Editor’s note: The following article and was provided by Colorado Springs Utilities, Fort Carson’s utility provider.
As part of the Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) Sustainable Energy Plan, several major projects are underway to provide reliable and cost-effective power for generations to come.
These critical efforts are funded by the rates Springs Utilities’ customers pay and include:
- Battery energy storage.
- New transmission lines to bring additional power to the city.
- Expanded access to natural gas generation.
Battery energy storage
Key components for the first battery energy storage system, with a capacity of 100 megawatts (MW), are arriving at Springs Utilities’ Jackson-Fuller Electric Substation in eastern El Paso County. The system is targeted for a May 2025 completion date and will occupy approximately five acres on the 12-acre substation site.
Battery storage technology will play a key role in Springs Utilities’ efforts to meet state mandates and reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2030. It also allows them to store energy generated from various sources – such as natural gas and renewables – and can hold the stored energy for use during peak demand days when it’s traditionally more expensive to generate or purchase fuel on the market.
Fort Carson currently has two battery energy storage systems on post. One is a 4.25 megawatt lithium-ion battery system used to reduce the installation’s peak demand during peak hours. The second is a 1 MW flow battery that is the first of its kind at a DOD installation. This pilot project will evaluate various use cases over the next two years.
Expanding natural gas capacity
Natural gas-based electric generation is a cost-effective and reliable solution as Springs Utilities transitions to a new energy future that includes zero-emission renewables and other emerging technologies.
The importance of natural gas-based electric generation isn’t unique to Colorado Springs. With other energy providers tapping into statewide, regional and national natural gas supplies, available capacity in existing pipelines is nearly exhausted.
To help overcome these challenges, Springs Utilities is in the preliminary stages of investing in new natural gas pipeline capacity to fuel 400 MWs of new electric generating units – much like the units on the former Martin Drake Power Plant site. Beyond these projects, they are also fortifying our local electric grid to ensure our substations, transformers and lines are equipped to provide reliable power – no matter where or how it is sourced.
Get involved, stay informed
Springs Utilities encourages its customers to stay involved. Follow them on social media, visit csu.org and participate in virtual and in-person public meetings — whether it’s for the projects mentioned in this article or for the 2025 update to their electric and natural gas plans.
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