Frequently Asked Questions

A right-of-way is the actual land area acquired for a specific purpose, such as a transmission line, roadway, or other infrastructure. An easement is the legal document that must be signed by the landowner before the utility can proceed and explains what uses a landowner can continue to conduct within the right-of-way. In this case, a utility requires certain rights (an easement) to build and maintain the utility facilities, for example a transmission line. Landowners are paid a fair market value for the easement and can continue to use the land so long as their use does not interfere with the operation and maintenance of the transmission line. An easement is the legal document signed by the landowner, and it explains the uses allowed within the right-of-way.

Terms of the easement are written in the easement agreement. Most electric utility easements are perpetual (meaning there is no specified end date) and not subject to termination or expiration. Once an easement is signed, it is recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder and becomes part of the real property title record. The utility, landowner who signed the easement, and all future property owners, are bound by the agreement terms. If the utility removes the transmission line and abandons the right-of-way, it can release the easement rights.

Land agents will continue to conduct outreach to landowners along the preferred transmission line route to answer questions, discuss and evaluate site-specific concerns, and discuss easements that may be needed. Construction crews are reviewing the transmission line route for factors that could affect construction methods, such as access constraints.

Landowners typically are given a one-time payment based on fair market value for easement rights to their land, traditionally based on the appraised land value. Most of the land is then still usable for the same purpose, particularly in agricultural settings. Landowners also are eligible for reasonable compensation for property damage that may occur when the transmission line is constructed.

Typically, land acquisition is completed during or after we have acquired land use permits from local jurisdictions and in correlation with engineering. Colorado’s Power Pathway acquisition activities will continue into 2025.

Xcel Energy prefers to acquire land rights through negotiations with landowners. Although we do have the power of eminent domain, Xcel Energy only uses that power when a right must be acquired, and a deal cannot be reached with the landowner after good faith negotiations.

Yes, as long as you take these precautions:

• Prevent a solid stream of water from hitting the wires. Equipment with nozzles that are small in diameter or spray a fine mist is typically not problematic because the solid part of the water stream will not reach the power line wires. Also, an intermittent spray of water will not conduct significant amounts of electricity. Even large diameter nozzles operating at their normal spray angle typically will not reach the wires with a solid stream. However, at no time should the solid part of a water stream touch power line wires. Should that happen, turn the water off by switching the pump off before trying to correct the problem.
• Make sure the irrigation system is well grounded. If you have questions as to whether or not your irrigation system is adequately grounded, contact your local electric utility.
• Check with utility before installing a new irrigation system. Each system should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; questions about the installation and operation of an irrigation system adjacent to or under a power line should be directed to your electric utility.
• DO NOT install long lengths of pipe parallel and adjacent to transmission lines. They should be laid out at right angles to power lines to reduce risk of the pipes building up an induced charge.
• Be careful when moving the pipes. When unloading irrigation pipes, stay at least 50 feet from power lines to avoid any chance of raising them too close to the wires.

To better understand if the presence of transmission facilities impacts property value, Xcel Energy has retained independent third-party experts to conduct a study focused on answering this question to inform Xcel Energy on how best to respond to property value concerns. Study results will be available in late 2022 or early 2023. At this time, we do not expect a formal written report will be issued; however, we may release a prior study performed to educate landowners on why a direct impact on property values is not expected.

Landowners are typically given a one-time payment based on fair market value for easement rights to their land, traditionally based on the appraised land value. We will use market data from recent sales of similar properties to determine fair and appropriate compensation for the easement. Most land will still be usable for the same purpose after construction of the transmission line and activities, such as agriculture, can continue outside of the small area occupied by the transmission structures.

Based on third-party real estate appraiser analysis, the proximity of a transmission line to properties without an easement does not affect property value. This outcome has been routinely studied by Xcel Energy over the last decade and has been repeatedly demonstrated.

House Bill 22-1104 encourages transmission providers to enter contracts with public entities and/or private landowners to construct and maintain public recreational trails (powerline trails) along transmission corridors. Xcel Energy already works with local governments, parks departments and landowners to facilitate and allow the construction of trails under powerlines where the co-existence of the trail is welcomed by the landowners and consistent with the surrounding land uses. The intent of the bill is to raise awareness of the opportunities to construct recreational trails throughout the state.

