Friday, May 13, 2011

XCEL ENERGY PLANS FOR PIPELINE IN COMMERCE CITY AND SURROUNDING AREAS

On Monday evening, May 9, 2011, representatives from Xcel Energy presented a plan to the Commerce City council. They want to install 34 miles of a 24 inch steel natural gas transmission pipeline from a new facility they are building in Ft. Lupton to their Cherokee Power Plant near I-270 and York Street. Construction is slated to start in the spring of 2013 and other communities on the route include unincorporated areas of both Adams and Weld counties, Lochbuie, Ft. Lupton, and Brighton.

Before the project can move forward, Xcel will need to obtain right-of-way permits from the city of Commerce City to construct the gas line. This will most likely need to happen in other areas as well. Xcel will hold public meetings to ensure that all stakeholders are fully informed about the project. They also plan on collecting feedback from stakeholders and will work with stakeholders about potential obstacles. They will also provide opportunities for stakeholders to ask questions and voice concerns.

The project is part of Xcel’s emissions reduction plan, which is required under the 2010 Clean Air Clean Jobs Act and was approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The Xcel owned Cherokee Power Plant will be changing from generating electricity using coal to natural gas. This natural gas pipeline being planned will provide the fuel for the power plant following the conversion. This will be used for future downtown Denver growth. There would also be potential to serve future growth in cities along the pipeline route, some of which receive electricity from United Power.

Please see the map for the proposed route (which is also available in greater detail at our website, www.gatewaynews.org). The proposed pipeline will enter Adams County and Brighton at Baseline Road (168th Street) and head southeast along west side of I76 until 160th Avenue, where it heads further east until 152cnd Avenue (Bromley Lane). Here it heads south, east of Barr Lake State Park until about 128th Avenue, the will turn southwest crossing Picadilly Road to just east of Himalaya Road, just east of E470 until it meets 104th Avenue. At 104th Avenue, it will travel by Reunion, Buffalo Mesa, Aspen Hills, Potomac Farms, then will turn south at Potomac going past North Range Village to 96th Avenue and travel west past Eagle Creek along the northern edge of the wildlife refuge and then turn south along Highway 2, along the western edge of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, then turn west onto 80th Avenue to Brighton Blvd, where it will then turn south onto Brighton Boulevard to 64th Avenue where it will travel west on 64th Avenue to York Street and then south to the Cherokee Plant. Some considerations by Xcel before the preferred route was chosen were wetlands, parks, rivers, creeks, high population areas, endangered species, rights-of-way, and easements.

Public meetings will be held on June 7, 2011 at two locations and times. From 9am til noon a meeting will be held at the Ft. Lupton Recreation Room at 203 South Harrison Avenue, Ft. Lupton, CO. From 4pm til 7pm a second meeting will be held at Adams City High School, 7200 Quebec Parkway, Commerce City, CO. This will be your opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns. Please help spread the word about these very important community gatherings surrounding this proposed pipeline.

5 comments:

  1. A friend of Commerce CitySunday, May 15, 2011

    this is all for Denver right?
    Why does it have to go thru Commerce City?

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  2. pipeline has to go somewhere!

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  3. why bring it up by the neighborhoods? Why not follow it on the north side of the arsenal?

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  4. Belle Creek ObseverSunday, May 15, 2011

    so if Commerce City tries to prevent this, will it go to PUC and possible Court? Like what happened with the over heard/underground transmission lines by E-470?

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  5. Cheo, Commerce CitySunday, May 15, 2011

    going to cut in the middle of the entire city of Commerce City because there are more people in Denver?

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