner said Monday he wanted Portfolio H, which would begin decommissioning coal burning units starting in 2018.

Tony Colangelo has lived down the street from the plant for more than 20 years. He said the plant is so noisy, it wakes him up in the middle of the night. Still, he is nervous changes to the plant could increase his utility bill so he supports a plan that would not start decommissioning coal burning units soon.

“Especially someone like me, I am disabled. I have a certain income and that’s it,” said Colangelo.

Bruce Domier also lives near the plant. He said he would like to see coal burning units decomissioned soon with the hope that it would decrease the number of trains passing through his neighborhood. He said the noise from the trains coupled with the noise of the plant has a big impact on the quality of life in the neighborhood.

He doesn’t like the group’s plan, but he said he isn’t surprised to see they’ve come to that conclusion.

“I just don’t think anything will happen with that plant until it becomes so obsolete or the political climate changes so much that coal is basically outlawed,” said Domier.

There will be a public meeting on Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.at the Leon Young Service Center at 1521 South Hancock Expressway.