Transmission Study

Completed December 2024

Transmission Capacity Expansion Study for Colorado

Overview

Legislation passed in 2023 (SB23-016) directed CETA to study the need for expanded transmission capacity in Colorado. The legislation provided funding for CETA to commission a study to analyze the need for expanded transmission capacity in Colorado to meet the state’s forecasted demand for electricity, achieve the state’s emission reduction goals, improve the flow of electricity on the transmission system, and improve reliability of the electric grid. CETA issued a request for proposal on Oct. 18, 2023 and awarded the project to Energy Strategies and team in January 2024.

The study took a long-run, holistic approach to identifying the need for expanded transmission capacity in Colorado, including through the construction of new transmission lines, improvements to existing transmission lines, and connections to organized wholesale electricity markets. The study considered the use of advanced transmission technologies and electricity storage as well as considered options for limiting land impacts, such as using existing rights-of-way, reconductoring existing transmission lines, and establishing new transmission corridors.

The primary study tasks included:

Participating in stakeholder engagement meetings on modeling input assumptions and scenario analysis,
Reviewing, compiling and summarizing utility and independent developer transmission plans within the State of Colorado,
Preparing a holistic transmission capacity expansion study for the State of Colorado, and
Conducting a gap analysis that compared transmission projects included in utilities and independent developer plans to the needed projects identified in the holistic transmission study.

Active stakeholder engagement was an important component of this project. In conjunction with Energy Strategies and team, CETA hosted four stakeholder engagement meetings to receive input and feedback on the study.

An initial report was presented to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 26, 2024; a final report was presented to the Joint Energy Committees in the Colorado General Assembly on Jan. 16, 2025.