Xcel Energy’s Clean Heat Plan is driving demand for more qualified contractors. It directs more than $400 million towards electrification and energy efficiency measures to Colorado between 2024-2028. As an example of how this translates to new jobs, based on our 2023 Ecosystem Report, 3,500 additional heat pump workers are needed along the Front Range alone by 2035 to reach local climate goals.

Launched in the Spring of 2025, Clean Energy Careers (CEC), delivered under the Partners in Energy program, is designed to cultivate a diverse, skilled clean energy workforce. It focuses on growing career paths for home energy auditors, insulation and air sealing contractors and heat pump technicians and is prioritizing rural regions in Xcel Energy’s territories including the High Country, Western Slope, and Southern Colorado.

CEC provides competitive grants for workforce development organizations, nonprofits, and community groups engaged in growing and upskilling the clean energy workforce as well as training and incentives for Xcel Energy Trade Partners. CEC awarded $403,000 in grants in 2025 to programs that are dedicated to growing clean energy trades.

Inspiring the next generation of workers is critical to help fill the workforce gap. As an example of CEC’s Trade Partner activities, CEC engaged eight Xcel Energy Trade Partners along the Front Range and mountain areas in the fall of 2025 to conduct classroom activities, represent clean energy trades at career fairs, and educate students with a mobile electric home.

Clean Energy Careers will continue for a 2026-2027 cycle with additional grants focused on growing the workforce through education and training and removing barriers through wrap-around services. To learn more about the Clean Energy Careers program, visit xcelenergycommunities.com/cec.