House Bill 22-1104 does not require a powerline trail within transmission corridors. Under the new law, Xcel Energy is required to consider trails within Colorado’s Power Pathway corridor and notify local governments of the potential for a powerline trail. Xcel Energy already works with local governments, parks departments and landowners to facilitate and allow the construction of trails under powerlines where the co-existence of the trail is welcomed by the landowners and consistent with the surrounding land uses. The intent of the bill by its sponsors is to raise awareness of the opportunities to construct recreational trails throughout the state. The entity owning and constructing the trail will likely be required to carry insurance for the trail and its use.

Under HB 22-1104, the entity owning and constructing the trail is required to carry insurance for the trail and its use, not the landowner.

Colorado’s Power Pathway will support the economic vitality of our state, while delivering significant economic benefits to rural communities across eastern and southern Colorado both over the short term and over the long term. More immediately, construction will employ substantial contract labor, while also providing local jurisdictions and host communities with additional tax revenues and potential employment opportunities. Once Colorado’s Power Pathway is completed, it will drive ongoing job opportunities and employment in clean energy projects (wind, solar, etc.) that ultimately interconnect to Colorado’s Power Pathway.

Additionally, other renewable energy generation developers may be able to build projects that otherwise were idle due to lack of transmission access to market and/or transmission constraints. Generation projects may provide economic development through increased jobs associated with construction and local tax-based revenue associated with land usage, not to mention payments to existing landowners.

Metropolitan areas of the state will have increased access to renewable generation to serve area load and meet the goals of specific retail and wholesale customers and local communities.

Local vendors and interested businesses can learn more by visiting our Partners and Suppliers webpage.

Xcel Energy has a Buy America program, which will apply to Colorado’s Power Pathway; however, there is not a Buy America requirement specific to Colorado’s Power Pathway.

The cost of Colorado’s Power Pathway will be incorporated into the costs of power and transmission lines from all of Xcel Energy’s facilities. The company works hard to keep the cost of electricity it provides to its customers as low as possible. The amount we collect from our customers’ bills allows us to maintain our infrastructure and conduct routine maintenance.

A combination of factors determines the eventual cost of constructing a new, or upgrading an existing, power line. While a straight-line path for a power line may be desirable, factors such as avoidance or mitigation of existing or planned land uses, and avoidance or mitigation of environmental conditions, can affect the design required based on terrain. These and other factors, including right-of-way acquisition, contribute to the siting and eventual costs of a project.

Additional information:

This project will recover the retail share costs through our Transmission Cost Adjustment (TCA) Rider until included in the base rates. The TCA recovers the transmission investments not already in base rates and is subject to annual changes effective on January 1 each year. Cost for Wholesale Transmission customers will be through Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)- Jurisdictional Transmission Rates.

Xcel Energy: Understanding Your Bill - Colorado

A Schedule of Activities is located on the Project Description page.

Colorado’s Power Pathway will provide bulk electric transmission capacity in eastern Colorado; and will not change local electric service providers. If you currently receive electric service from Mountain View Electric Association, CORE Electric Cooperative (formerly Intermountain Rural Electric Association), YW Electric, or others, they will continue to provide that service after Colorado’s Power Pathway is operational. Colorado has an open transmission system, so Xcel Energy’s power lines also carry electricity generated by other utilities and cooperatives around the state, benefitting everyone who uses electricity. All transmission providers in Colorado will have access to Colorado's Power Pathway to deliver clean, renewable energy to their customers, who will still be serviced by their current power providers.

The average annual rate impact for the overall Colorado Energy Plan is a 2.25 percent increase in 2024 through 2030, which accounts for all energy and transmission additions, including Colorado’s Power Pathway. Xcel Energy works hard to keep the cost of electricity it provides to its customers as low as possible. The amount we collect from our customers’ bills allows us to maintain our infrastructure and conduct routine maintenance.

A combination of factors determines the eventual cost of constructing a new or upgrading an existing power line. While a straight-line path for a power line may be desirable, factors such as avoidance or mitigation of existing or planned land uses and avoidance or mitigation of environmental conditions affect the overall project design. Other factors, including right-of-way acquisition, also contribute to the siting and eventual costs of a project.

