Two Important Issues Come to a Head this Summer
Two important issues are being discussed and decided this summer in Colorado Springs. The City Council will decide on both the future costs of solar in the area and whether or not to approve a large data center right next to the Garden of the Gods.
In regard to the rooftop solar issue, Colorado Springs Utilities is proposing new billing options for customers with home solar panels. Future solar users would choose between two new rate structures, which are both expected to raise electric bills by about $30 a month. Under this new structure, customers could choose either a per-day “grid access charge” or a “demand charge” based on highest net 15 min on-peak monthly demand. CSU estimates that either plan would rase solar customers’ rates by about $38 per month ($456 per year), but solar owners suggest the actual increase could be much greater. A public City Council hearing is tentatively scheduled for August 25, 2026 with Council to vote on the changes on September 22. Please click here for the information.
On Thursday, June 11th, the Colorado Springs Planning Department administratively approved plans for Project Taurus, a data center proposed to be built near Garden of the Gods Road and Centennial Boulevard. Four appeals have been filed, arguing among other things that the project will be larger and more impactful than was presented to city staff, that the project did not qualify for “administrative” approval, but instead required a public hearing before the Planning Commission, and that the sound study was inadequate. The Planning Commission will hear the appeals at 9:00 a.m. on July 23. Because of the high level of public interest, this meeting has been moved to the Shockley-Zalabak Theater at the Ent Center. Only members of the public present in person can speak, virtual testimony will not be allowed. Public comments will be limited to 2 minutes and no ceding of time will be allowed.
For more information on the appeals, click here.
Both these proposals are antithetical to the state and city's stated environmental goals. Punishing solar customers for doing the right thing is unacceptable. Bringing a water guzzling, dirty energy sucking data center into the area is unacceptable. We must fight back.
Please consider signing up to speak at the July 23rd Planning Commission meeting on Project Taurus. Please contact your city council member regarding the solar rate increase and consider attending the City Council meeting on August 25th. See the above flier to attend the Volunteer Training and Sign making event to get plugged into Sierra Club's fight against these disastrous proposals. You can RSVP here.
April News
Conservation Report
For updates on the group's campaigns and issues, please click here.
Volunteer Opportunities
Our political committee will be considering endorsements in the local elections this November. If interested in volunteering with the committee, please contact us here. This is an excellent way to have a bigger voice in who will represent you by helping us choose environmentally responsible candidates to support.
We also have some opportunities coming up on our Conservation Committee. Our priorities are Beyond Carbon, Wilderness and Wildlands, Fountain Creek, Urban Issues, and Wildlife. Contact us if interested
Heave the Beave – Update on the Fight Against the Buc-ee’s Megacenter
The El Paso County Planning and Community Development Department has raised a question of whether the Buc-ee’s mega center meets the current zoning classification of a “convenience store". The current C-1, commercial use classification allows a convenience store but not a gas station or truck stop. The determination letter states that because it is unclear whether the use meets the definition of a ‘Convenience Store,’ county planning staff cannot determine whether it is sufficiently similar to allowed uses within the C-1 zoning district to qualify as an allowed use. A company tied to the Buc-ee’s chain bought a parcel of land along Interstate 25 in El Paso County near the site where developers previously proposed building Colorado’s second Buc-ee’s location. See Fox 21 article for more information.
Events
The Pikes Peak Group along with Richard's Rubbish Roundup will be holding a cleanup of the El Pomar section of Fountain Creek in late July. Please keep an eye on out for more details or check our Facebook page.
Our annual Fall gathering will be held in mid-September. This will be a night for us to say thank you to our amazing members and supporters, along with connecting with other environmentalists and like-minded folks. Again, please keep an eye out for more details!