El Paso County Commissioners unanimously deny Xcel Energy transmission line

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A controversial billion-dollar power line project through eastern El Paso County has been halted, at least for now.

On Thursday, the El Paso County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to deny Xcel Energy’s land use application for Segment 5 of its Colorado Power Pathway project. The proposed 45-mile transmission line would have run through rural parts of the county, connecting to larger infrastructure aimed at delivering renewable energy across the state.

But commissioners and residents alike raised serious concerns about fire risk, land use, and the lack of benefit to locals.

"This line would not directly serve any residents or business owners within El Paso County, unincorporated or incorporated," one Xcel representative admitted during the hearing.

That statement struck a nerve with nearby landowners.

"If this line is approved, it will ultimately ruin all of eastern El Paso, Southern Elbert and Western Lincoln Counties… Please don't turn our area into green energy dumping grounds of Denver," one resident testified.

Xcel defended the project as crucial to Colorado’s clean energy goals.

"We do not directly serve any residents. That’s not our service territory. So nobody’s going to get a power bill from Xcel Energy," the company stated.

Elbert County rejected a similar permit in June. Now, Xcel says it is evaluating whether to appeal the decisions in the District Court or return to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.

For now, construction cannot move forward in El Paso County. The project’s future remains uncertain.

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