Frequently Asked Questions

We are strengthening Denver’s electric grid to enable more clean energy. In 2024, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved our Energy Resource Plan adding 6,100 megawatts of new wind, solar, and gas generation to support state and company greenhouse-gas reduction goals. Our Colorado's Power Pathway transmission line will deliver that generation to our load centers and is expected to be completed in 2027.

To maintain system reliability and power quality as these resources come online, strategic upgrades to the existing Denver metropolitan system are required. The Denver Metro Transmission Upgrades comprises targeted infrastructure upgrades spanning the Denver metro area. Project design prioritizes the use of established transmission corridors and concentrates construction activity in critical locations to limit customer outages and operational impacts while preparing the network to integrate the newly approved generation.

Yes, Denver Metro Transmission Upgrades will reinforce our existing electric system and provide additional capacity to deliver safe and reliable electrical services to current and future customers.  

Work on projects will begin in 2026 and is anticipated to continue through 2032 with each project starting and finishing on an individual scheduled basis.  

Schedules are subject to change.  

For more information on individual project schedules please visit the projects page.

Crews will work as efficiently as possible to complete these projects with the least impact to the community. We will contact you directly if your home or business will be affected by project construction. 

During construction you may see contract crews working on the electrical system near you. You may experience a temporary scheduled power outage. This is needed because crews: 

• Must be able to work on the system safely 

• Will be replacing equipment 

• Will be repairing equipment or replacing poles

We will contact you directly if your home or business will be affected by project construction. 

If you ever experience a power outage, visit Xcel Energy’s Electric Outage Map (External Link) to learn more.

During construction activities, specific projects might require additional safety measures that will require temporary closures of roads, parking lots and public access ways. Crews will work as efficiently as possible to complete these projects with the least impact to the community. We will contact you directly if your home or business will be affected by project construction. 

Trees, shrubs and other vegetation near power lines can cause downed lines, outages, and wildfire risk. When managing vegetation at or near your location, we may remove vegetation, including trees or branches from trees that are too close to a power line, or that will grow too close to a power line.  

Our goal is to provide safe, reliable electric service while also taking the best possible care of one of your community’s valuable natural resources. 

We will restore work areas to conditions required by permits as weather allows. Work areas may be left temporarily restored after construction until we can complete final restoration. 

Our electric system, including substations and power lines, is always monitored by a 24/7/365 staffed control center. We inspect its infrastructure regularly to check for damage, equipment needing repair or replacement and anything else that might jeopardize safe, reliable operation of our equipment. If there is an unanticipated event in the system, the flow of electricity into the system is disrupted at a nearby substation to protect the public.  

All Xcel Energy employees and most contractors who perform work for us carry company IDs. Ask to see a company ID if someone on your property claims to be working for Xcel Energy, regardless of the work being performed. If the person cannot show you an ID, ask them to leave and return only with proper identification. 

Some contractors working on our behalf may not have Xcel Energy IDs. If you would like to verify that the contractor is authorized to work on our behalf, please call Customer Care at 800-895-4999 or visit xcelenergy.com/IdentifyingAuthorizedWorkers. 

For your safety and the safety of our crews, remember these tips:   

• Watch for construction crews and equipment  

• Do not enter construction areas  

• Obey signage and directions from crews  

• Follow posted vehicle and pedestrian detours  

• Reduce speeds while traveling  

• Observe parking restrictions   

• Remain flexible as work progresses and work areas change  

Each project has a specific communications and outreach element designed to meet the needs of impacted stakeholders. In some projects, the public will be informed through direct mailings, flyers, and weekly updates to communications channels. Other projects may have more comprehensive strategies such as neighborhood meetings. We will contact you directly if your home or business will be affected by construction.  

Please contact us at our website, email or hotline with questions:  

• Website: DenverMetroTransmissionUpgrades.com 
• Information Line: 303-571-7473
• Email: [email protected]

Our Phase 1 Clean Energy Plan was approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission in 2022. Under Phase 1 of the plan by 2030 we will do the following: 

• Reduce carbon emissions by more than 80% compared to 2005 levels
• Retire our coal operations
• Provide a just transition for communities with retiring coal plants  
• Add more renewable energy resources to the grid
• Drive investment and economic development across the state  

In 2024, Phase 2 of our Clean Energy Plan was approved authorizing the following initiatives: 

• Add approximately 6,100 megawatts of new generation
• Invest $12 to $13 billion across Colorado to deliver more affordable, low-energy cost options  
• Utilizes Inflation Reduction Act tax credit benefits to reduce costs and support customers, communities and workforce 

For more information on our Colorado Clean Energy Plan please visit XcelEnergy.com/s/Sustainability/Plans/Colorado-Plan.  

These upgrades are being proposed to support Colorado’s Power Pathway and ensure the transmission system can reliably carry the large amount of new renewable energy coming online across the state. These upgrades are not driven by data center demand. 

The proposed transmission improvements will: 

• Increase the system’s ability to accept and deliver new wind and solar generation developed through Colorado’s Power Pathway 
• Strengthen the backbone of the grid so renewable energy can serve customers statewide 
• Improve reliability and system performance as Colorado transitions to cleaner energy resources 
• Support long‑term clean energy goals outlined in our approved Clean Energy Plan 

Data centers require their own regulatory review, permitting and utility planning processes. These transmission upgrades are not being proposed to serve or attract data centers. 

The cost of these transmission improvements will be incorporated into the overall cost of providing electricity and maintaining the grid. As with other major system investments, we may recover these costs through customer rates, subject to review and approval by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. We work hard to keep electricity costs as low as possible while continuing to maintain and upgrade the system. 

For context, the average annual rate impact for the overall Colorado Clean Energy Plan — which includes both energy and transmission additions such as Colorado’s Power Pathway — is approximately 2.25 percent per year from 2024 through 2030. 

These investments help ensure a reliable grid and support the transition to more affordable, renewable energy resources across Colorado.