The future of coal as a power source in Colorado is waning quickly, reports The Denver Post.
Over the past decade, Xcel Energy Colorado has shuttered a number of coal plants, and the utility behemoth is now arguing for shutting down two coal-burning facilities in Pueblo 10 years ahead of schedule.
Unlike years past, when the main argument for closing coal plants was based on environmental concerns, these days the force of reasoning for turning away from coal power is based on economics. David Eves, president of Xcel Energy’s Colorado operations, said his company “could voluntarily propose to retire these coal generation units early and replace them—and save money.”
According to Xcel, closing the coal units would remove four million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. As the Post notes, the argument given to consumers for cutting coal used to be “Pay more, but breathe easier.” These days, it’s “breathe better and pay less.”