Dear RNO Leaders,

Every 20 years, the City and County of Denver renews its public franchise agreement with Xcel Energy. This agreement gives Xcel the right to use public rights‑of‑way, such as streets and alleys, to install and maintain the infrastructure needed to deliver electricity to homes and businesses. After 18 months of negotiation, legal review, and input,  City Council is preparing to refer a new agreement to the November 2025 ballot, as required by the City Charter.

The proposed agreement delivers tangible benefits to our community. It requires Xcel to underground power lines across Denver, reducing outages, improving storm resilience, and enhancing public safety. It also preserves a longstanding cost‑saving policy: Xcel—not taxpayers—pays to relocate utility lines during public construction. That approach has already saved Denver an estimated $3 billion.

I’ve attached a summary letter with additional details. For more information, visit [denvergov.org/Xcel](https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://denvergov.org/Xcel__;!!NkAB54OY!_g686XqJZB1KOkZr46wrY1NrqfR9VMxBt6q86XkPSvt0rK4AE_uMb2suY2jHguUDg06lthdRLreYmAOBt2OyjaiWYFs$).

We hope you’ll join us in supporting this important step forward for Denver.Thank you, 

Grace Lopez Ramirez 

Pronouns: She/her/ella**Xcel Energy**   
**Senior Area Manager, Local Government & Community Affairs**  
3500 Blake Street, 4th floor, Denver, CO 80205  
**C:** 303.877.8173  
**E:** [**grace.l.ramirez@xcelenergy.com**](mailto:grace.l.ramirez@xcelenergy.com)



Public Franchise Agreement with Xcel Energy: Safe, Reliable Power for Denver

Public Franchise Agreement with Xcel Energy: Safe, Reliable Power for Denver