Electric Rate Cases

The Public Utilities Commission is an administrative agency of the legislature charged with the authority and duty to regulate the rates of public utilities operating within Colorado. State statute gives the Commission the power to regulate all the rates, charges, and tariffs of every public utility in Colorado.  As codified in state law, the rates and charges assessed for public utility service must be “just and reasonable.”

The PUC regulates electric rates for two investor-owned utilities in Colorado, Xcel Energy and Black Hills Electric. Each of these utilities must seek the PUC’s approval for the rates charged to their customers. Known informally as an “electric rate case”, these proceedings are initiated by the utility in order to recover the costs of recent investments (e.g. safety, reliability, and integrity of the electric system) over a certain time period. These rate cases can include multiple phases.