Colorado Springs Utilities outlines five-year capital plan, Horizon generation project and new 'Energy Wise' rates

Travis Steele, chief executive officer of Colorado Springs Utilities, outlined the utility's five-year capital and rate plan — including a proposed 400-megawatt natural-gas generation project at the Horizon Utility Campus, additional battery storage, and investments in water and wastewater infrastructure — in a recent interview on the Beyond the Deus podcast.

Steele said the package, developed as a five-year rate case, is intended to fund long-term capital projects so the utility can meet rising demand across Colorado Springs and El Paso County while avoiding year-to-year contractor price inflation. "We're building another 400 megawatts of natural gas generation," Steele said, adding that the utility is also adding battery storage and continuing water and wastewater investments.

Why it matters: Steele said Colorado Springs Utilities must plan years ahead because generation, water and wastewater projects take multiple years to complete. He told…