Miguel Otárola | Colorado Public Radio

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Miguel Otárola

Climate / Environment Reporter

miguel.otarola@cpr.org

Miguel Otárola is a climate and environment reporter at CPR News.

Professional Background: Miguel joined CPR in 2021 after covering Minneapolis and its suburbs as a reporter for the Star Tribune. Before that, he began his journalism career interning at newspapers across the country, including the Arizona Republic, Seattle Times and Boston Globe. Miguel was also a host of a music show at KFAI 90.3 FM, a community radio station in Minneapolis.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s degree in mass communications from Arizona State University.

Energy
Gas bills for Xcel Energy customers would rise 11 percent under a cold weather cost plan approved by judge
The judge agreed that Xcel Energy failed to warn customers to conserve energy during a 2021 winter freeze, but gas and electric bills could still rise to recoup $509 million from customers.
By Miguel Otárola
Environment
How Pueblo’s Salt Creek was stripped of its rights, and why activists are fighting to get them back
The local steel mill and the state demoted the waterway in the late 1970s, which meant the mill did not have to report pollution levels.
By Miguel Otárola
Climate Change
First-of-its kind project in Colorado will bury 350,000 tons of planet-warming carbon that would have been released into the air
Two corn ethanol plants will begin trapping and storing their carbon dioxide emissions. Experts say it’s the start of a necessary tool to fight climate change.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Colorado oil regulators warn of ‘final opportunity’ for well operator to clean up its sites and avoid millions in fines
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission “is really seeing no improvement in operations or compliance” by K.P. Kauffman.
By Miguel Otárola
Environment
High wind warnings and dry conditions: Colorado’s chaotic April weather set threatening records
The National Weather Service in Boulder issued a single-month record of 16 critical fire warnings in April.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Colorado’s largest coal-fired power plant could close four years earlier than proposed, documents show
The newest generator at the coal-fired Comanche Generating Station would shut down in 2031, documents obtained by CPR News show.
By Miguel Otárola
Environment
Colorado weather: Fire danger extremely high due to hot, dry and very windy conditions
There's a rare warning of “extremely critical” fire weather across 16 counties in northeastern Colorado.
By Joe Wertz and Miguel Otárola
Environment
Thousands walked to Coors Field for the Rockies opener. Activists saw a good opportunity for a climate rally.
The activists protested in front of Xcel Energy's downtown Denver offices to demand the utility stop burning coal and other fossil fuels to generate energy.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Your Xcel bill has tons of small charges. Here’s what they’re for.
Here's what "Purch Cap Cost Adj" means, and the rest of your Xcel bill explained.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Colorado utility bills are getting harder to understand. Just ask this Denver software manager
A long list of fees and surcharges can be confusing for many customers, making it hard to understand why their bills are increasing — and what, if anything, they can do about it.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Xcel doesn’t know when its newest coal-fired generator will be back in service, the company told state regulators
The generator has a history of breakdowns that regulators have attributed to poor maintenance and human error.
By Miguel Otárola
Colorado Matters
Using music to cope with tragedies like the Marshall Fire
The Marshall Fire ignited two months ago... and swept through parts of Boulder County. It killed at least one person and destroyed more than one-thousand homes. Coming to terms with what happened can be a journey. CPR climate team reporter Miguel Otorala found solace in music.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
New rules could mean more industry money to plug aging oil and gas wells in Colorado, regulators say
Unplugged wells can leak harmful greenhouse gasses like methane and other pollutants, including benzene.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Xcel Energy could overcharge customers ‘tens of millions of dollars’ after last year’s cold snap, state watchdog says
The Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate says Xcel exercised poor judgment during the winter storm and should recover far less money.
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Pueblo County drops support for nuclear power after facing backlash from residents
“Sometimes we're wrong. We step out, we make a mistake.”
By Miguel Otárola
Energy
Colorado’s newest coal-fired generator has been shut down for two weeks. Regulators have ordered Xcel to tell them why
The February outage is the latest in a long history of unexpected breakdowns and cost overruns for the Comanche 3 generator.
By Miguel Otárola