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NEW FILINGS
New Application - Proceeding No. 26A-0263EG
Xcel New Integrated Customer Program Plan
On July 1, Xcel submitted an Integrated Customer Program (ICP) application, which is a comprehensive proposal outlining future energy efficiency initiatives, rebate structures, and customer service platforms for Xcel customers. This plan has potential impacts on monthly bills and clean energy tools.
A procedural schedule that includes public comment hearings is expected in August. To review the application filing or submit a comment online, visit the PUC Key Issues webpage or E-Filings. A final Commission decision is expected in April 2027.
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FILED
July 1, 2026
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DECISION EXPECTED
April 2027
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Proceeding No. 26A-0235E
Xcel 2027-2028 Resource Adequacy
On June 15, Xcel filed an application asking the Commission to approve a portfolio of electric resources to meet customer needs for 2027 and 2028. The proposal follows Xcel Energy’s earlier request to temporarily extend the operations of its Comanche Unit 2 coal-fired generation facility. It also includes demand response measures, acceleration of the construction of new generation units, plant repairs, new and extended power purchase agreements, and a further extension of the planned retirement date of Comanche Unit 2 to March 31, 2028. The filing addresses resource adequacy challenges on Xcel’s system and follows a process contemplated by the Commission in Proceeding No. 25V-0480E (Decision C25-0892).
Learn more about this proceeding, including how to provide public comment, on the PUC Key Issues Electric Rate Cases webpage.
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RATE CASES & KEY ISSUES
Settlement Filed - Proceeding No. 25AL-0494E
Xcel Electric Rate Case Update
In November of 2025, Xcel filed a rate case proposal seeking a $356 million increase in annual revenue, which would raise electric bills by roughly $9.94 more per month starting in late August 2026. In June, Xcel, PUC Trial Staff, the Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate, consumer groups and others submitted a comprehensive, non-unanimous settlement agreement to the Commission.
If approved by the Commission, the settlement agreement would reduce Xcel’s initial $356 million request by approximately 37% down to $224.9 million. For average residential customers, this would result in an estimated monthly increase of 5.86% (roughly $6.13) and $8.90 for small businesses, with a proposed starting date of August 2026 for the new rates. The settlement also secures expanded low-income bill assistance, performance accountability metrics and bill credits. A final decision is expected in August with new rates potentially taking effect soon after.
The PUC held two virtual public comment hearings on this proceeding. Learn more about this proceeding, including how to provide public comment on the PUC Key Issues Electric Rate Cases webpage.
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Settlement Filed - Proceeding No. 25AL-0538G
Xcel Gas Rate Case Update
Xcel Energy filed a natural gas rate case proposal on Dec. 29, 2025, requesting a $190 million in annual revenue increase to fund the replacement of aging pipelines, modernized regulator stations, and advanced leak detection systems. A settlement was filed by multiple parties on July 13 that would increase Xcel’s gas base rate revenues by $122.7 million and raise residential monthly bills by approximately 8.6%. A final decision is expected in the third quarter of 2026.
The PUC held two virtual public comment hearings on this proceeding. Learn more about this proceeding, including how to provide public comment on the PUC Gas Rate Case Key Proceedings webpage.
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Proceeding No. 26AL-0232E
Black Hills Energy Electric Rate Increase Case
On June 12, Black Hills Energy filed an application to increase its base electric rates, seeking an additional $26.7 million in annual revenue. Black Hills states it has made substantial capital investments in the electric utility system.
While the baseline cost updates would normally create a 14.7% increase for residential bills, Black Hills proposed to leverage $29.4 million from its deferred Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA) funds and $8 million from its Clean Energy Plan Rider to offset customer impacts. The net effect of these proposed "refunds" projects is an average monthly residential bill increase of 8.8%.
The Commission has initiated the formal review process, with public comment and evidentiary hearings to be scheduled through the rest of the year, targeting a final decision by Spring 2027.
Learn more about this proceeding, including how to provide public comment, on the PUC Key Issues Electric Rate Cases webpage.
Proceeding No. 26AL-0137E
Xcel Large Load Tariff Update
On April 2, Xcel Energy filed a "Large Load Tariff” proposal to address high-demand energy projects, such as data centers. Under the proposal, large-load customers (those requiring 50 MW or more) would be required to cover the costs of the specific transmission lines, substations, interconnection upgrades and new electric generation capacity needed to serve them. New customers using between 20 and 50 MW may also be subject to the tariff.
To learn more about this proceeding and view the full proceeding schedule, which includes two Aug. 25 and Oct. 20 virtual public comment hearings, visit the PUC Key Issues Electric Rate Cases webpage.
