State, Xcel Energy petition to keep Pueblo coal power plant Comanche Unit 2 open

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - The state of Colorado and Xcel Energy are asking to delay the closure of Comanche Generating Station Unit 2 in Pueblo until 2026, extending the coal plant's scheduled retirement by another year.

Comanche Unit 2 is currently slated to close on Dec. 31, 2025. However, on Monday, Nov. 10, state agencies and Xcel Energy filed a petition with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) asking for approval to continue operating until Dec. 31, 2026.

According to state agencies, the request is in response to the unexpected outage of Comanche Unit 3 in August. They hope to keep Comanche 2 operating to support the grid's energy needs until Unit 3 can be repaired.

The Xcel Energy Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo is Colorado's largest power plant. As part of Colorado's shift to clean energy, Comanche Unit 1 closed in 2022, with Unit 2 scheduled to close in 2025 and Unit 3 in 2031.

One of the plant's biggest supporters, Rep. Jeff Hurd (CO-03), argues that the plant creates jobs, generates tax revenue, and provides affordable and reliable energy. However, environmental organizations, like the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, contend that extending coal operations could raise utility costs and worsen air pollution.

As the Trump administration looks to extend the life of coal power, critics of the Comanche Generating Station are concerned that this extension could keep the plant open beyond 2026.

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