Colorado’s Power Pathway will recover the retail share costs through Xcel Energy’s Transmission Cost Adjustment (TCA) Rider included in base rates. The TCA recovers transmission investments not already in base rates and is subject to annual changes effective on January 1 each year. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission oversees all customer electricity rates. Cost for wholesale transmission customers will be set through Federal Energy Regulatory Commission jurisdictional transmission rates.

Land use permitting activities continue for Segments 4 and 5 in Pueblo, Arapahoe, Elbert, and El Paso counties. Approvals have been received from Weld, Morgan, Washington, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Crowley, and Lincoln counties, and the City of Aurora, for the land use permits for Segments 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

We encourage landowners to participate in the land use permit processes managed by the cities and counties that govern them. For more information on public hearings and the types of permits required, please visit our Permitting page.

The written approval provides Xcel Energy the authority and direction to move forward as designed with Segments 1–5 of Colorado’s Power Pathway. The CPUC order confirms that the 345-kilovolt transmission line, associated substations, and the ‘transmission loop’ the new infrastructure will provide, will allow Xcel Energy to deliver new renewable energy, help meet Colorado’s carbon reduction requirements and deliver electric reliability for the region.

In the written approval, some of the CPUC determinations include:

• Meeting 2030 carbon emission reduction targets depends on the timely completion of the transmission line.
• Colorado’s Power Pathway is appropriately sized to accommodate more than 5,000 megawatts of new generation.
• The looped transmission line configuration provides additional resiliency and reliability benefits for the region while avoiding costs.
• Cost estimates and timelines for Colorado’s Power Pathway, along with magnetic field and noise level requirements, are reasonable.
• Undergrounding is not in the public interest due to cost and other factors.

The full written approval and Xcel Energy’s CPCN application with the CPUC can be found by visiting the E-Filings page on the CPUC website and entering Proceeding No. 21A-0096E in the Search field.

The CPUC did not approve construction of the May Valley–Longhorn Extension (Extension) in the January 2024 Phase II Decision regarding our Electric Resource Plan and Clean Energy Plan. We may bring a proposal to construct the May Valley–Longhorn Extension and Longhorn Substation forward again in the future but have paused its further development as part of Colorado’s Power Pathway. Development of Segments 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Colorado’s Power Pathway will continue.

The new transmission line does not connect to Comanche Generating Station. Segment 4 (May Valley–Tundra) is planned to interconnect with the existing 345-kilovolt transmission lines in the Pueblo area at the Tundra Substation. The interconnection to the existing transmission system and development of Segment 5 provides additional capacity and increased reliability and is critical to complete the Pathway’s backbone transmission system.

The potential environmental impacts associated with development of Colorado’s Power Pathway were evaluated throughout the routing and siting process, and coordination with applicable federal, state, and local agencies and jurisdictions is ongoing. We continue to work with each county to identify and obtain required permits.

Colorado's Power Pathway does not involve a federal nexus that would require development of an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act. As part of our local permitting efforts, and in accordance with jurisdiction-specific requirements, we assess the existing conditions and evaluate the anticipated impacts of the project along each segment. This evaluation includes desktop and field surveys of biological and cultural resources.

Xcel Energy has met with Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff at public meetings, project meetings and workshops, and has also engaged with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service regarding Colorado’s Power Pathway and will follow recommended non-disturbance buffers and construction timing restrictions to avoid or minimize impacts to special-status species. Xcel Energy has engaged with Colorado’s State Historic Preservation Office regarding Colorado’s Power Pathway and has evaluated results of previous surveys as part of our routing and siting process.

No, Colorado’s Power Pathway does not cross Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site.

The right-of-way width required for the 345-kilovolt transmission line is 150 feet. At the very least, the lines will be built 75 feet from a home. As part of the routing criteria, we tried to optimize staying away from homes to the extent feasible. Throughout the routing process, one of our main goals was to avoid residences, where feasible.

As part of our routing process, we collected data on inhabited structures within the project area, and we this data as well. We classified those structures as avoidance areas and did everything we could do to avoid routing the line over the inhabited structures.

Cities and municipalities are usually not considered exclusion or avoidance areas in our routing criteria. However, because these areas are usually more densely populated, and because our criteria included avoidance of homes within 75 feet of the right-of-way, cities were mostly avoided.

We are aware of special-use airspace and military training areas in eastern Colorado. We coordinated with the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), other military entities, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during the routing process.

