One of the units at the Comanche coal-fired plant operated by Xcel Energy near Pueblo can stay open a year longer than planned to fill the gap while the site’s largest facility, the chronically troubled Comanche 3, remains out of commission.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission agreed Wednesday to extend the life of Comanche 2, which was scheduled to close at the end of this year. Xcel Energy sought to keep the unit running after coal unit Comanche 3, the utility’s largest power generating source, malfunctioned in August.

Xcel has said Comanche 3 could be out of service until June.

While the PUC approved keeping the smaller unit running, members voted to require more frequent reporting by Xcel on the status of the plant and costs. The regulators warned that the company runs the r

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