Governor Polis Statement on DOE’s Announcement to Cancel Critical Grid Connector Corridor

DENVER - Today, Governor Jared Polis released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) canceled the proposed Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor, which included parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. The Department previously found that the corridor could improve reliability, reduce congestion, meet growing electricity demand, and support lower energy costs.

"Just five days after the Department of Energy found that stronger connections between regions and power grids would reduce congestion and improve reliability, the Trump Administration canceled a power corridor that could help do exactly that. This effort would have increased reliability and affordability, and it's disappointing to see the President cancel commonsense energy efforts in states across the country. The federal government should follow our lead and focus on saving people money - it's what Coloradans and Americans deserve," said Governor Polis.

"Transmission connecting Colorado to other states in the region is essential to making the grid more reliable, and allowing Colorado residents and businesses access to the lowest cost electrical generation. This cancellation is one more of a long line of actions by the Trump administration to drive up the cost of power for Americans - from tariffs driving up costs on everything from transformers to solar panels, an illegal blockade of permits for low cost wind energy, to ordering ratepayers to pay to keep unneeded expensive coal plants open, to the One Big Beautiful Bill which will add billions of dollars to consumer electricity costs. At a time when cost of living is a defining issue, Coloradans, and all Americans, deserve better from our national government," said Will Toor, Executive Director of the Colorado Energy Office.

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