Whenever our projects get routed near U.S. Air Force bases or other airport facilities, our transmission structure locations and heights are filed with the FAA. We work directly with the FAA to communicate with the Department of Defense (DOD), airport space and public and private airports to determine how our new transmission structure heights impact their facilities. This direct coordination through the FAA helps determine the feasibility of the project relative to the airport or protected air space.

Generally, buildings or other structures are not allowed in the right-of-way/easement for a transmission line. Landowners can only build structures under a power line after receiving written approval from the electric utility. Buildings and other structures are generally not permitted on rights-of-way due to clearance and safety concerns. It is important that you discuss projects with the utility to avoid creating situations that could become unsafe to the landowner and/or utility workers.

We evaluated paralleling existing power lines during the routing process.

Wind and solar farms, as well as all other forms of electricity generating facilities, require substations and transmission lines to move energy to areas where it is consumed. If you have a transmission line on the property, the likelihood of a wind farm developing nearby is greater. While the transmission line traversing your property does not guarantee you will be offered the chance to participate in a renewable energy project, it does increase the chance.

A more detailed view of the transmission line and substation locations can be accessed on this project website. Xcel Energy does not publicly share spatial data; those interested in looking at the project spatially are encouraged to check the project website.

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Because Colorado’s Power Pathway involves construction of a new 345-kV transmission line outside of the existing right-of-way, local land use permits are required in counties and municipalities where the project is located. Examples of these permits include Special Use Permits, Conditional Use Permits, or Senate Bill 1041 Areas and Activities of State Interest Permits.

Federal and state permits/approvals may be required prior to construction.

Construction related permits are also required, such as permits for county and local road crossings, county and local road occupancy, and additional stormwater discharge permits.

Where an easement for Colorado’s Power Pathway is needed, Xcel Energy will discuss considerations, such as CRP land, with each landowner.

Xcel Energy’s experience identifying routes along highway corridors has proven effective but has also identified challenges. While much of the road rights-of-way may be well-suited for transmission infrastructure, existing buildings (including homes, businesses and, often, entire communities) may conflict with right-of-way sharing.

Undergrounding transmission lines is expensive. We estimate that building underground transmission lines can be up to 10 times as costly as building infrastructure overhead, and those costs are shared by our customers. The technology required to artificially cool high-voltage underground transmission lines is also costly.

Underground transmission lines present operational, maintenance and reliability issues not addressed in the study:

In most cases, underground transmission infrastructure requires an area that remains clear for operations, maintenance, and repair access. The study assumes the land above the underground transmission line can be restored to native prairie and not disturbed. This does not reflect our industry experience.

The study assumes minimal maintenance over a 40-year lifespan of a transmission line. While underground transmission lines require less maintenance, it can still be significant, particularly if outages occur or repairs are needed, which may impact use of the roadway.

Repairing underground equipment can take significantly longer than repairs to overhead infrastructure. Underground outages often take more than 10 days to repair, while overhead repairs can often be completed in a matter of hours. Measures to mitigate these lengthy outages would include adding additional cables, which would add significant cost to the overall project.

The transmission line is 345,000 volts (345kV). The line conductor has the capacity to transport about 1,700 megavolt amperes (MVA). However, the loadability (i.e., capacity) of lines that are over 100 miles is limited by other operational constraints to a maximum capacity that is lower than the line conductor of 1,700 MVA.

• Our goals for renewable resources are identified in our Electric Resource Plan (ERP), which was filed in March 2021. On September 18, 2023, Xcel Energy submitted several project portfolios to Colorado’s Public Utility Commission for consideration. This submittal included the preferred portfolio for generation interconnects to Colorado’s Power Pathway, that can be viewed in our 120-day report.

All wind and solar are intermittent and variable generation resources. Our resource planning group analyzes the availability of wind and solar resources to ensure adequate capacity is available through a combination of renewable and dispatchable resources, including coal, natural gas, hydro, wind and solar. Maintaining system reliability as we close coal plants and increasingly rely on wind and solar is a key goal of the Company and is required by State statute. Existing and incremental gas-fired generation and storage resources will be used to provide the needed generation flexibility around intermittent wind and solar generation as our coal plants retire.

