Upcoming PUC Public Comment Hearings | Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate

Written comments for PUC proceedings can be filed at http://www.dora.state.co.us/pacific/PUC/puccomments.html

*Additional information on PUC proceedings participation can be found in the following:

PUC Website Calendar

A Guide to Public Participation in PUC Proceedings

Please note that most PUC public comment hearings are currently held virtually via Zoom Meeting.

Monday June 24, 2024 - Virtual

11:30AM

24R-0078GPS: Amend Rules Regulating Pipeline Operators and Gas Pipeline Safety

Administrative Law Judge: Conor Farley

By video conference: using the Zoom web conferencing platform at a link in the calendar of events on the Commission's website, available at

https://puc.colorado.gov/.

At the time set for the continued remote hearing, interested persons may submit written comments and may present these orally unless the Administrative Law Judge deems oral comments unnecessary.

Interested persons may also submit written comments in this matter by filing them directly in this proceeding using the Commission’s e-filing system, including them in an email sent to the Commission, or by entering them through the Commission’s website by clicking on the “FILE A COMMENT OR COMPLAINT” link on the Commission’s home page and then following the prompts. The Commission’s e-filing system, email address, and “FILE A COMMENT OR COMPLAINT” link can be found at https://puc.colorado.gov/.

Interested persons may also submit oral comments in this matter, either in English or in Spanish, by calling (303) 869-3490 and leaving a voicemail containing the comments. Regardless of which of the above methods is used for submitting comments in this proceeding, the number of this proceeding (24R-0078GPS) should be identified in submitted Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado Decision No. R24-0351-I PROCEEDING NO. 24R-0078GPS comments to aid the Commission’s administrative staff in placing the comments in this proceeding. The Commission will equally consider all comments submitted, whether oral or written.

Tuesday July 9, 2024 - Virtual

11:30AM - 1:30PM and 4PM - 6PM

23A-0633G Black Hills Gas - Clean Heat Plan

Administrative Law Judge: Alenka Han

Consistent with Commission practice, the public comment hearing will be webcast on the Commission’s website. Persons wishing to observe but not provide comments in the hearing may do so by observing the webcast of the hearing and need not register through Zoom. To observe the hearing by webcast, enter this link in the web browser https://puc.colorado.gov/webcasts and select the audio or video option for the assigned hearing room.

The assigned hearing room will be identified on the Commission’s public calendar for the date and time of the hearing, at the following link: https://puc.colorado.gov/puccalendar. Those interested in providing public comment during the hearing must register in advance using a link posted on the calendar of events on the PUC’s website at https://puc.colorado.gov/puccalendar. Registrants will receive an email with a link to provide comment during the Zoom session. If an interested person cannot obtain the link and register, they can contact the PUC for assistance at 303-894-2000. Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado Decision No. R24-0326-I PROCEEDING NO. 23A-0633G.

Those registered to provide comment during the hearing are strongly encouraged to prepare in advance and familiarize themselves with how to use the Zoom meeting platform. Attachment C to this Decision provides step-by-step technical instructions and requirements to participate by video-conference using a computer. This is intended to ensure that the remote hearing proceeds efficiently. Hence, it is important that registered video-conference participants carefully review and follow all requirements in this Decision and Attachment For those who wish to provide oral comments during the hearing, video-conference participation is preferred and encouraged because it allows for the hearing to be held in a manner most similar to in-person hearings. Nevertheless, interested persons have the option to participate by telephone. The Commission strives to accommodate all members of the public at its hearings by providing services for foreign language users and persons with disabilities upon receipt of a reasonable accommodation request. Registrants requesting an interpreter during the public comment hearing should complete the Language Access Form at https://puc.colorado.gov/how-toparticipate at least one week prior to the event. Requests for accommodation can also be made directly by contacting Holly Bise at 303-894-2024 or holly.bise@state.co.us.

