Denver voters in November will be tasked with deciding on a franchise agreement allowing the Xcel Utility to maintain streetlights, coordinate the relocation of utility lines, and support the delivery of public infrastructure projects.
In return, Denver will permit the company to use its right-of-way properties to build and maintain utility infrastructure.
Members of the Denver City Council on Tuesday voted to send to the voters what will be a 20-year franchise agreement between the city and the utility company, which is based in Minneapolis.
If approved, the utility would give back to the city upwards of $180 million in franchise fees, among other commitments.
In comments published in the Denver Gazette, Jonathan Rogers, the City of Denver’s Climate Office deputy director, said the franchise agreement will require Xcel to “move their own infrastructure when the city has public works projects.”
Continued Rogers: Excel “covers the entire cost of that relocation through the city when it is necessary as part of a city project; it allows us to have additional utility investments and pilot project opportunities.”
Founded in 1909, Xcel provides service in Colorado and its home state of Minnesota, as well as Michigan, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. The company has franchise agreements with the cities of Boulder and Minneapolis.
The current franchise agreement between Denver and Excel has been in place for the last 20 years and is scheduled to expire on December 31.
According to a report issued last year by the Denver’s Budget & Policy Committee, up to $3 billion in construction costs have been saved by the city in the last two decades due to its arrangement with Xcel.
The November proposal has prompted the opposition of the nonpartisan Denver-based group Together Colorado, which has maintained that the franchise agreement between the city and Xcel will not reduce energy costs.
The last time a franchise agreement with Xcel appeared on the Denver ballot was in August of 2006 when it was approved by a 75% to 25% margin.
July 30, 2026
By Garry Boulard
