Electric system

Natural gas generation is a key part of providing reliable service to our customers.

Front Range Power Plant (460 megawatts)

The Front Range Power Plant has the largest generating capacity of any plant in our electric system. The plant began operation in 2003 and Colorado Springs Utilities acquired full ownership of the facility in 2010.

Natural gas generators (157 megawatts)

We commissioned six modular natural gas generation units into service in May 2023. The 157 megawatt modular units currently serve as peak-demand generation while we build a new transmission line and complete other upgrades to our electric grid.

The modular units have many benefits:

• Extremely cost effective to operate
• Require limited staff resources
• Come online within a matter of minutes

The GE LM2500 G4+ Xpress power generators will remain near the site of the old Martin Drake Power Plant for the foreseeable future. We anticipate they will be a permanent fixture on our electric grid for the next 25 years or longer and will provide fantastic long-term value for our customers.

Ray D. Nixon natural gas turbines (54 megawatts)

We added two natural gas turbines near the Ray D. Nixon Power Plant to our grid in 1999. These units supply 54 megawatts of power to our grid.

We are using Colorado’s abundant sunshine to help power our community. From our small community solar gardens to our largest solar array, this renewable energy source represents a significant portion of our energy mix.

Pike Solar Array (175 megawatts)

Pike Solar is the largest solar facility in the Colorado Springs Utilities electric system, consisting of 400,000 photovoltaic panels.

Through our Power Purchase Agreement with Juwi, we are able to use the 175-megawatts generated by the solar plant to power approximately 46,300 homes a year. Pike Solar began supplying energy to customers in December 2023.

Other solar arrays

• Palmer Solar Array (60 megawatts) commissioned in April 2020
• Grazing Yak Solar Array (35 megawatts) commissioned in November 2019
• Clear Spring Ranch Solar Array (10 megawatts) commissioned in October 2016
• U.S. Air Force Academy (six megawatts) commissioned in April 2011

Community solar gardens

We became the first Colorado utility to open a community solar garden in 2011. These gardens are a simple way to go green without the cost or commitment of adding solar panels to your home or business.

• Venetucci (500 kilowatts) commissioned in December 2011, 500 kW
• Good Shepherd (500 kilowatts) commissioned in August 2012
• CS Solar 1 (500 kilowatts) commissioned in December 2012
• Pikes Peak Solar (2 megawatts) commissioned in July 2015
• Colorado Springs Solar (500 kilowatts) commissioned in August 2015

The four megawatts produced by community solar gardens produce enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately 780 homes for one year.

Currently, all the capacity generated from our community solar gardens is assigned to customers. However, from time to time a participant may leave the program and free up capacity for a new customer to join.

For subscription information for the community solar program open to all customers, please contact SunShare.

As outlined in our Sustainable Energy Plan, we plan to retire all coal-fired plants to reduce emissions by 80% by 2030.

In 2022, we retired the Martin Drake Power Plant in downtown Colorado Springs, ending nearly a century of electric generation at that plant.

Ray D. Nixon Power Plant (261 megawatts)

Our last plant that uses coal to supply power to our grid, the Ray D. Nixon Power Plant remains one of our largest generating sources of electricity.

The plant opened in 1980. All coal-fired turbines will be retired in 2030, marking 50 years of providing power to Colorado Springs. The natural gas generating units located near the facility will continue to operate.

As we move toward a more sustainable future, we are looking to add more wind energy to our portfolio.

Currently, we receive 60 megawatts of renewable energy from the Spring Canyon II and III Wind Energy Centers in northeast Colorado.

The energy is supplied to Colorado Springs Utilities as part of a 5-year agreement established in 2020.

Our participation in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) started in 2022, and it has already helped us save customers millions while supplying energy to our customers.

Here’s how it works:

• We can buy excess electricity from other utility providers at a lower cost than generating it ourselves.
• We can also sell excess electricity to other utilities and make money back for our customers during times when demand is higher in other areas of the U.S.

This is a cost-effective way to ensure reliability and pass the savings to our customers. As the Southwest Power Pool announces plans to connect more utilities nationwide, this will provide even greater benefits to the reliability and cost effectiveness of our electric grid. 

Four hydroelectric plants also provide power to our community. Ruxton and Manitou Hydro generate electricity using stream flow from Ruxton Creek from Pikes Peak through Manitou Springs. The Manitou Hydro facility began operation in 1905, and Ruxton was completed in 1925.

Our complete list of hydroelectric facilities is listed below:

• Ruxton Hydro (1 MW)
• Manitou Hydro (6 MW)
• Tesla Hydro (28 MW)
• Cascade Hydro (1 MW)

As part of our Sustainable Energy Plan, we are adding battery energy storage to our electric grid in 2025. 

In partnership with Jackson Fuller Energy Storage, LLC, we’re installing large lithium-ion batteries that can store 100 megawatts of energy.

This technology improves reliability and supplements renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

It can supply energy when demand is high or when weather conditions reduce generating output for wind or solar.

In the coming years, we plan to add an additional 200 megawatts of battery energy storage to further enhance the flexibility and resiliency of our electric grid.