A bill progressing through the Colorado legislature could nearly double the remaining years that Colorado Springs Utilities can receive coal-fired power from the Ray Nixon Power Plant. Since 1980, the plant generated up to 260 megawatts of power from its massive coal-fire generators for Colorado Springs residents. The plant is scheduled to come offline at the end of 2029 to meet the state’s timeline for all utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Senate Bill 182, introduced in late April by a bipartisan group including Sen. Marc Snyder and Rep. Amy Paschal, both El Paso County Democrats, would allow municipal-owned utilities to adjust their clean energy plan if they can show evidence they cannot meet the state’s emission reduction goals for 2030. If the bill passes, utilities can submit a plan that moves the deadline to stop burning coal back to Dec. 31, 2032. Colorado Springs Utilities is the largest and potentially only utility to qualify for this exception.…