DENVER—Lawmakers are promoting bipartisan legislation requiring Xcel Energy to cut emissions at some coal-fired power plants, giving priority to replacing them with gas-powered ones.
The bill was up for its first hearing Tuesday.
Gov. Bill Ritter said it would reduce the “brown cloud” of pollution over the Front Range, provide clearer views in Rocky Mountain National Park, cut mercury emissions and jump-start the state’s natural gas industry.
Xcel Energy estimates the proposal could lead to a 4 percent to 6 percent increase in electricity rates.
Ritter says the federal government is poised to force the state to cut emissions. He says switching to natural gas could be cheaper in the long run than retrofitting coal plants, especially if Congress passes a carbon tax.