We have limited injection capability at our existing points of interconnection, so the transmission system in eastern and southern Colorado is essentially full. These electric resource zones, where we have the best resources for wind and solar, are very constrained. It's highly inhibited by the lack of transmission at this point.

While Xcel Energy is planning for the addition of renewable resources to our electric system, we’re also looking ahead to the time when these new resources have served their useful lives and will need to be retired or replaced. That includes looking at the eventual replacement and disposal of wind turbines.

At this time, wind farms have a life of approximately 20 years or more, and ideally, all the parts of a turbine are designed to last the full lifespan of the facility. When a wind farm reaches its end of life, it is either retired or retrofitted to newer equipment.

• • There are a host of recyclable materials that make up wind turbines, including metals and other materials that are recyclable (nacelle, tower sections, internal gearing).
  • The oil used in turbines is removed and recycled.
  • Blades are made of fiberglass and other recyclable materials. They are cut into manageable sections to remove the recyclable materials.
  • The remaining fiberglass sections are disposed of in an approved landfill.
    • These fiberglass components are classified as nonhazardous construction debris.
    • The contractor is used to dismantle and remove the turbines
    • They determine the final landfill for any remaining waste, making sure it meets our requirements for disposal per our waste management procedures and that the landfill is permitted for proper disposal.

While Xcel Energy does build, maintain, and offer wind generation bids, we are not responsible for the reclamation efforts of other renewables developers.

We coordinate our transmission line planning through the Colorado Coordinating Planning Group. There has been interest expressed by stakeholders in importing and exporting power, but we do not have any specific plans right now.

This is dependent on the technology utilized for the wind or solar project and how long it can last, which could be 15 to 25 years. The term might vary, as there may be cost tradeoffs, decreased efficiency over time or newer technology might improve the output. After the term length, the developers will have the land and the transmission infrastructure in place and can repower their facilities and offer it into a subsequent Request for Proposal once the purchase power agreement expires. It's about reusing the land and existing infrastructure instead of building new in the future.

Developers interested in interconnecting would go through our Federal Energy Regulatory Commission process by submitting an interconnection request and becoming part of a cluster study of all the other projects looking to interconnect.

Xcel Energy builds, maintains, and offers wind generation bids into some Electric Resource Plans (ERPs). Our ability to do so as allowed under state statute is that we can own a certain percentage of the resource of the total. We must be competitive with our bid during phase two of the ERP. If we have some of the more competitive bid responses, we may be included in the preferred portfolio or alternative portfolios. At that point, we will be looking at building additional wind projects. We currently own two wind farms in Colorado—Rush Creek and Cheyenne Ridge.

Colorado’s Power Pathway will help to enable future renewable energy interconnections around the state. Colorado’s Power Pathway will provide access to existing transmission lines in the Pueblo area and along the Front Range. Additionally, the segment between the Tundra Segment and the Front Range will lay the foundation should a decision be made to build a transmission line out of the San Luis Valley solar area.

Battery installations can store energy. We store excess energy from wind and solar to use when it is not available, offsetting the intermittency of those energy sources while still using clean electricity. Battery energy storage is the most common type of storage facility proposed by developers due to cost efficiencies. However, other types of storage are in consideration, including compressed air, storage related to molten salt, and several other technologies which are still being explored.

One purpose of Colorado’s Power Pathway is for developers to have an opportunity to interconnect. We suspect that once Colorado’s Power Pathway is approved by jurisdictions, there will be increased interest in developing wind and solar projects within the state.

Colorado’s Power Pathway is just the transmission backbone. Bids for energy generation, including storage, were identified in the Request for Proposal process during phase two of our Electric Resource Plan (ERP). That portfolio of projects, along with alternatives, was submitted to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on September 18, 2023, for approval. The preferred portfolio for generation interconnects to Colorado’s Power Pathway, can be viewed in our 120-day report. Aside from our ERP filed in March 2021 and approved in August 2022, Xcel Energy filed a Colorado Energy Plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission in 2018, which was also approved. It included a battery storage facility in conjunction with two solar projects currently being built in Pueblo.

As shown by the Energy Resource Zones and generation development area maps, eastern Colorado does not have a high-level of solar capability. During the bid process in Phase 2 of the Electric Resource Plan, all proposed projects will be evaluated from a cost-benefit perspective. If a solar project in eastern Colorado meets the requirements of the resource portfolio, and the portfolio receives Colorado Public Utilities Commission approval, it could be awarded a Power Purchase Agreement.