Other Methods to Submit Public Comment

Interested persons wishing to provide public comment need not participate in the public comment hearing to do so. In addition to accepting comments during the public comment hearing, the Commission makes available other means by which interested persons may provide written or oral comments. The Commission prefers written comments over oral comments but gives written and oral comments the same weight. Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado Decision No. R24-0326-I PROCEEDING NO. 23A-0633G. Interested persons are encouraged to submit written comments through either: (a) the Commission’s Electronic Filing System at https://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/efi/EFI.homepage in this Proceeding; or (b) the Commission’s website at https://puc.colorado.gov/ by clicking on the “FILE A COMMENT OR COMPLAINT” link. Anyone using the latter option should ensure that their comments include this Proceeding number (Proceeding No. 23A-0633G). Oral comments will be accepted from any interested person who leaves a voice mail message at (303) 869-3490 or from registered commenters offering public comment during the scheduled public comment hearing. Those leaving voice mail public comments must include their name, the spelling of their name, and this Proceeding number (Proceeding No. 23A-0633G) in their message. Voice mail messages will be transcribed and placed in the record of this Proceeding. The Commission will equally consider public comments, regardless of the format in which they are submitted (verbal or in writing).

Tuesday, July 9, 2024 - In-Person @ Craig, CO

3PM-6PM

23A-0585E Tri-State Generation and Transmission - ERP

Administrative Law Judge: Aviv Segev

Observing or Participating in the In-Person Public Comment Hearing

The in-person public comment hearing will be held in Craig, Colorado, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at a location to be determined. The hearing will take place from 3:00 p.m. until not later than 6:00 p.m. The hearing will conclude upon the completion of the public comments, but no earlier than 5:30 p.m. The venue and additional information about the hearing will be specified by a forthcoming decision. Members of the public who wish to observe but not provide comments will be able to view the public comment hearing live and recorded on the Commission’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@COPublicUtilitiesCommission/.

Interested persons may provide written or oral comments. Although the Commission prefers written comments over oral comments, they are given the same weight. Interested persons are encouraged to submit written comments through either: Using the Commission’s Electronic Filing System at https://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/efi/EFI.homepage ; Submitting a comment via online form on the Commission’s website at https://puc.colorado.gov/ by clicking on the “FILE A COMMENT OR COMPLAINT” link; Mailing comments to the Commission’s offices at: Colorado Public Utilities Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202; or Leaving a voicemail at (303) 869-3490 (English and Spanish options). Please reference this Proceeding (No. 23A-0585E) when submitting a comment.

Thursday July 11, 2024 - Virtual

4PM-6PM

23A-0585E Tri-State Generation and Transmission - ERP

Administrative Law Judge: Aviv Segev

The virtual public comment hearing will be hosted using Zoom videoconferencing services. The hearing will take place from 4:00 p.m. until no later than 6:00 p.m. The hearing will conclude upon the completion of the public comments, but no earlier than 5:30 p.m. Information about how to register to join the public comment hearing and to provide live comments will be specified by a forthcoming decision. Members of the public who wish to observe but not provide comments will be able to view the public comment hearing live and recorded on the Commission’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@COPublicUtilitiesCommission/.

Interested persons may provide written or oral comments. Although the Commission prefers written comments over oral comments, they are given the same weight. Interested persons are encouraged to submit written comments through either: a. Using the Commission’s Electronic Filing System at https://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/efi/EFI.homepage; b. Submitting a comment via online form on the Commission’s website at https://puc.colorado.gov/ by clicking on the “FILE A COMMENT OR COMPLAINT” link; c. Mailing comments to the Commission’s offices at: Colorado Public Utilities Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202; or d. Leaving a voicemail at (303) 869-3490 (English and Spanish options). Please reference this Proceeding (No. 23A-0585E) when submitting a comment.

Thursday July 25, 2024 - Virtual

4PM-6PM

24AL-0049G: PSCo Gas Rate Case

Xcel Energy, doing business as Public Service Company of Colorado, has requested an increase to its Gas Department’s base rate revenues of $171 million, through an adjustment to its General Rate Schedule Adjustment (GRSA). Although Xcel requests the increase be effective on November 1, 2024, it proposes to delay the increase on customer bills until February 15, 2025, when the current rate adjustment to recover costs from 2021’s Storm Uri expires; Xcel requests to recover the costs of the deferred increase between February 2025 and February 2026. Under this proposal, gas rates would increase starting on February 15, 2025, and then be adjusted down starting on February 15, 2026. For average residential and small commercial bills, the rate impact would be:

