How much power does the Cherokee Generating Station really produce? This isn’t just any power plant. It’s a massive facility located just north of downtown Denver in Adams County. For decades Cherokee Generating Station powered the Front Range’s population boom. It originally ran on coal from western Colorado. Its four coal-fired units generated up to 717 megawatts. This was enough to power over half a million homes. But that came at a cost. The plant emitted tons of pollutants annually. These included nitrogen oxides sulfur dioxides and carbon dioxide.
However things changed. The Cherokee Generating Station underwent a massive $530 million makeover. This transformation replaced coal with natural gas. Two of the oldest coal-fired units were demolished. Another was shut down by 2015. A new 569-megawatt natural gas-fired combined-cycle plant was built. This uses gas and steam turbines for increased efficiency. It also uses waste heat that would previously have been lost as exhaust. The last 352-megawatt coal-fired unit was converted to run on natural gas by 2017. The plant now boasts a nameplate capacity of 1006.4 megawatts. Its net summer capacity is 886 megawatts. This makes it the largest power plant in Adams County and the second largest natural-gas fired plant in Colorado.
But why the change? A big reason was the Clean Air Act of 2010. This act focused on reducing emissions from coal power plants. The inexpensive price of natural gas also played a significant role. So did pressure to transition away from coal as a whole. The retrofit is a keystone of Colorado’s strategy to slash Front Range air pollution. It also aims to reduce smog-causing ozone levels. The switch to natural gas was a smart move environmentally. It also reduced water consumption. Cherokee Generating Station’s water needs went down significantly. Recycled wastewater now powers the plant.
In 2022 the Cherokee Generating Station output 3.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. This was roughly 5 percent of Colorado’s total electricity generation. The thermal efficiency of the steam turbine unit was 31.3%. The combined cycle units reached 43.2% efficiency. The Cherokee Generating Station is more than just a power plant. It’s a story of adaptation innovation and environmental responsibility. It shows how Colorado is striving to balance energy needs with environmental protection. The story of the Cherokee Generating Station is a testament to progress in the energy sector. It’s a story that continues to evolve alongside the changing landscape of Colorado’s energy future.