The Pueblo County Detention Center and three new fire stations in the City of Pueblo have received more than $209,000 in combined energy efficiency rebates from Black Hills Energy.
The rebate is part of the Black Hills Commercial New Construction Program and is used to fund the purchase of energy efficiency measures for the Detention Center, Pueblo Fire Department Station 6, Pueblo Fire Department Station 8 and Pueblo Fire Department Station 11.
“It’s just more efficient equipment,” Black Hills Energy Efficiency Project Coordinator Derek Brown told reporters leader. “The simplest explanation is to install LED bulbs over regular incandescent bulbs and you’ll get immediate cost savings.”
Pueblo Fire Station 6, 111 Victory Lane, officially opens on Friday, December 12, 2025.
In addition to efficient lighting, the project includes energy improvements such as high-quality roof insulation, wall insulation, lighting controls and sensors, high-efficiency HVAC systems and high-efficiency kitchen equipment. Brown said the improvements will not only save energy but also save taxpayers money through annual energy savings.
The detention center received a one-time settlement of $125,013 from Black Hills Energy. Energy efficiency improvements are expected to save the project approximately $91,000 per year and save more than 880,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, according to Black Hills.
“This center has been targeted from the beginning with a net-zero energy goal to reduce long-term operating costs and save Pueblo County taxpayers money over time,” Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said in a news release. “We are grateful to Black Hills Energy for helping us achieve this goal.”
Stations 6, 8 and 11 received rebates of US$27,905, US$28,105 and US$28,364 respectively. The improvements are expected to save approximately $20,000 and more than 148,000 kilowatt hours per plant per year.
“Our goals with this project are to create a safer space for firefighters, improve response times for the community and provide a modern facility,” Pueblo Fire Chief Barb Huber said in a release. “We are pleased to partner with Black Hills Energy to make these power stations more energy efficient.”
The Pueblo County Detention Center is expected to open this spring west of Pueblo Avenue. It will add 150 beds to reduce overcrowding and provide improved staff facilities. Fire Station 11 opens on the west side of the Pueblo in August 2025, Fire Station 8 opens on the north side in September 2025, and Fire Station 6 opens on the east side in December 2025.
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Pueblo Chiefs reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local journalism; subscribe to Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.
This article originally appeared in Pueblo Chiefs: Information on 2026 Pueblo Project Black Hills Rebates