RESIDENTIAL RATES

Current Residential Average Gas Bill $62.43

Feb 2025 to Feb 2026 Residential Avg Bill $67.07

Starting Feb 2026 Avg Bill Residential $64.02

Increase Feb 25/26 over Current Rates Residential 7.44 %

Increase Feb 26 over Current Rates Residential 2.54 %

SMALL COMMERCIAL RATES

Current Small Commercial Average Gas Bill $268.94

Feb 2025 to Feb 2026 Small Commercial Avg Bill $281.69

Starting Feb 2026 Avg Bill Small Commercial $270.57

Increase Feb 25/26 over Current Rates Small Commercial 4.74%

Increase Feb 26 over Current Rates Small Commercial 0.61%

Xcel is also proposing a Rate Stability Mechanism that separates the Company’s revenue from the volume of gas it sells to support Colorado’s decarbonization goals.

Xcel states that its request for the rate increase is driven by investments to enhance the safety and integrity of its gas system, connect new customers, and relocate facilities as required by local governments. Xcel says it has also made investments in information technology and that inflation, new labor agreements, and market factors have led to an increase in operation and maintenance expenses.

The Zoom meeting will start 30 minutes before the start of the Public Comment Hearing, but the hearing will not start until 4 PM.

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEudOuprDkoHNQp5k9O9Qp-FtYN1TJs5v8v

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you would like to view the hearing and not participate, please watch the Youtube stream at

https://youtube.com/live/YfeBmDazOts?feature=share more details» copy to my calendar

Participating in the public comment hearing is not the only way to provide comments in this Proceeding. We encourage interested persons to provide written or oral public comments at any time this Proceeding is open. Please include “Proceeding No. 24AL-0049G” in public comments. Public comments can be provided by:

• Submitting written comments through the Commission’s Electronic Filing System (E-Filings) at: https://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/efi/EFI.homepage

• Submitting written comments using the Commission’s online form or through email at: dora_puc_website@state.co.us. These comments will be posted in E-Filings for this Proceeding.

• Mailing comments to the Commission’s offices at: Colorado Public Utilities Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202.

• Calling (303) 869-3490 to leave oral comments (English and Spanish options).

Finally, the Commission strives to accommodate all members of the public at its hearings and meetings by providing services for foreign language users and persons with disabilities upon receipt of a reasonable accommodation request. Requests for such accommodations should be made at least one week prior to the event by completing the Language Access Form available at the Commission’s webcast page.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024 - Virtual

24M-0062G: Black Hills Gas Colorado Gas Infrastructure Plan

Administrative Law Judge: Aviv Segev

Members of the public who wish to submit a live comment must pre-register by clicking on the registration link included in the scheduled hearing on the calendar of events page of the Public Utilities Commission’s website (https://puc.colorado.gov/puccalendar). Members of the public who do not pre-register will not be able to submit a live comment during the remote public hearing session.

To ensure a clear record and orderly hearing progression, interested persons are strongly encouraged to participate by videoconference. Nevertheless, interested persons have the option to participate by telephone. During the public comment hearing, the ALJ will take action as necessary to facilitate a clear and understandable record, and to ensure the orderly progress of the hearing. For the same reasons, all participants are required to: (a) mute their microphone during the hearing until called upon by the ALJ; (b) ensure they are participating from a location with minimal or Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado Decision No. R24-0374-I Proceeding No. 24M-0062G 3 no background noise; (c) not connect to the hearing using multiple devices located in the same room (which causes audio feedback); and (d) input their full name into Zoom when prompted to do so. Participants are encouraged to use a headset to listen to the hearing, as this may also help avoid background noise and feedback when they speak. Participants are encouraged to use a computer, smart phone, or tablet that is connected to the internet and has an operational microphone, speaker, and camera.

The Commission strives to accommodate all members of the public at its hearings by providing services for foreign language users and persons with disabilities upon receipt of a reasonable accommodation request. Interested persons requesting an accommodation for the public comment hearing should complete the Language Access Form under the “How to Make Comments” tab at https://puc.colorado.gov/how-to-participate at least one week prior to the hearing. Requests for accommodation can also be made directly by contacting Holly Bise at 303-894-2024, or holly.bise@state.co.us.

