Xcel Energy Announces Plan For Zero Carbon Electricity By 2050

DENVER (CBS4) - Xcel Energy has a lofty goal to combat climate change. It plans to slash carbon emissions for its electricity generating plants by 80 percent in the next 15 years.

Xcel hopes to create 100 percent carbon free electricity by 2050. The service provider serves eight states.

Xcel is betting on new technology to advance wind and solar and move away from fossil fuels.

"In August, Xcel earned approval from the Colorado's Public Utilities Commission to replace two units at the state's largest coal plant with a combination of wind, solar, and battery storage after finding it could save customers more than $200 million. That plan alone will help Xcel cut its carbon emissions in Colorado in half by 2026, from a 2005 baseline," the Sierra Club announced in a news release.

"When I looked at that, and when my team looked at that, we told ourselves 'What else can we do?' The reality is we knew we could step up do more with little to no extra cost," said Ben Fowke, CEO of Xcel Energy.

Xcel says it has reduced carbon output by 35 percent in the last 13 years.