The Ray D. Nixon and Martin Drake Power plants make the bulk of Colorado Springs' electricity from coal. Although coal-fired power plants once adversely affected the environment, today's technology removes the once environmentally unacceptable byproducts of coal. Our coal-burning plants reduce the amount of these pollutants by burning low-sulfur coal and using low-nitrogen oxide burners. Particulate matter is controlled by the use of high-efficiency baghouses that filter the particulate from the plant exhaust. Baghouse Technology
Baghouses at each of the coal burning power plants act like giant vacuums. These vacuums remove soot and ash from the boiler's exhaust gases before it goes up the stack. Baghouses remove more than 99 percent of the particulate. Some of the ash that is collected by the baghouses is sold to concrete companies for use as an additive that strengthens cement. The remainder is disposed of at a Colorado Springs Utilities-owned landfill. Low Sulfur Coal
Colorado Springs Utilities purchases low sulfur coal, which burns cleaner than other types of coal, from northern Colorado and Wyoming mines. We transport the coal to our electric generation facilities by our rail cars, which minimizes the cost to customers. Low NOx Burner Technology
A natural result of burning coal is the formation of nitrogen oxide (Nox) gas, which can pollute the air. By using low NOx burners, Colorado Springs Utilities greatly reduces the amount of NOx formed. | 
