Xcel Energy, in collaboration with the Utility Consumer Advocate (UCA), Colorado Energy Office (CEO), and the Trial Staff of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), has submitted a petition to extend the operational life of Comanche Power Plant Unit 2. The request, filed on November 10, 2025, seeks approval from the PUC to keep Unit 2 available for up to one additional year beyond its current retirement date of December 31, 2025.
The Comanche coal power plant in Pueblo consists of three units. Unit 1 was retired in 2022. Unit 2 is scheduled for retirement at the end of 2025, while Unit 3 is set to retire on January 1, 2031. However, an unexpected outage occurred at Unit 3 on August 12, 2025. Since then, the largest unit at the plant has remained offline due to extensive damage. Xcel informed both the PUC and UCA in October that repairs are expected to keep Unit 3 out of service until June 2026. The cause of this outage and associated repair costs remain unknown.
The extension request for Unit 2 is a response to this situation and considers several factors including rising peak electricity demand across Xcel’s service area, ongoing supply chain issues, broader economic impacts, and updated forecasts for future energy needs. The company noted that relying on market purchases to replace lost output from Comanche Unit 3 could be costly and subject to price volatility during periods of high demand.
If approved by the PUC, Xcel would be allowed to operate Comanche Unit 2 as needed until no later than December 31, 2026 while repairs continue on Unit 3. This would require a variance from a previous PUC decision made in 2018 that set the original retirement date for Unit 2.
Once received by the PUC, commissioners will open a formal proceeding and establish a schedule for reviewing the petition. This process is expected to last about thirty days but may vary depending on commission deliberations.
The petition outlines a two-phase approach: First, commissioners will decide whether to permit continued operation of Comanche Unit 2 after its planned retirement date. Second, there will be time allotted for evaluating longer-term resource solutions.
A report updating progress on repairs at Comanche Unit 3 is due to the Commission by March 1, 2026. This document will also provide an initial plan addressing ongoing operational requirements for Unit 2 after repairs are completed on Unit 3.
By June 1, 2026, Xcel plans to submit an application seeking any further variances or approvals needed based on new information from earlier reports. The filing will include analyses examining different options aimed at maintaining affordable and reliable electricity supply for customers in Colorado while taking into account ongoing planning efforts.
