Valmont Station

Location: Boulder, Colorado.

Plant Description: Valmont Station has two Xcel Energy operating units. Unit V5 is a coal-fired, steam-electric generating unit that can also use natural gas as fuel. Unit V6 is a combustion turbine that uses natural gas or fuel oil as fuel. There are two 38MW combustion turbines also located on site that are owned and operated by Black Hills Colorado.

Power Production Capabilities: 229 megawatts (MW): V5 – 186 MW and V6 – 43 MW

Fuel Source: Low-sulfur coal from western Colorado mines and natural gas.

Plant History: Construction of Valmont Station began in 1921. Unit one went into service in 1924. Valmont was the largest power station west of the Missouri River after Unit 4 was brought into service in 1942, and it remained the company's largest Colorado generating station for several decades with a total capacity of 122.5 MW. These four units stopped generating power in 1986. Unit 5 (V5) went into service in 1964 and can burn either coal or natural gas. The unit uses three surrounding lakes for circulating cooling water. Unit 6 (V6) began generating electricity in 1973.

Interesting Features: Unit 5 uses three surrounding reservoirs for circulating cooling water. These reservoirs attract a variety of wildlife, including an abundance of waterfowl. For decades the plant site has been recognized as a unique wildlife refuge. In 2006, Audubon Colorado designated Valmont Station’s reservoirs as an Important Bird Area. It was chosen as Audubon’s first Important Bird Area in Boulder County primarily because of large concentrations of waterfowl that use the site as wintering habitat and as a rest stop during the spring and fall migrations. From January through early Valmont Station spring, great horned owls use a nest box located about 260’ up one of the plant’s three stacks. We have installed a camera in the box so the public can watch nesting activities and learn more about the owls on Xcel Energy’s Owl Cam, available at xcelenergy.com.

Environmental Highlights: Today, Valmont Station is Xcel Energy’s most efficient power plant. In addition, technology helps reduce plant emissions. Air emissions are controlled on V5 with low-NOx burners that reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The plant also has a baghouse that acts like a giant vacuum cleaner, removing particulate emissions from the flue gas by more than 99 percent. As part of Xcel Energy’s voluntary emission reduction effort in the Denver metro area, a scrubber was installed to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.

Community Involvement: Valmont Station strives to be a responsible neighbor and steward of the special habitat that surrounds the plant. Employees support a number of community organizations and projects, including an annual golf tournament that helps raise money for local charities. Employees also helped develop an educational tree trail at the plant entrance, which features approximately 20 varieties of trees that grow well in the northern Front Range and Colorado. We also cooperate with local community groups and have hosted a number of events, including special plant tours and annual bird counts.

Contact Information:

• Plant Information and Tour Requests — 1-800-895-4999
• Media Inquiries — 303-294-2300
• Black Hills Colorado — 847-465-3036