About the PUC

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) serves the public interest by effectively regulating utilities and facilities so that the people of Colorado receive safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced services consistent with the economic, environmental and social values of our state. Learn more about what the PUC does by watching this short video. 

The PUC is authorized to have 122 full time employees who have specialized knowledge in engineering, economics, law, finance, support and management. 

The PUC has three Commissioners, appointed by the Governor for 4-year terms. Our Commissioners provide neutral, third-party oversight of the regulatory issues brought before the PUC. Read more about the PUC Commissioners.

The types of services referred to as public utilities have existed in Colorado since the late 1800s, beginning with the railroad boom of the 1870s. In 1885, there were electric street lights in central Denver, and a telephone line from Denver to Pueblo. The Colorado Legislature did not officially define such services as public utilities and bring them under state regulation until 1913, when it established the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to replace its predecessor agency, the Railroad Commission. Learn more about the history of the PUC.

The actions of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) affect the lives of nearly every Colorado citizen in one way or another. Each year the PUC oversees utilities generating billions of dollars in annual jurisdictional utility revenues in Colorado. Learn more about PUC's oversight & statutory authority.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) organization is structured into four Units under the Director: Public Safety; Policy; Fixed Utilities; and Administrative Law Justices. Three Commissioners provide oversight to the PUC. Rebecca E. White has been the Director of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission since May 2023. Read more about Director Rebecca White.