Even if it’s partially by force, Xcel Energy is taking a few big steps  into a more realistic  energy future. Unlike some people in government and energy, they are not asking us to adapt to global warming,  but to buy their renewable energy.*    Adaptation to runaway climate change,  or to a 4-6 degree temperature rise is most likely  impossible.

It’s a good thing then that Xcel Energy is moving into a new renewable, cleaner energy future in several states.  In Colorado it’s not completely out of the goodness of their hearts — it’s because Colorado just passed its new clean air and jobs law.   It’s another example of when govenrnment and laws actually work. From Clean Technica:

“Colorado’ s largest utility, Xcel Energy is shutting down 900 MW of coal plants and replacing them with natural gas power plants. This move by just one utility will reduce the entire Colorado coal power fleet by a staggering 30%. What prompted this rather dazzling move?

The Colorado Clean Air – Clean Jobs Act just passed. …  All new (or re-powered) electric power plants may not emit more than 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour, effectively ruling out coal burning (without CCS).”

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) does not yet exist for large commercial coal burning use.  It may never operate as promised and it’s still a big question whether it will ever work adequately or even be remotely affordable.

“All utilities in the state must find a way to achieve the goal. They can replace or re-power coal plants with natural gas or add energy efficiency measures such as combined heat & power, or they can switch to renewable energy sources.  . . . . Natural gas is the easy way out, since the state has the third-largest reserves of natural gas. Although natural gas is a fossil fuel that potentially harms drinking water, its contribution to climate change is only half that of coal.”

Only??  Comparing it to coal isn’t saying much.

Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is finite, like all the others, and it definitely pollutes the air when its processed and burned. Just as bad seems to be the process of hydraulic fracking to get the natural gas out of where it is, often in rock or hard to get at.  This process uses lots of toxic chemicals that are mostly unregulated because the energy companies won’t even reveal exactly what is in their fracking formulas.  Xcel Energy needs to be pushed to use more wind energy which it’s already using to great effect in Minnesota and South Dakota.

XCel Energy is building an enormous new wind farm in southern Minnesota.  I’ve been down there recently twice in the past 5 years and it’s very windy there and even more so in South Dakota.  It’s probably not [...]