PowerGab

The Public Utilities Commission plans to phase out natural gas use for home heating to meet emissions goals, but is this realistic and how would it be possible? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: Decision on keeping Comanche 2 open https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIfpLJrh4DA https://puc.colorado.gov/press-release/fact-sheet-comanche-power-plant-unit-2-retirement-extension https://coloradosun.com/2025/12/04/comanche-2-coal-burning-pueblo-xcel-energy/ Clean Heat Plan https://i2i.org/puc-establishes-new-clean-heat-targets-designed-to-crack-down-on-natural-gas/ https://coloradosun.com/2025/12/02/colorado-natural-gas-emissions-caps-xcel/

Energy Co-Ops may list a variety of places that they get their power from, but how does that work and what arrives to the customers? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/20/colorado-coal-power-comanche-extension/ https://bigpivots.com/bryan-hannegan-the-bigger-leagues/ https://coloradosun.com/2025/11/17/united-power-electricity-suppliers-wind-solar-battery-energy/

What happens to renewables at the end of their useful life and who is responsible for getting ride of them? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this topic with Executive Director of the Council to Modernize Governance Curtis Schube. Show Notes: Who Pays When Wind Turbines and Solar Panels Wear Out? A Hidden Energy Liability https://energyanalytics.org/hidden-energy-liability/

Colorado's planned replacement of coal power plants with renewables leaves a shortfall in energy, but an increase in costs to ratepayers to make that switch. PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this with Independence Institute intern and Master's Student Ethan Cornell. Show Notes: Xcel, PUC staff, CEO, and UCA petition to delay Comanche 2 retirement until December 31, 2026, https://i2i.org/wp-content/uploads/Comanche-Unit-2-Variance-Petition.pdf Settlement for Comanche 1, 2, and 3. https://www.scribd.com/document/357548188/Comanche-1-2-and-3-settlement Colorado Sun article https://coloradosun.com/2022/03/15/comanche-3-xcel-coal-power Utility Dive Xcel petitions to keep Comanche 2 open https://www.utilitydive.com/news/xcel-colorado-comanche-2-coal-plant/805250 https://i2i.org/the-big-shortfall-colorados-upcoming-power-plant-closures-and-planned-replacements/

Will Colorado's plan on how to reform the Public Utilities Commission fairly represent Coloradans? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: PUC Sunset Review: https://coprrr.colorado.gov/sites/coprrr/files/documents/2025SunsetPublicUtilitiesCommission.pdf Comanche 3 shutdown: https://coloradosun.com/2025/10/29/colorado-comanche-3-power-plant-issues-troubles/ Coalition of Ratepayers case study: https://i2i.org/the-coalition-of-ratepayers-case-study/

Growing opposition to new renewables infrastructure has raised some concern with their transparency. PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: Site survey: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vzyKJvaFjljacKHg-Okm9x7Jnvz_YWyD/view?pli=1 Mitch and Isaac - declining value of wind and solar. https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2025/10/23/the_more_wind_and_solar_we_add_the_less_they_deliver_1142829.html CO Sun article: https://coloradosun.com/2025/10/20/solar-siting-colorado-energy-office-housing-governor/

One of the lawyers behind Boulder's climate lawsuit admits the plan is to make your energy more expensive. PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: PUC commissioners meeting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWe0AL0bdUQ Black Hills survey https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/fuel-future/colorado-perspectives-electrification Boulder’s climate lawsuit is a backdoor carbon tax, FedSoc panel https://fedsoc.org/events/can-state-courts-set-global-climate-policy

Advances in nuclear energy over the years have lead to a new popularity with states once again adopting it. But will Colorado be able to get over its storied past with nuclear? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: https://daily.gazette.com/article/281479282621643 https://www.denverpost.com/2025/10/13/colorado-nuclear-power-energy/

