Final decision on closing Drake power plant delayed in Colorado Springs
A final decision in Colorado Springs on whether to close the aging Drake power plant early did not happen as expected on Monday.
After a two-hour public hearing, the Colorado Springs Utilities Board discussed the matter and said more information is needed on the impact of closing the facility in 2025 or 2030, instead of the original closing date of 2035.
Board members listened as around 30 people made arguments for and against early closure.
Some of those against closing the plant in 2035 said the city should stand by its original decision, and that closing the plant earlier will be more expensive.
Colorado Springs Utilities analysts said a rate increase of around 4 percent is needed to pay for decommissioning Drake and replacing it with new generating infrastructure.
The total cost could be at least $60 million and up to three times higher, depending on future energy costs.
Many in the audience supporting early closure of the plant were college students who want the city to be more forward-thinking in its approach to energy.
“Renewal energy should be part of the mix,” one student said. “We have to look to the future. Who wants to stay here and raise a family when there’s an outdated, polluting power plant downtown?”
But another student disagreed.
“I don’t think solar and wind energy are as clean as people think,” he said. “You’ll have batteries to dispose of at some point. Solar panels have heavy metals. You’re just creating another problem.”
Others in the audience pointed to the millions of dollars the utility has spent on scrubbers to lower unhealthy emissions.
“We’ve already invested that money,” board member Andy Pico said. “The scrubbers are working. I don’t think the plant is polluting as much as everyone thinks.”
Several board members said they simply don’t have enough information yet to make a final decision.
“I don’t want to be responsible for getting anyone sick or having a premature death,” said board member Richard Skorman. “I have a friend who died, who lived in the surrounding neighborhood, who died of lung cancer. She never smoked a day in her life. I can’t say if the plant was the reason why. But we need to be as sure as we can about this.”
Board members said that, according to public surveys, 61 percent opposed a rate increase to close Drake, while 39 percent were willing to pay no more than a 2 percent increase.
Choosing from six options, the board agreed on option 3C — which calls for closing not only Drake but the Birdsall plant near Cascade Avenue and Fillmore Street.
Option 3C also calls for building new transmission lines and as many as eight smaller plants fueled by natural gas, and possibly acquiring energy from other sources apart from the utility.
What remains unclear is what will happen to the Drake site once the plant is decommissioned. Board members said the site needs to be assessed for environmental concerns and appraised for possible economic development.
