City and County of Denver Referred Question 2K — Xcel Energy (Public Service Company of Colorado) 20-year franchise (Denver County)

What it does

Shall the City and County of Denver approve the terms of a twenty-year franchise contract, starting January 1, 2027, with Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy) to continue its program for undergrounding overhead electrical lines, maintaining infrastructure safety, and partnering with the City for emergency management coordination, and to require that Xcel Energy continue to pay the City for reasonable use of public rights-of-way and other City property necessary to provide safe and reliable utility services for the benefit of the City, its residents, and its businesses?

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

Official text: source

Background

According to the city's ordinance request, Denver and Xcel Energy renew their franchise agreement every 20 years; the current agreement expires at the end of 2026, and the franchise grants Xcel non-exclusive use of city rights-of-way but does not set utility rates.

The ballot information booklet says the agreement continues the existing 3% franchise fee ($32.3 million in 2025; about $34.3 million projected for 2027), about $10 million a year in undergrounding benefits held by Xcel, and a one-time $2.5 million payment in 2027 for utility assistance; without a franchise, the city would have to pay Xcel to relocate lines for city projects.

City Council passed the bill 10–2 on July 27, 2026 after a public hearing (Councilmembers Lewis and Parady voting no; Councilmember Gilmore absent), and the Mayor signed it July 29, 2026.

Put on the ballot by Denver City Council, 10–2 (1 absent), July 27, 2026 (Council Bill 26-0970).

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3, official source 4.

Next elections here

• Denver election 2027 · April 6, 2027: Mayor, Auditor, Clerk and Recorder, and all 13 City Council seats
• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Denver County ballots

• City and County of Denver Referred Question 2H — Charter amendment: Auditor enforcement of wage and worker-protection laws
• City and County of Denver Referred Question 2I — Charter amendment: budget and appropriation process (two-year budget option)
• City and County of Denver Referred Question 2J — Charter amendment: Civil Service Commission and Department of Safety
• City and County of Denver Initiated Ordinance 311 — Ban on force-feeding birds and sale of force-fed products (foie gras)

All Denver County races and measures →

Quick answers

How many votes does City and County of Denver Referred Question 2K need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City and County of Denver Referred Question 2K?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.