So Xcel Energy’s plan to increase its reliance on renewable energy sources is more of a gamble than it appeared at first blush. At the same time Xcel is making a push to use more renewable energy, the utility company is also in talks with EVRAZ about electricity costs at the steel mill.

If EVRAZ is satisfied that Xcel can guarantee sufficiently low rates, the mill may move forward with a major expansion that could add 200 jobs on top of the 1,000 that are already there. However, if the talks between Xcel and EVRAZ aren’t successful, then EVRAZ could do the expansion work at a mill in another state. And that could be the beginning of a phase-out of the Pueblo location.

“Evraz has been considering its future in Pueblo for some time with potential outcomes ranging from making substantial new capital investments to relocating (the) Pueblo operation to another location outside of Colorado,” David Eves, Colorado president of Xcel, wrote in testimony to the Public Utilities Commission.

Read more at The Pueblo Chieftain.