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Holy Cross Energy has the energy for 90% emissions free milestone, but it can’t get it from this wind farm to its markets hundreds of miles to the west.

by Allen Best

Holy Cross Energy has had roughly 80% emission-free electricity since May. Sometime in the next year it expects to be at 90%, although possibly not until 2027.

That additional 10% will come from the electricity generated by the Bronco Plains II wind project, which is located along Interstate 70 near Seibert, about two hours east of Denver.

The project has 72 turbines with a collective nameplate capacity of 200 megawatts.

Holy Cross had expected to be at 90% now, but transmission constraints have prevented that. Jenna Weatherred, the vice president for member and community relations, says “There are actually multiple transmission constraints that impact getting power from the project to Holy Cross, each with seasonal fluctuations based on grid conditions,” she says.

Completion of the second and third segments of the Colorado Power Pathway, Xcel Energy’s 550-mile transmission sweep around eastern Colorado, will allow Holy Cross to access the wind power and cross the 90% threshold. Those segments are expected to be completed next year.

However, it’s possible the transmission capacity will not be available until the fourth and fifth segments are completed. That is currently expected to happen in 2027.

“So much of this is out of our control that I can only commit to saying we are continuing to add renewable content to our power supply each year, and time will tell when we reach 90%, but it will be sometime before 2030,” she wrote in an e-mail.

The above photo from October 2023 is of either the Bronco Plains I or Bronco Plains II wind projects of Seibert. In other words, if the wind from these turbines don’t end up powering the ski lifts at Vail and Aspen, Beaver Creek and Snowmass, it is coming from the same area.

Allen Best
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