Colorado Regulators Review Utility Rate Hikes and Infrastructure Upgrades

By: Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is reviewing proposals to strengthen the state’s 911 emergency communications system while advancing several major utility rate cases that could raise monthly bills for electric and natural gas customers later this year.

Lumen Technologies filed its 2026 Basic Emergency Service Improvement Plan on April 3 in Proceeding No. 26A-0140T. The application proposes infrastructure modernizations and adds network redundancy to ensure emergency calls reach dispatchers during outages or natural disasters. The company is seeking commission approval for cost-recovery mechanisms tied to the upgrades.

The PUC is conducting a formal review of the plan and associated costs, with 911 system reliability remaining a priority.

Xcel rate cases advance

Xcel Energy’s electric rate case, Proceeding No. 25AL-0494E, seeks a $356 million annual revenue increase. If approved as filed, the request would raise average residential bills by about 9.9%, or roughly $9.94 per month, starting in August 2026. Small business bills would increase 9.48%. Parties have until May 28 to submit proposed settlements. A final decision is expected in the third quarter of 2026.

A second remote public comment hearing is scheduled for June 16.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE DENVER GAZETTE