Colorado's forced electrification mandates are heating up... but are the new performance standards just a fancy way of saying it's a natural gas ban? And will it save or cost money, and to who? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/articles/2025/10/colo-officials-ask-court-to-toss-fresh-challenge-to-building-emission-rules-93650434 https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/53215946/Colorado_Apartment_Association_et_al_v_Ryan_et_al https://tsscolorado.com/building-owners-face-choice-make-upgrades-to-cut-emissions-or-fight-state-law/

In a continuing saga, Xcel Energy has asked the court to throw out public hearings so they can take land from residents in Elbert and surrounding counties. PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this, along with the Trump administration opening up public land in Colorado for oil and gas development. Show Notes: https://coloradosun.com/2025/10/02/xcel-energy-power-pathways-elbert-el-paso/ https://coloradosun.com/2025/09/12/blm-oil-and-gas-leases/

A new study shows that Colorado's future energy plan is going to be unreliable, inadequate, and expensive. PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: Hydrogen study: https://i2i.org/colorados-green-hydrogen-boondoggle/ Colorado Energy Compact: https://mailchi.mp/0f77622fbb40/colorado-energy-compact-release?fbclid=IwY2xjawNCeoVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFmdE5DT3ZGM3paZE1QcG1ZAR74InhX9BPPp7JZ1Eu76_Xa-VyDsxyja1QHVuakQQs_N52airkpDiWpR0BbwA_aem_RAezGzR9i9TpfmRE_49bVw

What are the so-called stakeholders at the public utility commission saying about the Polis' Administration's plan to force electrification through rule making? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: https://i2i.org/independence-institute-tells-the-public-utilities-commission-to-reconsider-forced-electrification-rulemaking/ https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-170/374416/20250911135659317_Suncor%20cert-stage.pdf

XCel's attempt to shutdown one of its power plants has Pueblo residents up in arms. Why? For charging them to build a power plant and then trash it. PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/no-just-transition-pueblo-county-asks-trump-to-keep-comanche-plants-open-indefinitely/ar-AA1LPc36 https://coloradosun.com/2025/09/05/pueblo-coal-power-just-transition-trump-letter/ https://douglascsandridge.substack.com/p/just-transition-or-just-disregard https://i2i.org/the-coalition-of-ratepayers-case-study/

Is Colorado running out of water? Is it a natural issue or is there bad policy to blame? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this with national conservation policy leader Greg Walcher. Show Notes: https://gregwalcher.com https://i2i.org/where-life-is-written-in-water/ https://completecolorado.com/2025/08/04/everybody-knows-fix-for-colorado-river/ https://completecolorado.com/2025/07/17/tax-funded-colorado-river-studies-ignore-federal-mismanagement/

Expiring renewables subsidies have put the Colorado PUC into a frenzy to try and qualify and spend for new infrastructure. But will this hastiness work out, or are there additional considerations that will affect rate payers? PowerGab hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: https://coloradosun.com/2025/08/18/colorado-xcel-data-center-demand-spending/ https://coloradosun.com/2025/08/28/xcel-enery-solar-wind-projects-tax-credits-colorado/

Colorado regulators' push to electrification has a cost, and it exceeds the 2.5% raise in rates... by a HUGE amount. PowerGab hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss what this will entail, how much it will likely end up costing, and if there's anything you can do to stop it. Show Notes: Colorado’s costly home heating plan Xcel Energy Clean Heat Plan https://www.aoenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hearing-Exhibit-101-Attachment-JWI-1.pdf Black Hills Clean Heat Plan https://www.aoenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Black-Hills-Clean-Heat-Plan-2024-2028-.pdf Atmos Clean Heat Plan https://www.aoenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Atmos-Clean-Heat-Plan-2024-2028.pdf Notice Proposed Rule making includes instructions on when and where to submit comments (See highlighted section on the last two pages) https://www.aoenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/C25-0517_25R-0309G_Open-NOPR.pdf

