Wildfires are reaching areas that never worried before. Here’s how to protect your home
A few fixes can help protect your home and neighborhood, and buy firefighters precious time.
State regulators approve Xcel’s wildfire mitigation plan for the next two years
The plan will cost nearly $2 billion and be partly financed through bonds.
Supreme Court backs Utah oil railroad expansion, endorsing limited version of key environmental law
Opponents said that expansion would increase the risk of hazardous material spills into the most important waterway in the Western United States.
Drought conditions likely to get worse in Colorado as Western water supplies shrink
Federal forecasts expect hotter-than-average temperatures through the summer
Xcel Energy to charge more for power later in the evening, says most residents won’t see higher bills
The new “time of use” rates mean electricity prices on weekday evening hours will spike, but most other times will be billed at the cheapest rates.
Chevron spill largest in Colorado since at least 2015, full clean-up may take 5 years
Chevron has recovered at least 3.8 million gallons of liquid from a Weld County spill, the largest listed spill in available state records.
Where does all the coal traveling next to I-25 go?
Freight trains hauling coal are still a familiar sight in Colorado, even as the state and country phase out the dirty fossil fuel.
The snow in Colorado’s mountains melted too fast. It could mean worse wildfires this year
Federal data show that snow melted rapidly in parts of Colorado in April, driven by dry, warm conditions.
114 people laid off from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The cuts affected staffers in both the research and operations sides of the lab.
Investigation ongoing for ‘unprecedented’ blown well in Weld County that contaminated nearby waterways
In early April, a Chevron-operated well spewed water, crude oil and other chemicals for nearly four days, in what one oil and gas expert called “a worst case scenario” for wells in the Denver-Julesburg basin.
Denver and Boulder agree to Xcel Energy’s roughly $1.9 billion plan to avoid sparking wildfires
The plan, which still must be approved by regulators, includes burying transmission lines and guidelines on shutting off power.
Oil transformed Pierce, Colorado. Now, geothermal might too
Two groundbreaking geothermal projects are being studied in a tiny oil town in Weld County.
Colorado officials expect an average fire season, but that still means potentially thousands of wildfires
Officials said federal cuts have not impacted the number of federal firefighters in the state, though that could change.
Exploring geothermal energy’s potential in Colorado
An energy source that’s on the ground floor now, so to speak, could become entrenched. Geothermal relies on heat from rock and water beneath the Earth’s surface. For months, CPR’s climate solutions team — Ishan Thakore and Sam Brasch — have visited geothermal hotspots in the state, places that have entrepreneurs and politicians rallying behind them. They joined Ryan Warner to talk about where it’s already being used and the debate about what’s next.
Colorado Mesa University has proven geothermal energy can largely replace fossil fuels in its buildings. Now the world is taking notice
The Grand Junction school’s thermal energy network has caught the eye of Colorado officials, Xcel Energy, and more.
Why CPR’s climate team reported a series of stories about geothermal energy
Our reporting confirms that geothermal could help the state’s efforts to fight climate change. At the same time, the bipartisan enthusiasm for the industry doesn’t always capture local concerns about a new type of drilling bonanza.
