Colorado Springs Utilities will consider moving the Horizon Power Plant from the Horizon Utility Campus southeast of the Colorado Springs Airport after a federal government-sanctioned panel determined that plumes the plant would emit would pose “a high-risk hazard for aircraft.”
It’s not clear how much it would cost to relocate the power plant from the Horizon campus, but Utilities spokesperson Danielle Nieves said in an email, “Other possible sites have already been identified. Williams Creek, east of the town of Fountain, is one option, but we will explore all available options and make the best decision for our utility and the community.”
As previously reported by the Southern Colorado Business Forum & Digest, the power plant, pegged at $650 million, had been slated for completion in 2028 on the 160-acre Horizon campus. Utilities has signed with a Missouri-based company to manufacture and install 10 natural-gas fired turbines. The Forum & Digest reported the contract required all approvals to be obtained by April 17. The publication also reported that hoods to redirect the plumes would cost $230 million, which Utilities CEO Travas Deal said would make the power station financially unfeasible to operate.
A Safety Risk Management Panel (SRMP) met on March 27 to review impacts of the power plant on commercial and general aviation. The meeting was not open to the public, which complied with Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, airport spokesperson Aidan Ryan said in a statement.
The panel was composed of “a broad cross-section of stakeholders, representing areas of expertise, responsibility, and oversight impacted by the proposal.” The panel’s objective was to “develop an expert assessment of potential hazards, associated risks, and appropriate mitigation strategies,” Ryan said.
“The SRMP report will provide a comprehensive evaluation of hazards and risks associated with the proposed Horizon Power Plant project and will serve as the foundation for the safety assessment documentation,” he said, noting the report is expected on April 24.
The panel formed and undertook assessment of the risks in accord with FAA governing guidance, Ryan noted.
Asked about the outcome of the meeting, Nieves said in an email, “Panel members determined that thermal plume-induced turbulence is a high-risk hazard for aircraft, and the evaluated mitigations were not able to mitigate the hazard.”
Consequently, she noted, Utilities expects the determination to lead to a finding that “the site of the Horizon Power Plant is not a compatible land use with the adjacent airport operations.”
She said the next step is for the Airport Advisory Commission to meet on April 9. It’s unclear what action the commission might take that would minimize or overturn the SRMP panel’s determination. She also noted the panel’s draft report is due to the airport on April 10, with the final report expected two weeks after that.
Asked about the potential cost of relocating Horizon’s assets, Nieves said, “It is too early to speculate on the potential costs associated with moving the generators to a different site.”
The panel’s determination could represent a setback in Utilities energy goals, especially in light of the scheduled closure of the Nixon Power Plant south of Colorado Springs by 2030 in order to meet state-imposed carbon emissions reductions.
Utilities is seeking approval of Senate Bill 2026-022, which would extend the closure deadline to 2040, but as of March 31, the bill had not advanced from its Jan. 14 introduction, and Rep. Amy Paschal of Colorado Springs has expressed second thoughts about supporting it. Issues surrounding Nixon’s closure were reported March 3 by the Pikes Peak Bulletin.
Utilities Board Chair Dave Donelson, while disappointed in the panel’s determination, said the Utilities Board will address issues surrounding the Horizon campus in the near future, likely at the board’s April 22 meeting.
“The goal of Utilities and the board is to protect the ratepayers and, hopefully, that is reflected in the decisions that we make,” he told the Bulletin by phone. “I believe that Utilities leadership believes there’s a way to navigate this with minimal to no impacts on ratepayers, Utilities and the city.”
Donelson said if the Horizon campus is moved, or the power plant planned for that site is relocated, power available to Peak Innovation Park won’t be curtailed.
“There is energy which is available,” he said. “We have excess capacity for use at Peak Innovation Park and infrastructure currently in place, which can allow the development of Peak Innovation Park even without the power generation being located there.” Peak Innovation Park is a 1,600-acre master-planned business park located at the entrance to the airport with sites available for sale, lease, or build-to-suit. The park is home to multiple businesses including Amazon, Northrop Grumman, and The Aerospace Corporation, according to the City’s website.
The Horizon campus site was acquired in 2020 for $2.3 million. As reported by the Forum & Digest, it currently has an electric substation and detention pond. Plans call for the campus to support an 18-acre solar array, a battery storage facility to store 100 megawatts of electricity, two natural gas transfer stations and a service center. As for the site noted by Nieves near Fountain, that property lies adjacent to a Utilities substation and the 175-megawatt Pike Solar array, both of which opened in 2023.
