Colorado Springs Utilities To Operate, Maintain Fort Carson’s Electric And Gas Infrastructure

March 28, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 28, 2022

Colorado Springs Utilities will begin operating and maintaining Fort Carson’s electric and natural gas infrastructure outside of buildings in early 2023 under an agreement announced March 16.

Col. Nate Springer, commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson, and Aram Benyamin, CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities, signed the pact, known as an Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA), during a utilities board meeting at Colorado Springs Utilities.

“Because Colorado Springs Utilities is so much larger than our base operations contractor, it immediately makes us more resilient,” Springer said.

Army leaders and utilities board members indicated that the agreement for Colorado Springs Utilities crews to operate and maintain outdoor infrastructure has been in the works for close to three years and that it will allow the Mountain Post to harness the local utility’s means, methods, supply chain and network.

The partners said it will not impact other utility customers and that it should be a seamless process for Fort Carson.

“We have staff, a warehouse system and bigger buying power that we can leverage to support (Fort Carson), which will help keep costs minimal as well as lower costs in some areas,” said Travas Deal, chief operations officer, Colorado Springs Utilities.

This IGSA is slated to begin in January 2023 and last for 10 years, with one-year renewal options.

Springer explained that it’s just one of many energy projects and efforts that the post has planned for the near future.