PUEBLO, Colo.—Black Hills Energy says it plans to appeal a ruling denying its application for a third $100 million turbine at its new Pueblo power station.
Customers would have borne some costs of the turbine.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports ( ) an administrative law judge ruled Wednesday that Black Hills failed to prove it needs the 90-megawatt, LMS 100 turbine. The judge said Black Hills overstated forecasts of expected peak loads to justify the turbine’s need and did “no meaningful investigation” into the availability of power from other sources.
The judge heard the case for the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which has authorized Black Hills to acquire or build 42 more megawatts of power for its 93,000 customers. The LMS 100 turbine produces far more.
The commission would hear the company’s appeal.
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Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain,
