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COLORADO
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

PUC DIGEST

                                                                                                                 July 2023

Inmate Communication Services

One of the lesser-known departments with the PUC is the Inmate Communication Services group. Created more than a year ago, the group is the result of the passage of Colorado House Bill 21-1201.  The PUC now regulates Inmate Calling Services providers, or Penal Communications Services providers as stated in the bill.

As of January 1, 2022, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rate caps apply to these providers, who are required to send quarterly reports to the PUC, as well as their contracts with the facilities the providers serve and the provider's policy for unclaimed funds. The quarterly reports can be found on this page in the top section. The page also contains contracts and policies for the providers. Individuals wishing to file a complaint, may do so here.

The Inmate Communication Services team consists of Royal Cameron and Clarence Wallace, who are housed within the Telecommunications Programs group. Both are rate financial analysts. Since January of 2022, they had 22 cases in all, with eight in 2022, and 14 in 2023.

The group regulates local, county and state correctional facilities but not Federal or tribal institutions. 

"We monitor, report, test and regulate the activity of Inmate Communication Service providers," says Cameron. "Providers can use a variety of different technologies to relay communications from a person within the correctional facility to a person outside of the facility. Technology includes, but isn't but limited to:

- Land line communications
- E messaging and chirping
- Video by way of tablet or kiosk
- VOIP

"We track cases and try to mitigate issues," says Wallace. "It's similar to a repository of information in which we produce quarterly and annual reports to demonstrate accountability and transparency." Their goal is to reduce technological issues as well as prevent potential predatory telecommunications practices.

Currently staff is awaiting a declaratory order to ensure all communication platforms with penal communication providers are within the authority of Colorado House Bill 21-1201, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Cases are typically filed by inmates or their families. For more information visit Inmate Communication Services here, or to file a complaint, please click here.

Guiding Principles Workshop Series

Through Proceeding 22M-0171ALL, the PUC is gathering information on how it should create rules to incorporate equity in its work.

The Commission is hosting a series of workshops in August 2023, on its Energy Framework and Senate Bill 21-272 Implementation work. In this series of workshops, the Commission is seeking to engage with Coloradans as we determine a set of meaningful and holistic principles that will guide this work. The workshops will begin with background information about the Commission and Senate Bill 272. Participants will then join breakout rooms to discuss, provide feedback on, and refine a set of draft principles. Your participation will ensure that the Commission’s efforts are driven by all impacted stakeholders and communities.

Please register to participate in one of the upcoming workshops using the links below. Everyone is welcome at each of the sessions, but the first two are designed primarily for representatives of organizations or local governments.

Wednesday, 8/9: 6 - 7:30 PM
Community and Local Advocacy Based Organizations
Registration Link

Thursday, 8/10: 12 - 1:30 PM
Regional Advocacy, Environmental, Labor, Non-Profit Organizations and Local Governments
Registration Link

Tuesday, 8/15: 6 - 7:30 PM
All stakeholders
Registration Link

Wednesday, 8/30: 12 - 1:30 PM
All stakeholders
Registration Link

If you are unable to attend any of these sessions but would still like to provide feedback, click here.

For language accommodation requests or questions about this work, email puc_sb272equity@state.co.us

For more information on equity at the Commission and Senate Bill 21-272, visit: puc.colorado.gov/equity.

Beat the Heat To say the summer of 2023 has been hot is an understatement. The National National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts most U.S. states are leaning toward a hotter-than-average summer and Colorado is no exception. 'The Public Utilities Commission urges Colorado residents to be heat aware and take precautions as temperatures rise to record levels. Heat is considered one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States (U.S.). As heat increases, the body's ability to cool itself decreases leading to dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The most vulnerable are children, the elderly, those who are chronically ill, or experiencing pregnancy are highly vulnerable. Here's some tips for extreme heat days: - Never leave a child or pet in a car unattended. Temperatures increase            dramatically within 10 minutes. - Try to reduce excessive outdoor activities; find shade, wear loose-fitting,         light clothes and stay hydrated. - If you don't have air-conditioning - - Cover windows with drapes or shades.  Run fans, but they are not a primary cooling device - they create air flow, but don't necessarily cool body temperature. - identify places in your community where you can go to get cool such as libraries - Use window reflectors specifically designed to reflect heat back outside. - Add insulation to keep the heat out.

Disconnections In December 2022, the PUC filed a notice of proposed rulemaking to adopt standard practices for gas and electric utilities to use when disconnecting services due to nonpayment and subsequently reconnected service. Since then, several public comment hearings have been held as part of Proceeding Number 22R-0557EG, allowing stakeholders to offer their thoughts on potential changes. Participants attending the public comment hearings have discussed the pros and cons of the proposed new rules, including whether remote disconnection and reconnection should be permitted.  Remote disconnection and reconnection is achieved through use of smart meters on customers' property.  The benefits of having remote disconnection and reconnection capabilities include reducing operating costs by eliminating the need to deploy trucks and workers to disconnect and reconnect customers, and increasing utility worker safety by substantially decreasing the need for utility workers to travel to customers' homes. However, others have pointed out that remote disconnection could lead to far greater incidence of disconnections. Consequently, opponents of remote disconnection and reconnection have highlighted the needs for enhanced communication with and education of utility customers to ensure customers understand options for assistance and have ample notification prior to any disconnection. The next public comment hear is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15, beginning at 1:30 p.m. To watch via Zoom, click here.

We're on You Tube! The PUC has recently begun its own You Tube channel that's planned for a variety of purposes, including live streaming hearings, consumer advisories, workshops, webinars and more. If you've missed a recent public comment hearing and would like to know more, please click here.

Upcoming Meetings and How to Participate:

Aug. 3: Public comment hearing on rules regulating pipeline operators and gas pipeline safety. 

Aug. 9, 10, 15, 30: PUC Equity Workshops. 

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. 

The PUC welcomes and encourages public comments. A comment is a statement of opinion about any issue the Commission may decide.  It may be about a specific proceeding or more general in nature and can include recommendations for what the Commission should do.

Opportunities for comment include workshops, informational meetings, community meetings, and public comment hearings. Some of these activities are led by agency staff, and others are led by Commissioners or Judges, and some are more formal than others. More general comments can be provided at any time without regard to whether the issue is currently pending.

There are several ways to learn about comment opportunities at the Commission:

- Sign up for the Commission’s email updates. This includes media advisories and notifications about public comment hearings, community meetings, and other events.
- Check the public calendar for upcoming events and ways to participate.
- Review our key proceedings page to see what kinds of cases are currently open for comment.
- Look at E-Filings for a particular proceeding. E-Filings is the Commission’s online system for managing filings in proceedings. You can search for individual proceedings or documents, or subscribe for email updates.

- Check news releases for public meeting announcements.