Two Coloradans walk up to a podium — and sound the alarm about the Centennial State’s endangered energy outlook.

Rather than the start of a joke, we’re talking about Monday’s news conference with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who hails from Colorado, and 8th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, who sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee. 

The duo gathered at Xcel Energy’s Fort St. Vrain Generating Station to warn about the risks state energy policies pose for higher electricity prices — burdening families and deterring businesses, especially data centers, from relocating here.

Wright brings unique credibility to this warning. As founder and former CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, he understands the complex regulatory landscape, its onerous costs, and the need to reject Colorado’s narrow-minded renewables push and unleash an all-of-the-above energy strategy.

The numbers back him up. Wright cautioned that electricity prices are 50% higher on average in states with renewable energy standards. Businesses get priced out — especially those dependent on the energy-intensive data centers driving modern AI and tech.

Colorado must stay ahead of the curve on technology and innovation. AI and quantum computing rely on data centers, and the state risks being left behind.

Noted economist Stephen Moore recently refuted the myth that big data centers don’t “pay their way.” He pointed to Loudoun County, Virginia, home to the world’s largest data center cluster —featuring Amazon, Microsoft and Google — which “bring jobs, growth, and massive property tax revenue.”

Loudoun County has slashed property tax rates by 38% since 2010, saving homeowners an annual $3,400 on average.

Wright understands this. But he also knows it requires powerhouse energy and reliable infrastructure, not politically charged mandates.

“If you’re going to locate and spend tens of billions of dollars for a large investment, you’ve got to believe that state not only can deliver you electricity as quickly as possible … that it’ll be a good long-term policy on energy and business conditions and all that,” Wright said.

His strategy is pragmatic, not ideological — embracing geothermal, nuclear, oil and gas, wind and solar. Whatever gets the job done.

“The biggest future of energy and electricity grid, how we’re going to win the AI race is going to be dominated by natural gas and nuclear,” Wright told The Gazette in an interview. “Those are the fastest-growing energy sources.”

It also means setting aside the assault on clean coal. The secretary pointed to halting closure of 17 gigawatts of coal-fired plants in 2025, which included an emergency order keeping the Craig Station plant open. “If we had let those coal power plants close… hundreds of people would have died,” he said, citing winter storm Fern, which generated chaos across 22 states.

Xcel Energy recently filed for an 11.4% natural gas rate increase and a near-10% jump in electricity rates, with further hikes coming as the state mandates premature coal plant closures and emission mandates. It’s a recipe for unaffordability.

It’s already the path California has gone down, which Wright called “a train wreck policy.”

“(California) produces meaningfully less energy than it did 10 years ago,” Wright said. “It’s impoverishing its citizens and having jobs flee, negative population outflow except for immigration.”

“Why would anyone want to follow that path?” he asked.

Only policymakers willing to wreck the train to prove a point.