New transmission capacity provided by Colorado’s Power Pathway will not have a significant impact on existing eastern Colorado transmission lines. This is because Colorado’s Power Pathway is a backbone transmission system to transport electric power directly and expressly from the renewable resources in eastern, southeastern and southern Colorado to the existing Front Range transmission system.

Throughout the central U.S., extremely cold weather in February 2021 substantially drove up demand for natural gas and electricity, resulting in a dramatic short-term increase in market prices for utilities. Despite bitter cold across much of the country, Xcel Energy’s electric and natural gas systems across our entire service territory held up very well given the strain of extremely high demand. Our top priority during extreme weather is to ensure all customers have reliable access to heat and electricity so they remain safe.

The investments we have made in our infrastructure have positioned us well to provide reliable service during such frigid conditions. In Colorado, we’ve invested in natural gas infrastructure reinforcement projects throughout our service territories, allowing for increased capacity and utilizing new technologies, such as remote-controlled valves and real-time data reporting to gas control. We’ve also taken steps to improved modeling to better predict energy demand and have procured mobile compressed natural gas units as an additional safeguard to use in extreme situations.

During the February 2021 cold snap, wind production across Xcel Energy's service territory was low for periods of time because extreme cold is often accompanied by very low wind speeds. Xcel Energy has led the industry in integrating wind energy into our system, and given that it is dependent on the weather, we do not rely on it as an on-demand resource. When situations like extreme cold arise, and low wind speeds align with high demand, the system relies on other generation resources, such as natural gas, to meet the needs of our customers. We plan for this and do not rely on wind in these cases.

Natural gas remains an important backup fuel when renewables are unavailable, and it serves as a bridge fuel as we continue to work toward a vision of producing 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050. We will need new, always-available carbon-free technologies to reach our 2050 vision, and we are open to any solutions that may be developed, including hydrogen, advanced nuclear and carbon capture technologies, to name a few.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is an independent system operator, membership-based nonprofit corporation governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature. Its members include consumers, cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities, transmission and distribution providers, and municipally owned electric utilities. Xcel Energy is not a member of ERCOT.

ERCOT’s “retail choice” market was formed after legislators passed laws permitting markets to set the wholesale electricity price and allowing customers to choose their providers. Generators in ERCOT sell electricity on a wholesale basis only. Retailers purchase that electricity, and customers choose which retailer they would like to purchase electricity from.

In the past, energy constraints in ERCOT were typically limited to summer, but Regulators only addressed the incentive structure for generators and the summer shortages. What didn’t happen was winterization after storms in 1998 and 2011.

Colorado’s Power Pathway is routed through some of the best wind and solar resource zones in Colorado. New renewable energy generation is anticipated to be developed in these zones. The location of these new generation resources is currently unknown and could be located near the new transmission line or many miles away. Typically, new generation resources are expected to interconnect at substations located at segment endpoints. New generation resources would require obtaining land rights and local land use permits that would be subject to local review and approval prior to construction. Permitting approvals for Colorado’s Power Pathway will not include new generation resources, as these would be permitted separately.

• According to the American Clean Power Association, wind turbines are made from safe, non-toxic, inert materials. Eighty to ninety-four percent of a wind turbine’s mass consists of metal or easily recycled materials, including steel, copper, aluminum, and iron. Steel, among the world’s most recycled materials, makes up 70 percent of turbine mass and is 100 percent recyclable. Recycling programs for copper, aluminum, and iron are also established.

Turbine blades are made mostly of fiberglass or carbon fiber. Glass fibers can be melted and separated from other materials for reuse, and companies are grinding blades down into small pellets or powders for use in construction applications or even injection molding.

According to the American Clean Power Association, even if not recycled, turbine blades represent a very small portion of U.S. landfills and are among the least environmentally harmful materials entering landfills. It is estimated that 8,000 blades will be removed in the next 4 years, and there will be 2.1 million metric tons of cumulative blade waste between 2020 and 2050. In comparison, 126 million metric tons of municipal waste is sent to landfills annually. During 2016 and 2017 alone, more plastic dishes went to landfills than projected retiring wind turbine blades over the next 30 years (by mass).

