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The Colorado Public Utilities Commission will soon consider a $15 billion plan by the state’s largest electric utility that could have long-lasting impacts on efforts to cut the state’s greenhouse-gas emissions, increase the amount of renewable energy on the grid and keep electricity affordable. The commission is expected to make a decision by year’s end on the second phase of Xcel Energy-Colorado’s clean energy plan, which maps out the utility’s strategies for meeting a state mandate of reducing its emissions by at least…

Colorado’s population is growing at its slowest pace on record, with domestic net migration turning negative last year and the population declines long seen on the Eastern Plains taking hold in one large Front Range county. Time will tell if the slowdown is temporary, as state demographers predict, or the start of a new trend. But Colorado’s ability to attract newcomers carries huge implications for its economic future, from filling open jobs to providing care for the surging number of older residents. “If we don’t see…

Many electric utilities are putting up lots of new power lines as they rely more on renewable energy and try to make grids more resilient in bad weather. But a Vermont utility is proposing a different approach: It wants to install batteries at most homes to make sure its customers never go without electricity. The company, Green Mountain Power, proposed buying batteries, burying power lines and strengthening overhead cables in a filing with state regulators on Monday. It said its plan would be cheaper than building a lot…

A Colorado startup is playing a part in providing a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to fueling economic sectors that are hard to “decarbonize,” such as shipping, steel-making and other heavy industrial uses. NovoHydrogen in Golden has secured a $20 million equity commitment from Modern Energy, which invests in and partners with businesses working to transition from fossil fuels. The U.S. Department of Energy also selected the company to participate in one of seven regional hubs for the development of hydrogen as an…

SAN FRANCISCO — When San Francisco startup OpenAI unveiled its ChatGPT online chatbot late last year, millions were wowed by the humanlike way it answered questions, wrote poetry and discussed almost any topic. But most people were slow to realize that this new kind of chatbot often makes things up. When Google introduced a similar chatbot several weeks later, it spewed nonsense about the James Webb telescope. The next day, Microsoft’s new Bing chatbot offered up all sorts of bogus information about the Gap, Mexican…

SAN FRANCISCO — Two months ago, Kyle Vogt, the CEO of Cruise, choked up as he recounted how a driver killed a 4-year-old girl in a stroller at a San Francisco intersection. “It barely made the news,” he said, pausing to collect himself. “Sorry. I get emotional.” To make streets safer, he said in an interview, cities should embrace self-driving cars like those designed by Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors. They do not get distracted, drowsy or drunk, he said, and being programmed to put safety first meant they could…

After Richard and Pamela Bard married in 1990, they wanted to purchase a home together. Bard, who previously owned an Evergreen ranch, knew what he wanted: a castle in the woods. The realtor he worked with told him he would love Greystone Estate, but it just sold. A few days later, Bard got a call saying the property was returning to the market. “We agreed to look at it, and as we drove up the driveway, I thought, ‘We’re going to buy this.’” The Bards purchased Greystone Estate, a former dude ranch, for $1.4 million in…

Holiday celebrations are fast approaching, which means you might be on a time crunch to purchase gifts for everyone on your list. Don’t fret: The Denver region is home to many holiday markets that include festive fun so shoppers can simultaneously knock out their to-do lists, get in the giving spirit and sip some spirits. Here are six seasonal shopping opportunities not to miss. Mile High Holiday Mart Dates: Nov. 10-12Location: Gates Field House at the University of Denver, 2201 E. Asbury Ave., Denver The Junior League of…

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS (AP Business Writer) NEW YORK (AP) — WeWork has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, marking a stunning fall for the office sharing company once seen as a Wall Street darling that promised to upend the way people went to work around the world. In a late Monday announcement, WeWork said it entered into a restructuring support agreement with the majority of its stakeholders to “drastically reduce” the company’s debt while further evaluating WeWork’s commercial office lease portfolio. WeWork…

Shares of DISH Network plunged to a 25-year low on Monday after the company announced an unanticipated loss in the third quarter and the resignation of CEO Erik Carlson effective Nov. 12. Littleton-based DISH shares fell from $5.49 at the close of trading on Friday to $3.44 at the end of the day on Monday, a decline of 37%. Shares climbed 2.3% on Tuesday to close at $3.51. Over the past year, DISH shares have lost three-quarters of their value. Analysts had expected the company to report positive results in the third…