Advantages of building in Colorado
We have a proven track record providing energy solutions for technology companies across our service territories and we have developed a complete energy solution for mission critical facilities. A few key areas we have addressed include:
- A proven history of executing on major facility expansions in support of customer growth, and a willingness to utilize utility capital in support of that growth.
- Development of natural gas infrastructure in support of on-site back up generation.
- Given our proximity to Denver and Colorado Springs, the needed vendor resources to support mission critical operations are in close proximity.
- We have identified sites within our service territories as potential locations for data center customers.
Financial advantages
Our local economic development partners, the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation (PEDCO), administer a sales and use tax capital improvement fund for qualifying new businesses, which is one of the leading incentive packages in the state.
The State of Colorado also has available investment tax credit and enterprise zone programs that may provide benefits. Additional information on these programs is available on request.
The State of Colorado does not impose personal property taxes or inventory taxes on businesses.
Location and climate
Pueblo’s climate and elevation are ideal for data storage and processing facilities. The elevation is 4,692 feet with a semi-arid climate. The average annual temperature is 52.6 degrees and annual precipitation is approximately 13 inches. According to the National Weather Service, Pueblo averages approximately 60 days per year when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees. Sunshine is abundant throughout the year, with the sun shining approximately 75% of the time.
Modern telecommunication infrastructure
The community is connected to the long haul fiber traversing the state east and west through the Denver hub.
There are currently four long haul fiber providers within the Pueblo footprint.
2030 Ready Colorado Clean Energy Plan
As an early leader in Colorado, transitioning away from coal combustion generation and moving towards clean energy resources through the Peak View and Busch Ranch wind facilities, Black Hills Energy's 2030 Ready Plan is built upon years of phased-in renewable generation developments that will assist our company in meeting and exceeding the state of Colorado’s greenhouse gas emission goals while supporting the continued reliability and resiliency of our system.
In 2013, we retired our last Colorado coal-fired generation facility, becoming the first electric utility in the state to be coal-free. In recent years, Black Hills Energy has replaced its emission-intensive coal plants with lower emission natural gas generation and wind generation while maintaining system safety and reliability.
Black Hills Energy plans to advance its 2030 Ready Clean Energy Plan with 400 megawatts (MW) of new renewable resources which will achieve an estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 89% by 2030. With approval by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, now pending, the new resources are planned to be in service by the end of 2027.
Best in class reliability and robust infrastructure and capacity
Adding more renewable generation sources doesn't mean we're sacrificing reliability. Our state-of-the-art natural gas turbines at our Pueblo Airport Generating Station will continue as the foundation of our system, providing a consistent source of generation available to be dispatched at all times — the most efficient means of maintaining reliable service to our customers, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
Supporting local economic development
In 2018, the State of Colorado passed legislation empowering the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to authorize applications by electric utilities to implement economic development rates. The legislation allows the Commission to approve, and electric utilities to implement, lower economic development rates for commercial and industrial users who locate or expand their operations in Colorado by at least 3 megawatts.