Field crews may conduct environmental and cultural resource evaluations, land use surveys, engineering surveys, and assess the condition of nearby infrastructure as part of required field survey work. These activities are being conducted in the public right-of-way and on private property where appropriate access rights of entry have been established.

A transmission line is a large lattice or monopole structure that transmits power over long distances and at higher voltages. A transmission line connects to a substation that will reduce the high voltage to a distribution level. The lower voltage electricity is then sent to a distribution line, which is designed to bring energy into homes and businesses.

Transmission lines are built and maintained to meet or exceed safety standards, such as those specified by the National Electrical Safety Code and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Every effort is made to ensure safety in construction, operation, and maintenance of transmission lines. For information on safe distances for specific activities near the power line, contact the utility operating the line directly. Transmission lines are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, and protective devices at line terminals stop the electricity flow under abnormal operating circumstances.

All powerlines in our system are monitored 24/7 for line contact – meaning objects coming into contact with the transmission line conductors. If there is an unanticipated event in the line, the line is tripped out to protect the public and the line from operating under unsafe conditions. We inspect all our system lines annually to check for line connections and damage. While designing the line, we follow national design standards to ensure the lines are robust and can withstand several extenuating circumstances.

Power lines are inspected regularly (usually during fall or winter months) by air and ground to look for the following:

• Non-compatible vegetation and hazards within the right-of-way.
• Equipment needing repair or replacement.
• Right-of-way encroachments, which can be hazardous to safety and reliable operations.
• Anything that might jeopardize safe, reliable operation of the power line.
• Utilities must visit the right-of-way for these inspections. Visits may be minimal, and landowners will be contacted prior to inspections or maintenance. However, in cases of emergency, advanced contact may not be possible.

As part of our commitment to regional safety, Xcel Energy is working hard every day to improve safety and reduce wildfire threats across our service area. As wildfire risks continue to evolve, so do the tools we are using to assess and mitigate risk. Since 2020, we’ve invested over $500 million through our Wildfire Mitigation Program, and we will continue to build on our work to date.

The traditional idea of a fire “season” has evolved into a year-round battle against rapidly changing and more extreme weather conditions generate larger, more intense, fast-moving wildfires. The investments we’re making in our power grid help minimize the risk of asset-caused wildfires. For more information on our Wildfire Mitigation Program, please visit XcelEnergyWildfireMitigation.com.

We will create a safe working space for the construction activities. There may be some areas where tree removal and pruning will be needed, and we will work with the property owners to limit this to the greatest extent possible. Xcel Energy will ensure safety and compliance with internal standards.

Trees growing near power lines can be a safety hazard and are a major contributor to electric service interruptions nationwide—that’s why Xcel Energy prunes and removes trees near power lines in your community. Our goal is to provide safe, reliable electric service while also taking the best possible care of one of your community’s valuable natural resources.

Trees can cause outages in two ways, mechanical and electrical. Mechanical damage refers to entire trees or portions of trees falling on and physically damaging facilities (knocking down wires, poles, etc.). Because trees can be conductive, electrical outages can also occur. These interruptions are caused when a portion of a tree becomes a short-circuit path for electricity to flow, causing a protective device to operate and stop the flow of electricity. This could also result in fire ignition if a spark meets dry debris or fuel. Trees must be maintained at an adequate distance from the conductors to prevent electric service interruptions or ignition.

The poles will be steel double-circuit monopole structures.

The poles will vary in height but will typically range from 104 to 140 feet above ground; poles will not exceed 199 feet.

Transmission-line poles vary in height depending on voltage (size of the line), terrain, span between structures, conductor sag, structure type, and minimum electrical clearance prescribed by the National Electric Safety Code (NESC). Taller poles are typically used when the transmission line crosses other transmission lines, major roadways, or other topographic features.

The right-of-way width required for the 345-kilovolt transmission line is 150 feet.

Undergrounding electrical lines is a common topic. The primary issue with burying lines is cost, but there are other significant issues, such as operation and maintenance. Unlike lower-voltage distribution power lines, which deliver electricity to homes and business, higher-voltage transmission lines are not frequently installed underground because of several factors, including primarily cost. Underground transmission lines require insulated underground cables and a concrete trench with truck-size manholes along the length of an underground line. An underground transmission line would result in a much wider area of disturbance, with concrete installed along the entire route. The visual impact of an underground transmission line can be greater than overhead transmission lines, since all vegetation would need to be removed in the right-of-way.

