Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Travas Deal spoke to a large crowd Wednesday morning about the present and future of the city’s municipal utilities.
Deal delivered his second annual State of the Utility address Wednesday morning at COS City Hub. The event room was filled with a mix of officials, Utilities staff, local business owners and other residents who wanted to hear about Utilities projects.
Deal’s presentation leaned heavily on the short-term and long-term projects that were in the works across the different systems. Deal said previous Utilities leaders and city officials had planned ahead to accommodate the city’s growth and he wanted to ensure he followed in their footsteps.
“My job is to make sure that the foundation is set for the coming years, and me and my team work to do that first and foremost,” Deal said.
The biggest immediate change from Utilities comes later this fall, when it begins transitioning residents to the Energy Wise dynamic billing system. The new system will charge higher electricity rates during the peak hours of 5-9 p.m. on weekdays and discounted rates at other times to encourage residents to spread out their power use across the day.
Deal said he was encouraged by how well Colorado Springs had adapted to water conservation and felt residents would embrace the new energy savings in the same way. He emphasized after the main speech that alternative plans would be available for businesses and residents who cannot change their times.
“When something costs more, it should really go to who’s using it at that time. I think a lot of customers are going to take advantage of Energy Wise and for those that aren’t, we’ll have a flat rate,” Deal said.
One of the ongoing projects is the city’s transition to renewable energy and energy storage systems. Deal said he was working with the state to plan a smart transition to renewable energy sources while keeping some of the current base power sources in place. For example, Deal said the former Martin Drake Power Plant will continue to hold gas generators.
Deal called out nuclear power as an option the utility would continue to look into. He said the high cost of investing in nuclear power initially could be made up for by diversifying the energy sources and the fact the facilities could last up to 80 years.
Multiple projects are in the works across Utilities’ reservoir network. The South Catamount Reservoir is undergoing a major rehabilitation project to resurface the dam’s face and make safety additions. Utilities is working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to remove fish from Mason Reservoir so it can be drawn down later this summer to repair leaking sections of pipe.
Another long-term project Deal promoted was the nearly $400 million Eastern Wastewater System expansion that the Utilities Board approved in May, which he said was important to prepare for the continued growth on the edge of Colorado Springs.
In the hall outside the event room, Utilities staff set up a series of tables to provide more information about the different programs and projects offered for Colorado Springs residents.