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Of all the projects proposed in Xcel Energy’s 2025 Colorado Gas Infrastructure Plan, 76 percent are in or adjacent to Latino, Indigenous and low-income neighborhoods already burdened by cumulative pollution and health risks, according to a new analysis by the advocacy group GreenLatinos.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is currently accepting public comments on the plan.

Patricia Garcia-Nelson, Colorado fossil fuel just transition advocate for GreenLatinos, said disproportionately affected communities deserve investments to improve health and lead the transition to clean energy, not projects locking in decades of reliance on fossil fuels.

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"Not only do we want there to be no expansion of gas infrastructure in disproportionately impacted communities, but we also want Xcel to stop passing the costs of their gas infrastructure onto the ratepayers," Garcia-Nelson emphasized.

In Adams County, all 18 proposed projects are in neighborhoods the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment determined face the highest burdens from fossil fuel pollution, cumulative health risks and inadequate regulatory oversight. Xcel said its plan will provide safe, efficient and resilient energy service by providing the cleanest gas systems possible. They also argued the proposed projects across Colorado will deliver a low-carbon future.

Garcia-Nelson argued the commission can end decades of environmental injustices by strengthening and enforcing protections and by requiring Xcel to prioritize clean energy alternatives. She noted Xcel is not currently required to offer alternatives to natural gas.

"One of the things we’re asking for is requirements to have non-pipeline alternatives," Garcia-Nelson pointed out. "Like trying to electrify homes through things like geothermal networks, the installation of heat pumps."

Garcia-Nelson stressed new gas pipelines put both communities and ratepayers at risk when safety violations go unchecked. She pointed to a 2023 audit showing 96 percent of reported safety incidents were not investigated.

"We’re seeing that inspections are not happening," Garcia-Nelson asserted. "The audit found that only $5,000 of an estimated $4 million in penalties has been collected."