Colorado Energy Plan Looms as Issue for Obama FERC Nominee

Binz’s detractors include the Denver-based Independence Institute and the Washington-based Competitive Enterprise Institute, both describe themselves as advocates for limited government. They say he guaranteed Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL:US), Colorado’s biggest utility, a 10.5 percent return while charging its customers for the coal-to-gas conversion project. The deal was intended as an incentive for converting plants to natural gas, which when burned to produce electricity emits a fraction of the greenhouse gases tied to coal.