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PUC Rulemaking

The Colorado PUC is required by law to make rules in order to establish the Commission's procedures and to accord interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking process.

The Commission initiates rulemaking by issuing a decision which gives notice of the proposed rulemaking (NOPR). Proposed rules are attached to the NOPR decision, and may show proposed changes from current rules with redline and strikeout. The decision is provided to registered interested parties by mail and e-filings and is published in the Colorado Register. (The Colorado Register is available at your local public library as well as online.) Notice is also given by the Office of Policy, Research and Regulatory Reform (OPR) on their website. The OPR also provides subscription for receiving email notice of rulemaking.

If you'd like to receive notices of PUC rulemaking proceedings you may register in our E-Filings system. You may subscribe to rulemaking notices by industry.

Initial hearing on proposed rules or rule amendments is scheduled at least 20 days after the NOPR is published in the Colorado Register. The initial hearing date, time, and place, and comment due date are included in the notice of proposed rulemaking. Subsequent hearings are announced at the initial hearing, noticed by decision, or appear on a Commissioners' Meeting Agenda. (Hearings on rules include Commissioners' deliberations in Weekly Meetings or Deliberations Meetings on written comments, exceptions, applications for rehearing, reargument, or reconsideration submitted by interested parties.)

The Commission has 180 days from the date of last hearing to adopt rules but may extend that period by 90 days, if necessary. When rules are adopted, they are filed with the Secretary of State, who publishes rules in the Colorado Register on the tenth (10th) or twenty-fifth (25th) of each month. Adopted rules are not effective until at least twenty (20) days after their publication in the Colorado Register.

If the Commission determines an emergency exists, it may adopt short term emergency rules that are effective immediately or other appropriate time and may be effective for a maximum of 210 days.