DENVER — Today, as Colorado continues to lead the way in America’s clean energy revolution, new independent research has reaffirmed what clean energy advocates have been saying all along: Colorado is saving residents money because it shifts away from costly and polluting fossil fuels. In fact, Colorado’s residents pay less than the national average per unit of electricity consumed, while investments in clean energy are accelerating. This was still true in 2025, Xcel Energy reported a record-high profits of $2 billion, even while paying $287 million toward settlements related to the Marshall Fire lawsuits. 

New independent research commissioned by Conservation Colorado, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rewiring America, and Western Resource Advocates has found that Colorado’s average cost per unit of electricity is nearly two cents per kilowatt hour below the national average and has increased at a slower rate over the last decade than the rest of the country. Colorado has taken one of the most ambitious clean energy strategies in the country: mandatory greenhouse gas reduction targets, coal plant retirements and expanded solar and wind power. The data within these reports proves this strategy is a success: clean air, a stronger grid, and lower utility bills for all Coloradans while still keeping our utility rates lower than the national average.

Colorado’s strategy for a clean energy future – more solar and wind power, smarter investment in our grid infrastructure and strong protections for all consumers – results in a stable and affordable energy future and provides cleaner air for all Coloradans.

“Colorado proves that climate action does not have to come at the expense of affordability. While consumers across the nation have seen rates skyrocket by more than 30% over the last decade, Colorado has successfully developed one of the nation’s leading clean energy economies while keeping our residential rates nearly two cents below the national average. We are showing the nation that a just transition is not only a lofty goal, but a reality,” said Conservation Colorado’s Climate Campaign Manager Paul Sherman.

Colorado’s clean energy leadership and low electricity bills are two sides of the same coin. And the facts back this up. Every solar farm and windmill we’ve developed has helped protect Colorado families from the boom-and-bust cycle of gas prices that have devastated other states that failed to make the clean energy investments we’ve made. Every dollar invested in modernizing our grid has made our system stronger and more efficient. This is what success looks like. And we’re just getting started. Colorado needs to continue building on this foundation of clean energy investments and protections for ratepayers. The path to a stable and affordable energy system is the same as the path we’ve already begun.