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The cost of Super Bowl party staples in Denver has been steadily rising for years, per the latest Consumer Price Index data, Axios' Kavya Beheraj and Alex Fitzpatrick report.

Why it matters: As Denverites gear up for Sunday's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs (who we're all rooting against, right?) and the Philadelphia Eagles, their bank accounts are about to get sacked.

Details: We zoomed in on a handful of food categories commonly found at Super Bowl parties.

By the numbers: Items falling under "meat, fish and eggs" rose 6%, while "fruits and veggies" categories jumped 11% year-over-year as of December 2022.

Alcoholic drinks were up 7%, and non-alcoholic drinks spiked by double that, at 14%.

Zoom out: Nationally, products classified as "meat, fish and eggs" and "fruits and veggies" were both up 8%. 

The big picture: This is another, more focused way to look at the broader grocery price inflation crisis — which, as Axios has previously reported, has left some families struggling to put enough food on the table.

The good news: Wingheads across the country can breathe a sigh of relief.

The price of whole chicken wings was $2.65 per pound nationally as of early January, down from $3.38 during last year's Super Bowl, per U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Super Bowl parties in Denver are getting pricier

As Denverites gear up for Sunday's matchup, their bank accounts are about to get sacked.

The cost of Super Bowl party staples in Denver has been steadily rising for years, per the latest Consumer Price Index data, Axios&#x27; Kavya Beheraj and Alex Fitzpatrick <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/09/super-bowl-parties-inflation-cost" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/09/super-bowl-parties-inflation-cost" target="_self">report</a>.Why it matters: As Denverites gear up for Sunday&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="matchup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/07/arizona-super-bowl-phoenix-glendale-1996-2008-2015" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/07/arizona-super-bowl-phoenix-glendale-1996-2008-2015" target="_self">matchup</a> between the Kansas City Chiefs (who we&#x27;re all rooting against, right?) and the Philadelphia Eagles, their bank accounts are about to get sacked.

News

Business

Axios Denver, anchored by John Frank and Alayna Alvarez, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.

Data: Bureau of Reclamation; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

California was the lone holdout on a proposed water-use plan that the other six Colorado River basin states — including Colorado— sent to federal officials this week, Axios Phoenix's Jeremy Duda reports.

Why it matters: As the headwaters state, Colorado relies upon the Colorado River as a key water source.

Water levels in the river's main reservoirs, including Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at historic lows due to drought.

Driving the news: Tuesday was the deadline for the seven Colorado River basin states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — to agree on how to divide the river's dwindling water supply.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced last year that it wants to conserve an additional 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water due to the ongoing drought gripping the West.

If the affected states can't agree on cuts, the feds are expected to impose their own solution.

Yes, but: The six-state plan may still be influential even without California's involvement.

"In the end it will be too difficult for the states to get to agreement and the federal government will act," Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University's Morrison Institute for Public policy, tells Axios. 

"But those actions may very well be informed by the recommendations here in this letter."

"There probably aren't that many different choices on how to address keeping Lake Mead and Lake Powell from crashing," she adds. "But it all boils down to leaving water in the system that otherwise would come out."

What we're watching: Whether California comes back to the table.

Of note: Recent precipitation may provide short-term drought relief, Axios Denver's Alayna Alvarez reports, but won't reverse the broader trends absent continued rain and snow.

Colorado part of six-state deal, but Colorado River questions remain

California was the lone holdout on a proposed water-use plan that the other six Colorado River basin states — including Colorado— sent to federal officials this week, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios Phoenix&#x27;s Jeremy Duda reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/02/01/states-proposal-us-colorado-river-water-cutbacks" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/02/01/states-proposal-us-colorado-river-water-cutbacks" target="_self">Axios Phoenix&#x27;s Jeremy Duda reports</a>.Why it matters: As the headwaters state, Colorado relies upon the Colorado River as a key water source.

Politics

The Denver metro area had one of the country's highest spikes in grocery prices last month, with costs rising 2% compared with the national rate of 0.7%.

Why it matters: For many of the approximately 63% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, rising food prices can be an especially difficult financial challenge.

Grocery prices are particularly vulnerable to outside and difficult-to-control forces, such as climate change and geopolitical happenings.

Zoom in: Among the metro areas with newly published inflation data, other large increases included Washington with a 1.6% increase.

Chicago had among the lowest increases, at 0.8% between November and January.

The big picture: Mark Schneider, CEO of global food giant Nestlé, recently predicted that the price of staple foods will keep rising this year.

"We are still in a situation where we're repairing our gross margin and, like all the consumers around the world, we've been hit by inflation and now we're trying to repair the damage that has been done," Schneider told reporters, per CNN.

Yes, but: The retail price of one key foodstuff — eggs — is expected to drop after a collapse in once-elevated wholesale prices.

The bottom line: While inflation had appeared to be cooling off broadly speaking, experts are warning that price increases are still possible, even likely — like aftershocks following an earthquake.

"No one said disinflation would be a smooth ride," Robert Frick, an economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote in a recent note, as Axios' Neil Irwin and Courtenay Brown reported.

Editor's note: This article was corrected to reflect that the quote from Mark Schneider of Nestlé came from a call with reporters, per CNN.

Denver's grocery prices spiked higher than national average

While inflation appeared to be cool, experts warn that price increases are still possible.

Colorado

The Denver metro area had one of the country&#x27;s highest spikes in grocery prices last month, with costs rising 2% compared with the national rate of 0.7%.Why it matters: For many of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="approximately" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/24/more-americans-live-paycheck-to-paycheck-as-inflation-outpaces-income.html" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/24/more-americans-live-paycheck-to-paycheck-as-inflation-outpaces-income.html" target="_blank">approximately</a> 63% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, rising food prices can be an especially difficult financial challenge.

Farmers and researchers are experimenting with installing solar panels over active agricultural land in an emerging industry called agrivoltaics.

Why it matters: As the world seeks to wean itself off fossil fuels, solar power will indisputably be part of the post-carbon energy mix.

State of play: U.S. agrivoltaic pilot programs are afoot in Longmont, home to Jack's Solar Garden, which considers itself the country's largest commercially active site for agrivoltaics research.

How it works: Solar panels installed over farmers' crops generate electricity that can be sold to an energy supplier and fed into the power grid for community use.

Crops that thrive in the shade — think leafy greens like kale and lettuce, or root vegetables such as radish and beets — are protected from harsh direct sunlight.

Plants, meanwhile, naturally give off water vapor that can help cool solar panels from below, improving their efficiency.

Longmont company is part of emerging agrivoltaic industry

A worker at an agrivoltaic farm in Chiba, Japan. Photo: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Farmers and researchers are experimenting with installing solar panels over active agricultural land in an emerging industry called agrivoltaics.Why it matters: As the world seeks to wean itself off fossil fuels, solar power will indisputably be part of the post-carbon energy mix.

Alex Fitzpatrick

Featured stories

Denver's grocery prices spiked higher than national average

Super Bowl parties in Denver are getting pricier

Colorado part of six-state deal, but Colorado River questions remain

Longmont company is part of emerging agrivoltaic industry