Major demolition activities at the site of the Martin Drake Power Plant site are complete following nearly a century of electric generation in downtown Colorado Springs.
For generations, Drake was a symbol of reliability thanks to the dedicated employees who worked there. Although the plant no longer stands, its legacy will live on as we transition to a new energy future.
Demolition efforts began in the summer of 2023. From that time through July 2024, the project consisted of more than 83,000 hours of labor and the removal of approximately 8,700 gross tons of metal, filling 770 truckloads.
The contractor handling the demolition took special steps to minimize dust, traffic, noise and protect air quality for the surrounding area.
The demolition project cost about $20 million – a price tag that would have grown without the offsets achieved by selling scrap material.
The future of the site
The site is owned by the City of Colorado Springs and is currently held by Colorado Springs Utilities. The future use of this site will likely include a significant public process, but it’s also important to note potential use may be subject to a number of factors to include future environmental studies and resulting requirements set by the applicable environmental regulations.
On Feb. 22, 2023, the Downtown Partnership and the Legacy Institute presented a full report and executive summary to the Utilities Board to discuss plans for the future of the Drake site. Colorado Springs citizens are encouraged to review the documents, stay informed and provide feedback throughout the process.
The future of our electric system
To help manage future energy-related costs and adapt to a changing energy industry, we are pursuing several key initiatives:
- Southwest Power Pool (SPP): We joined the SPP on Aug. 1, 2022, to help insulate customers from a volatile energy market. The SPP enhances the current and future reliability of the electric grid, and expands the ability to meet our clean energy goals.
- Pike Solar Project: Completed in December 2023, the 175-megawatt project is the largest solar facility on our electric system.
- Battery Storage: By 2025, we will add up to 100 megawatts of battery storage – the first of its kind on our electric system. Battery storage can increase grid resiliency and flexibility as new resources are added to our energy portfolio.
- Expanding Energy Mix: After adding Pike Solar to the existing solar, wind and hydro resources, renewable energy is estimated to represent 27% of our energy portfolio.
Drake's history and legacy
All generation inside the Martin Drake Power Plant permanently shut down on Sept. 1, 2022. This marked the end of nearly a century of electric generation in downtown Colorado Springs. Drake provided reliable and cost-effective power for close to 100 years and enabled our city to grow and prosper in ways our early leaders could not have imagined. Thousands of employees and generations of workers (often members of the same family) have put their blood, sweat and tears into this staple of our community.
After only two years since the Utilities Board’s approval of our Sustainable Energy Plan and the decision to decommission Drake, we:
- Stopped burning coal in August 2021.
- Removed the coal pile and all associated equipment.
- Found new jobs in the organization for more than 40 former plant employees.
- Began installation of six natural gas generation units adjacent to the plant.
The decision to shutdown Drake was made with several factors in mind, to include environmental interests, changing needs of our system, the growing availability of renewable energy, the high maintenance costs of running aging coal-fired plants and the impact of anticipated regulation.