Who benefits and who pays for undergrounding is an important issue, sometimes involving third-party cost sharing. While underground transmission lines are expected to have fewer weather-related outages, underground lines can still fail. When outages occur, it takes an average of 8–10 days to repair an underground line, instead of hours to repair an overhead line. Also, the lifespan of underground lines is estimated to be about half that of overhead lines.

• The life of a transmission project depends on a lot of factors, but primarily how it’s maintained. The initial installation of a transmission line typically lasts from 50 to 80 years, but some transmission lines are over 100 years old. It all depends on maintenance and weather conditions. There will be miscellaneous maintenance throughout the project life, but a transmission line typically needs to be replaced after roughly 50 to 80 years.

There are typically staging or lay down areas every 20–30 miles along the transmission line route. Staging areas tend to be around 10–40 acres, and we work with the community and landowners to find a good location. Materials are usually shipped by truck, but some larger materials are shipped by rail.

Construction on Segments 2 and 3 began in June 2023, with an in-service date of 2025. Construction on Segment 1 began in June 2024 in Morgan County and will begin soon in Weld County, with an in-service date of 2026. Construction will start on Segments 4 and 5 in 2025, with an in-service date of 2027.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission did not approve construction of the May Valley–Longhorn Extension (Extension) in the January 2024 Phase II Decision regarding our Electric Resource Plan and Clean Energy Plan. We may bring a proposal forward again in the future to construct the May Valley–Longhorn Extension and the Longhorn Substation, but we have paused its further development as part of Colorado’s Power Pathway. Development of Segments 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Colorado’s Power Pathway will continue.

Substation lighting systems can be designed to reduce their impact on the environment by minimizing the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light (“light pollution” as defined by the International Dark-sky Association). A minimum amount of lighting is necessary due to regulatory and operational considerations. Efficient fixtures selected and aimed correctly, and appropriate lighting controls, such as motion activation, are used to minimize the amount of lighting used, the duration of operation, and the impact on neighbors. If substation maintenance or repair work is performed at night, additional lighting may be required while work is taking place.

When spotting the location of pole structures, we evaluate the possibility of keeping them out of flood plain or wet areas. When that isn’t possible, we design the structure foundation to account for the soil conditions at the site, which includes water saturation or standing water level. Xcel Energy currently has structures in saturated soils and standing water throughout our utility footprint and has experience constructing and maintaining the structures in those conditions.

The distance between transmission poles, or span length, varies and is based on voltage and pole height. The typical span length for Colorado’s Power Pathway is 950 feet.

Foundation size and depth is highly dependent on soil conditions. Assuming average strength-soil conditions, foundation depth will likely range between 20 to 40 feet deep.

Transmission lines are structurally designed according to the National Electric Safety Code (NESC), which primarily references standards from the American Society of Civil Engineers on structural loading. The NESC requires structures over 60 feet tall to be able to resist the loading from various ice and wind scenarios. Transmission lines follow these criteria, while distribution lines are typically shorter and therefore are not required to follow the structural loading criteria.

The base design wind speed for eastern Colorado is 90 MPH. This wind speed is part of an equation that also considers terrain, span length between structures and height of the structure to produce an overall wind pressure applied to the wires and the structure of the transmission line. These factors essentially increase the wind pressure applied on the structure as you go up in height. However, the structural capacity of a transmission pole is more typically controlled by the icing conditions on the wire as opposed to the wind blowing on the wires and structure, since the heavy ice greatly increases the tension in the wires and therefore the loading on the structure. The result of this design scenario is that transmission lines typically have additional structural capacity for much higher wind speeds than the NESC requires because of the accounted for icing conditions.

We are actively discussing the use of public power shut offs and the potential effect on homes, businesses and critical hospital, fire and police operations. Xcel Energy uses current industry wildfire best practices, as well as our own Wildfire Mitigation Program, when deciding to provide this essential service to customers.

Construction activities include the use of helicopters to aid in stringing the wire between poles. Xcel Energy will coordinate with the Federal Avian Administration and local officials during operations.