NEWS RELEASE
XCEL ENERGY
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Construction on Colorado’s Power Pathway began yesterday after executives from Xcel Energy joined with county and state officials and Quanta Services to formally break ground on the project that will boost the economy, connect new energy resources in eastern Colorado and increase the reliability of the electric grid.
During a ceremony at the site of the Canal Crossing substation, located south of the Pawnee Generating Station in Morgan County, executives highlighted the valued partnerships that the Pathway project will create among eastern Colorado communities.
“We’re so pleased with the relationships we’ve forged with community leaders, stakeholders and landowners as we progress with Colorado’s Power Pathway. The project will transform Colorado’s electrical grid by connecting our region with affordable, carbon-free energy,” said Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy-Colorado. “This major construction effort will bring economic opportunities and improve electric reliability on the Front Range and in eastern Colorado.”
“The Pathway project will become the largest infrastructure project for Xcel Energy in Colorado,” noted Tim O’Connor, chief operating officer for Xcel Energy. “It highlights our nationwide leadership in pursuing clean energy resources and underscores the commitment to our customers and the people of this state to deliver clean energy.”
Approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission in June 2022, Colorado’s Power Pathway is a key piece of Xcel Energy’s Clean Energy Plan, a proposal that will exceed Colorado’s clean energy targets and reduce carbon emissions from our customers’ electricity by more than 85% by 2030. The $1.7 billion investment will develop approximately 550 miles of new, 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission infrastructure. The project will enable the connection to some of the most productive renewable energy in the region, providing a path for Xcel Energy to transition to carbon-free energy sources while continuing to deliver reliable service at affordable prices. Xcel Energy’s Clean Energy Plan includes the early retirement or transition of coal plants and the addition of clean energy resources, including wind, solar and battery storage.
In January, Xcel Energy announced it selected Quanta Services to manage all construction activities for the Pathway project. Segment 2 will be built from the new Canal Crossing substation to the Goose Creek substation, northwest of Cheyenne Wells in Cheyenne County. Segment 3 will run from the Goose Creek substation southward to the proposed May Valley substation, north of Lamar in Kiowa County. Construction on Segment 1 is currently scheduled to begin in 2024 and Segments 4 and 5 in 2025. Work on segments 2 and 3 will be complete in 2025 and segments 1 and 4 in 2026 and Segment 5 in 2027.
“Quanta has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Xcel Energy and this project builds on our partnership and represents an innovative model and collaborative approach with Xcel Energy that we believe is ground-breaking,” said Duke Austin, president and chief executive officer of Quanta Services. “As a result, we believe our design and constructability plan enhances safety during construction and positions us to provide schedule, quality and cost certainty for this important project.”
Approximately 35 million feet of 345 kV conductor and six million feet of optical ground wire will span the length of the project, according to Quanta Services. Workers will use approximately 165,000 cubic yards of concrete for tower foundations and substations, and 68,000 tons of steel, in the form of transmission towers.
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