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Tag: Utility Regulation

Colorado Consumers Push Back Against Xcel Rate Hike Proposal
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CPR News, Approved, State

Colorado Consumers Push Back Against Xcel Rate Hike Proposal

By: Ishan Thakore | CPR News Xcel Energy’s proposed deal to raise average residential energy bills by nearly 6% is running into a wall of opposition from Colorado consumer and environmental groups.  The proposed residential rate increase would be among the largest ever in the state, according to the Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate (UCA), which advocates for customers and is opposed to the deal. In November, the state’s largest utility petitioned state regulators at the Public Utilities Commission to let it increase how much it charges for electricity. Xcel hadn’t requested a major price hike to its customer base rates since 2022. Last year, the company said it needed to recoup around $356 million it spent to build new renewab...
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GriftoPolis’s Green Mandate Mirage: Sacrificing Jobs and Reliability for a Fraction of a Degree
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

GriftoPolis’s Green Mandate Mirage: Sacrificing Jobs and Reliability for a Fraction of a Degree

By Rep. Ken DeGraaf | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Coloradans, let's cut through the fog of feel-good policies and face the harsh reality of our state's energy "transition." We're being sold a bill of goods on decarbonization, where the costs pile up on families and communities while the benefits are so minuscule they're practically imaginary.  Take HB26-1081, the so-called "Colorado Grid Optimization Act." It sounds innocuous—optimizing transmission with fancy tech to squeeze more out of our existing lines. But dig deeper, and it's just another layer of mandates that funnels your hard-earned money into utility coffers and Wall Street pockets, all under the guise of climate heroism. Xcel Energy, our investor-owned behemoth, loves this stuff. Why? Because...
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All Electric Mandate Or ‘All of The Above’ Energy Policy? You Decide
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

All Electric Mandate Or ‘All of The Above’ Energy Policy? You Decide

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “The problem with Democrats is not that they are ungenerous. The problem is that they are so generous with other people’s money.”  (Jeff Childers)  In December, Excel Energy shut down electricity along the CO Front Range due to “high winds.”  It’s difficult to estimate the costs and impacts for individuals, businesses, homeowners, hospitals and grocery stores. Those who had propane, natural gas or diesel-powered generators were able to weather the storm. Everyone else was out of luck. High winds along the Front Range are normal according to the experts and scientists at NOAA, which is based in Boulder, CO. I lived in Boulder County for 39 years (1976-2015) and do not recall a single planned power sh...
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Colorado Blackouts Offer a Stark Warning About the State’s Energy Future
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Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado Blackouts Offer a Stark Warning About the State’s Energy Future

By: Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado For those of you who shared this magical experience, congratulations — you’ve now had a sneak preview of Colorado’s 100% renewable energy lifestyle. No waiting. No reservation required. For us fortunate 110,000, the reality of “unreliable energy” arrived quickly: The house goes dark; people get cold; refrigerated food and medicines quietly die; folks on home oxygen machines fumble around in the dark for backup tanks; no cooked meals; garage doors refuse to open; Teslas sit silently, judging their owners, and worst of all — no electronic entertainment. Nirvana. Absolute green, renewable Nirvana. There’s a certain poetry in chasing a wind-powered energy future only to be plunged into darkness by a little wind. It’s l...
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Colorado Law Shields Xcel From Most Legal Claims Over Power Outages
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Colorado Law Shields Xcel From Most Legal Claims Over Power Outages

By Scott Weiser | The Denver Gazette Xcel Energy customers who lost refrigerated or frozen goods during the utility’s public safety power shutoffs face steep hurdles in recovering damages through lawsuits, given the limits on liabilities approved by state regulators. Colorado law and utility rate rules issued by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which regulates commercial energy companies, limit liability for service interruptions, even when outages result from proactive de-energization to prevent wildfires. Xcel Energy’s rate rules, issued by the PUC and largely upheld by Colorado courts, contain clauses that shield the utility from claims for power interruptions. Jack Luellen, senior counsel at Buchalter, said these rules mean the company is not liable...
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State Regulators Move Colorado Toward All-Electric Heating by 2050 at Any Cost
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

State Regulators Move Colorado Toward All-Electric Heating by 2050 at Any Cost

By Michael Booth | The Colorado Sun Xcel and other utilities must make 41% cuts to natural gas heating emissions in 10 years, transition fully by 2050. Colorado officials are making another major push toward electrification of home heating and deep cuts to carbon from natural gas, despite consumer cost concerns and the Trump administration’s attempt to revive the use of fossil fuels.The Public Utilities Commission on Monday finalized a state Clean Heat framework requiring Xcel and other utilities supplying natural gas for home and building heating to cut the carbon emissions from their systems by 41% in 10 years. The utilities are expected to reach 100% decarbonization of building heating by 2050, an ambitious goal celebrated by the environmental and clean energy groups who had...
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