Consistent with Commission practice, the public comment hearing will be webcast on the Commission’s website. Persons wishing to observe, but not participate in the hearing may do so by observing the webcast of the rulemaking hearing and need not join the hearing by telephone or videoconference. To observe the hearing by webcast, you may enter the following link in the web browser: https://www.youtube.com/@COPublicUtilitiesCommission/featured This link connects to the Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado Decision No. R24-0374-I Proceeding No. 24M-0062G Commission’s YouTube webpage, where interested persons may observe live and recorded hearings.

Requesting Accommodations for Public Comment Hearings

The Commission strives to accommodate all members of the public at its hearings by providing services for foreign language users and persons with disabilities upon receipt of a reasonable accommodation request. Requests for such accommodations should be made at least one week prior to the event by completing the Language Access Form. Requests can also be made directly by contacting Holly Bise at 303-894-2024 or by emailing holly.bise@state.co.us. Consistent with Commission practice, the public comment hearing will be webcast on the Commission’s website. Persons wishing to observe, but not participate in the hearing may do so by observing the webcast of the rulemaking hearing and need not join the hearing by telephone or video-conference. To observe the hearing by webcast, enter this link in the web browser https://puc.colorado.gov/webcasts and select the audio or video option for the assigned hearing room. The assigned hearing room will be identified on the Commission’s public calendar for the date and time of the hearing, at the following link: https://puc.colorado.gov/puccalendar. The ALJ encourages interested persons who do not wish to provide comments during the hearing to observe the hearing through the webcast because this will help minimize background noise during the hearing and may assist in the orderly progression of the hearing.

Other Methods to Submit Public Comment

Interested persons may provide written or oral comments. Although the Commission prefers written comments over oral comments, they are given the same weight. Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado Decision No. R24-0374-I Proceeding No. 24M-0062G 5 15. Interested persons are encouraged to submit written comments through either: Using the Commission’s Electronic Filing System at https://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/efi/EFI.homepage; Submitting a comment via online form on the Commission’s website at https://puc.colorado.gov/ by clicking on the “FILE A COMMENT OR COMPLAINT” link; Mailing comments to the Commission’s offices at: Colorado Public Utilities Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202; or Leaving a voicemail at (303) 869-3490 (English and Spanish options). Please reference this Proceeding (No. 24M-0062G) when submitting a comment.

8/12/2024 - Virtual

1PM-4PM

24M-0060G: Colorado Natural Gas - Gas Infrastructure Plan

ALJ: Robert Garvey

Those interested in providing public comment during the hearing must register in advance using a link posted on the calendar of events on the PUC’s website at https://puc.colorado.gov/puccalendar . Registrants will receive an email with a link to provide comment during the Zoom session. If an interested person cannot obtain the link and register, they can contact the PUC for assistance at 303-894-2000.

Those registered to provide comment during the hearing are strongly encouraged to prepare in advance and familiarize themselves with how to use the Zoom meeting platform. For those who wish to provide oral comments during the hearing, video-conference participation is preferred and encouraged because it allows for the hearing to be held in a manner most similar to in-person hearings. Nevertheless, interested persons have the option to participate by telephone.

The Commission strives to accommodate all members of the public at its hearings by providing services for foreign language users and persons with disabilities upon receipt of a reasonable accommodation request. Registrants requesting an interpreter during the public comment hearing should complete the Language Access Form at https://puc.colorado.gov/howtoparticipate at least one week prior to the event. Requests for accommodation can also be made directly by contacting Holly Bise at 303-894-2024 or holly.bise@state.co.us.

Other Methods to Submit Public Comment

Oral comments will be accepted from any interested person who leaves a voice mail message at (303) 869-3490 or from registered commenters offering public comment during the scheduled public comment hearing. Those leaving voice mail public comments must include their name, the spelling of their name, and this Proceeding number (Proceeding No. 24M-0060G) in their message. Voice mail messages will be transcribed and placed in the record of this Proceeding. The Commission will equally consider public comments, regardless of the format in which they are submitted (verbal or in writing).