Does the EPA have the authority over one of Colorado's most reliable coal power plants, and whether or not it stays open? PowerGab hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: OBBB https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/regulation/the-big-beautiful-bill-is-a-big-win-for-american-energy/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/ending-market-distorting-subsidies-for-unreliable-foreign%E2%80%91controlled-energy-sources/ https://www.cpr.org/2025/07/03/congress-passes-trump-big-beautiful-bill/ EPA and CSU’s Ray Nixon coal-fired power plant https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/16/2025-13342/air-plan-partial-approval-and-partial-disapproval-colorado-regional-haze-plan-for-the-second https://www.cpr.org/2025/07/16/epa-moves-to-reject-colorado-plan-to-close-coal-power-plants/

Xcel Energy's upcoming energy project has transmission lines that cut across Elbert County in Colorado. However, some local residents have not agreed to let them, causing a threat of eminent domain and a court battle. PowerGab hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke talk with Elbert County Environmental Alliance member Kerry Jiblits. Show Notes: https://www.ecealliance.org https://www.denver7.com/follow-up/elbert-county-commissioners-deny-permits-for-xcel-energys-power-pole-project https://www.elbertcounty-co.gov/615/Xcel-Energy---Colorados-Power-Pathway-Pr

Colorado has a long history with nuclear energy... some of it good and some of it not so good. PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke have a conversation with US Navy Nuclear Propulsion Veteran Nathan Stout about that history and how it impacts energy policy today. Show Notes: https://i2i.org/a-critical-look-at-nuclear-energy-in-colorado-overcoming-our-past-to-secure-our-future/

A declining Colorado economy is beginning to have consequences against many of its own climate goals. What's behind this and what tax credits are going away? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this and more. Show Notes: https://coloradosun.com/2025/06/19/colorado-green-tax-credits-cut-economic-forecast/ https://coloradosun.com/2025/06/25/colorado-clean-energy-project-cancellations/

Are green energy sources as economically friendly as they are being portrayed? Or are there other factors that make them not quite as green-friendly as marketed? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this with Sarah Montalbano from the Center of the American Experiment. Show Notes: https://files.americanexperiment.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shattered-Green-Dreams.pdf?v=1750106281&_gl=1*1vf43vr*_gcl_au*OTY3ODE4MDQ2LjE3NTA4NzExMjI .

Colorado's clean energy goals are turning out to have a high price tag. Is there a point and when will the Public Utilities Commission fight for ratepayers' rights? PowerGab Hosts Jake Foglem and Amy Cooke discuss this topic and more with David Thielen of Liberal and Loving It. Show Notes: https://liberalandlovingit.substack.com https://coloradopuc24a0442e.substack.com/cp/165908249 https://liberalandlovingit.substack.com/p/my-comments-on-the-xcel-jts-proceeding https://coloradopuc24a0442e.substack.com/cp/163935906

Regular listeners to PowerGab are encouraged to get a power generator. One listener not only took the advice, but they decided to make their own. Cory Gaines from the Colorado Accountability Project tells PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke just how he did it. Show Notes: https://coloradoaccountabilityproject.substack.com

Some Colorado News Publications have a particular framing on energy stories in the state. Is there a bias and what way does it lean? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this with Cory Gaines from the Colorado Accountability Project. Show Notes: https://coloradoaccountabilityproject.substack.com https://coloradoaccountabilityproject.substack.com/p/the-colorado-suns-disingenuous-reporting https://www.cpr.org/2025/06/04/republican-budget-bill-utilities-energy-costs-impact/

Rogue surveillance devices have been discovered on Chinese made solar panels and batteries in the United States. Who is in control of your power? PowerGab Hosts Jake Fogleman and Amy Cooke discuss this along with Xcel's new time of use rate proposal and tax dollars being funneled to partisan groups. Show Notes: https://www.cpr.org/2025/05/20/xcel-peak-use-electricity-rates-spike/ https://www.utilitydive.com/news/rogue-communication-devices-found-on-chinese-made-solar-power-inverters/748242/ https://completecolorado.com/2025/04/30/environmental-ideologues-enjoying-the-colorado-taxpayer-dime/