Xcel Energy tells Denver council it needs hundreds of millions for local grid upgrades as part of a $22.5 billion Colorado plan

Xcel Energy told the City and County of Denver on Thursday that it has filed a multibillion‑dollar package with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to expand generation, transmission and distribution capacity as the region electrifies.

Holly, a Xcel presenter, said the utility has proposed roughly $22.5 billion of electric and gas infrastructure investment in Colorado over the next five years, including nearly $4 billion for renewable generation pending final PUC approval and about $7.5 billion for distribution upgrades. "Over the next 5 years, we need to invest $22,500,000,000 into the electric and gas infrastructure in the state of Colorado to meet this new growth," she said.

Why it matters: Denver officials pressed Xcel on how that statewide plan translates into neighborhood impacts, rate pressure and the timeline for projects that serve major local developments such as River Mile, Ball Arena and Denver International Airport (DEN). The proposal would shift some future spending into a distribution plan mechanism that the company says could reduce the need for frequent rate cases but may face negotiation with the PUC and consumer…