<description>&lt;p&gt;Colorado Springs Utilities wants to delay closing its last coal-fired powerplant. CSU is currently obligated under its clean energy plan to close its Ray Nixon plant by the end of 2029 in order to meet a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030. It claims the extension is necessary because it is too costly to meet the current deadline. Learn about proposed legislation that would allow the plant to continue operating up to an extra ten years, and why many environmental groups oppose it. This episode’s guests:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jim Lockhart, conservation chair of Pikes Peak Group of Sierra Club&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ciara Guerrero, Colorado Springs team coordinator for 350 Colorado&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Olivia West, environmental organizer for Sierra Club and Green Corps&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LEARN MORE:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Colorado Springs Utilities Enlists State Lawmakers To Keep Ray Nixon Power Plant Running Into 2030&lt;/em&gt; – CPR news story: &lt;a href="https://www.cpr.org/2026/01/13/colorado-springs-ray-nixon-power-plant-legislation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.cpr.org/2026/01/13/colorado-springs-ray-nixon-power-plant-legislation/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Update on the Nixon Plant Decommission&lt;/em&gt; – Sierra Club update: &lt;a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peak/february-2026#:~:text=Update%20on%20the%20Nixon%20Plant%20Decommission&amp;amp;text=CSU%20is%20currently%20obligated%20under,emissions%20by%2080%25%20by%202030" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peak/february-2026#:~:text=Update%20on%20the%20Nixon%20Plant%20Decommission&amp;amp;text=CSU%20is%20currently%20obligated%20under,emissions%20by%2080%25%20by%202030&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;SB26-022 - Challenge Meeting 2030 Emissions Reduction Goals: &lt;a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110720/download" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110720/download&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Clean Energy for Colorado Petition: &lt;a href="https://forms.gle/9eiwmh52x463DJuz9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://forms.gle/9eiwmh52x463DJuz9&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;HB26-1030 - Data Center &amp;amp; Utility Modernization: &lt;a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb26-1030" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb26-1030&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;350 Colorado Springs: &lt;a href="https://350colorado.org/colorado-springs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://350colorado.org/colorado-springs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club: &lt;a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peak" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peak&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Subscribe to Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future Email Updates: &lt;a href="https://peakalliance.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8b6c85fea7b70fac39688c409&amp;amp;id=bbba41d918" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://peakalliance.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8b6c85fea7b70fac39688c409&amp;amp;id=bbba41d918&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the &lt;em&gt;Peak Environment&lt;/em&gt; podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://peakallianceco.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://peakallianceco.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://peakallianceco.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Pikes Peak Permaculture&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://350colorado.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://350colorado.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.growthbusters.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;GrowthBusters&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.growthbusters.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.growthbusters.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Peak Environment

Dave Gardner

149: Burning Coal Past 2030 Deadline - Colorado Springs Asks for Extension

FEB 25, 202634 MIN
Peak Environment

149: Burning Coal Past 2030 Deadline - Colorado Springs Asks for Extension

FEB 25, 202634 MIN

Description

Colorado Springs Utilities wants to delay closing its last coal-fired powerplant. CSU is currently obligated under its clean energy plan to close its Ray Nixon plant by the end of 2029 in order to meet a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030. It claims the extension is necessary because it is too costly to meet the current deadline. Learn about proposed legislation that would allow the plant to continue operating up to an extra ten years, and why many environmental groups oppose it. This episode’s guests:Jim Lockhart, conservation chair of Pikes Peak Group of Sierra ClubCiara Guerrero, Colorado Springs team coordinator for 350 ColoradoOlivia West, environmental organizer for Sierra Club and Green Corps LEARN MORE:Colorado Springs Utilities Enlists State Lawmakers To Keep Ray Nixon Power Plant Running Into 2030 – CPR news story: https://www.cpr.org/2026/01/13/colorado-springs-ray-nixon-power-plant-legislation/Update on the Nixon Plant Decommission – Sierra Club update: https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peak/february-2026#:~:text=Update%20on%20the%20Nixon%20Plant%20Decommission&text=CSU%20is%20currently%20obligated%20under,emissions%20by%2080%25%20by%202030SB26-022 - Challenge Meeting 2030 Emissions Reduction Goals: https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110720/downloadClean Energy for Colorado Petition: https://forms.gle/9eiwmh52x463DJuz9HB26-1030 - Data Center & Utility Modernization: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb26-1030350 Colorado Springs: https://350colorado.org/colorado-springs/Pikes Peak Group of the Sierra Club: https://www.sierraclub.org/colorado/pikes-peakSubscribe to Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future Email Updates: https://peakalliance.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=8b6c85fea7b70fac39688c409&id=bbba41d918The following environment/sustainability organizations in the Pikes Peak region collaborate to produce the Peak Environment podcast about environmental stewardship, sustainable living and enlightened public policy in the Pikes Peak Region.Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future https://peakallianceco.org/Pikes Peak Permaculture https://www.pikespeakpermaculture.org/https://350colorado.org/GrowthBusters https://www.growthbusters.orgKeep up with all the organizations and events making our area a better place to live. Follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode.