.@CSUtilities board surprises many, votes to close controversial power plant https://t.co/hPVdl9OFgW pic.twitter.com/7Ni41GGbUH
Officials in Colorado Springs have voted to close the entire coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant by 2035.
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that Wednesday's 6-3 vote is a change for the Colorado Springs Utilities Board, which has long defended the coal plant.
Utilities staff and the Customer Advisory Group had recommended a resource plan that would have left Drake Unit 7 open indefinitely.
But six of the 15 CAG members sent a letter to the Utilities board Tuesday saying they had preferred Portfolio D, which would have closed Drake in 2029, but were strongly urged to support the other option.
They wrote the plan failed to consider health, the environment and economic development impact.
The board voted to approve Portfolio D with a few alterations, including pushing the closure date back to 2035.
