A tale of two utilities

Two power companies, Colorado Springs Utility and Tri-State Generation, are taking separate approaches to phasing out coal energy. CSU wants the state legislature to pass a bill allowing them to keep their coal-fired Ray Nixon plant running past its 2029 shutdown date and Tri-State is requesting the federal government allow them to terminate its Craig coal plant, which was supposed to go down at the end of 2025, but broke down anyway on December 19.

CSU’s argument for the bill is reliability and affordability. All you have to do is look at the record of the Comanche 3 plant in Pueblo to see coal plants are hardly reliable and burning coal for affordability is a joke. Renewables are way cheaper than coal. Of course they are. Coal is expensive and the sun’s rays and wind are free.

CSU has made no plans for replacement resources like renewables even though they’ve known about Ray Nixon’s shutdown for years.

Secretary of Energy, Colorado’s own Chris (Mr. Fracking) Wright, ordered Tri-State to keep the Craig station running citing the federal governments usual “emergency status.” Tri-State has said no thanks estimating repairs to plants mechanical valves to be $85 million. Those costs, along with the price of the fuel, will be passed on to the ratepayers.

Tri-State has been proactive about preparing for the shutdown. Unfortunately, any power generated by the coal plant would make the energy from their 145-megawatt Axial Basin solar farm in Moffat County unusable.

In its legal appeal to the DOE, Tri-State said the directive violates property rights guaranteed in the Fifth Amendment. Further, the DOE’s own requirements for an emergency declaration aren’t met.

Not much we can do about Tri-State’s dilemma, but we can call our state legislators and tell them to vote down CSU’s request to extend Ray Nixon’s shutdown.

Fred Malo Jr.

Carbondale

Small effective church

Something that is not talked about much anymore is a solid, local, Bible-teaching church and more importantly, the pastor of that church. I am speaking of Pastor Dan Parton of Timberline Baptist Church in Manitou Springs.

This man conducts two Sunday services and a midweek Wednesday night Bible class and even broadcasts these messages for free on Facebook. His approach is simple: Two real life Sunday sermons every week, and verse-by-verse Bible teaching from the books of the Bible on Wednesday nights. And if the weather is bad, he beams those messages online from his own home.

It’s not a large church, but it is an effective one with a Godly man at the helm who cares not only for those he serves in his church, but anyone who wishes to visit in person or tune in electronically.

I’ve known Pastor Dan Parton for many years and thought it appropriate and beneficial for anyone who might be interested to know about this man and his church.

Tron Simpson

Colorado Springs

Puppies for profit

Colorado House Bill 26-1011 is critical legislation to protect animals, families, and responsible breeders by ending the sale of dogs and cats through pet stores and brokers.

Behind the glass windows of pet stores are puppies whose stories are rarely told. Many come from large-scale commercial breeding facilities—puppy mills—where dogs spend their lives confined to dark, cramped cages, bred again and again with little veterinary
care. Thousands of these puppies are shipped into Colorado each year, turning suffering into profit.

HB26-1011 would finally shut down this cruel pipeline. This bill also protects consumers from the deceptive business practices that are required to sell puppies from puppy mills. Pet stores often assure families that puppies come from “responsible breeders,” yet state and federal records show many are sourced from facilities with serious USDA violations.
Families pay thousands of doll rs believing they are bringing home a healthy companion, only to face devastating veterinary bills, chronic illness, genetic disorders, or severe ehavioral problems caused by poor breeding practices. The emotional and financial toll is enormous on these unsuspecting buyers. HB26-1011 does not take away choice. It redirects demand to ethical breeders, shelters, and rescues, while supporting pet businesses that succeed without selling dogs or cats. It reflects Colorado’s values of compassion and responsibility to our consumers and animals.

I urge State Representative Ava Flanell and State Senator Lynda Zamora Wilson to support HB26-1011 and stand with its sponsors to protect animals from cruelty, families from deception, and the values Coloradans hold dear.

Allen Wu

Colorado Springs

While we were sleeping

Dpnald Trump will not be remembered as a diplomatic president, but he will be seen as a realist in world affairs. It only cost China ten million to put Joe Biden to sleep. Six figures are enough to keep anyone else quiet. As George Will quoted Upton Sinclair, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” That’s a more intellectual definition of what Trump calls “The Swamp.”

So, while Joe and friends were sleeping, China was sourcing lithium and nickel from South America and Indonesia. Cobalt is sourced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All are critical to the present and future technology. Despite Trump’s emphasis on fossil fuels, he’s aware of the value of the rare earths used in batteries. Is Trump also aware that these elements can be reused, whereas fossil fuels are a one-time use? It’s ironic coming from a “Drill, baby, drill” president.

Fred Stewart

Grand Junction