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COMMISSION UPDATES
Courtesy: Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce
Commission Meets with Western Slope Community Members
On July 22-23, the Commission Chair, PUC Director and Staff visited the Western Slope. The PUC hosted a listening session, “Coffee with the PUC,” with local residents in Grand Junction to discuss the PUC’s work and had an informal discussion about the PUC’s consumer protection role in regulating energy utilities, rideshares, towing companies, pipelines, telecommunications and rail. The PUC discussed how to engage and participate with the PUC.
Director Rebecca White and Commissioner Blank during the Grand Junction visit.
The Commission also met with Western Slope and Grand Junction elected officials, and community and business leaders to hear directly about local concerns and questions.
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FEATURE
Colorado Improves Rideshare Safety
6
licensed operators
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35,000+
licensed drivers
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37M
rides in 2025
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The Transportation Network Company (TNCs) industry (known as rideshares) has grown and evolved since the PUC’s regulations were first enacted, and has dramatically changed how Coloradans travel. Today, Colorado has six licensed rideshare operators and over 35,000 licensed rideshare drivers. Rideshare companies provided approximately 37 million rides statewide in 2025. Over the last year, there have been several significant efforts to improve rideshare safety through legislation, education outreach and rulemaking.
Rideshare Safety Legislation:
Gov. Polis signed two bills to expand protections for riders and increase rideshare safety.
- HB26-1424 “TNC Consumer Protection” focuses on the safety of rideshare riders and drivers including enhanced driver background checks and training requirements, new audio/video recording standards, prohibitions on sharing food and drink, and safety and vehicle incident reporting.
- HB26-1043 “TNC Discriminatory Practices” expands the “refusal of service” protections for consumers, enhances enforcement capabilities, and makes the reporting of these incidents more transparent. The bill prohibits rideshare companies from unlawful discrimination and provides drivers with education on transporting riders with service animals.
Rideshare Safety Campaign:
The PUC Rideshare Safety Campaign encourages riders to use three easy steps to improve their safety while using rideshares:
- Check the license plate
- Check the make/model of the vehicle
- Check the driver’s name and photo
If something is off, do not get in the vehicle and report the issue to the PUC. Share your status with a trusted friend to know your whereabouts. If your safety is threatened, call 911.
The PUC rideshare campaign features social media, marketing materials and digital assets for communities. The campaign educational toolkit is available to partners to use for free. Contact Megan.Castle@state.co.us for partner opportunities.
PUC Rideshare Rulemaking Update:
The PUC recently finalized rules focused on imposter drivers and vehicle safety. Imposter drivers (drivers that operate on someone else’s account) are currently prohibited by state law and PUC regulation. Learn more here.
Know your rights and travel safely when using rideshare. Contact the PUC with concerns via the online complaint form or call the Consumer Affairs hotline, at (303) 894-2070.
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UPDATE
PUC E-Filings Systems
In April, the State's Office of Information Technology (OIT) migrated the PUC’s online programs to Oracle Cloud servers for security reasons. Since then, PUC and OIT staff have been working to address many issues. While there are improvements, the system is not working optimally. The PUC appreciates your patience, and offers these tips:
- E-Filings is experiencing issues when too many filings are attempted at the same time, causing users to receive an error message that the filing failed and to try again. This often occurs when there is a lot of filing traffic around the end of the day. If this happens, back out, and try again. In addition, OIT recommends filing outside of business hours or when the traffic is generally lighter.
- The PUC understands this is not always feasible and references Rule 1211(d) of the Rules of Practice and Procedure (puc.colorado.gov/pucrulespractice) for assistance.
- If there's a technical issue and a filing fails to get filed before 5:00PM, you may file a "Notification of Technical Difficulty" within one business day. This Notification informs all parties that there was an issue with the filing.
- The rule states that the notification should include: the filing number (G_#####) that failed to finish in time, how parties were notified that the filing was still pending, a description of the trouble the filer encountered in filing, and the date that the late filing should be dated. With that information, PUC staff can administratively back-date the filing. The Notification will remain its filed date.
- In addition, E-Filings was experiencing issues adding watermarks duringthe PDF conversion of a filing. This issue was resolved, but is being monitored by the PUC.
The PUC is working to replace its systems and move to an updated, modern program, which should improve all user experiences. If you have questions about a filing or a process, please reach out to Alison Torvik at alison.torvik@state.co.us.
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AUGUST EVENTS
Dates are subject to change. Confirm on the PUC Calendar. Spanish and ASL interpretation is available with two weeks’ notice.
AUG 4
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Equity Rulemaking, Proceeding No. 25R-0468ALL
The Commission has proposed new rules and rule amendments to guide how the Commission and its regulated utilities analyze the impacts of their planning, rates and programs on different communities, particularly those identified as disproportionately impacted. The Commission is required by SB21-272 to consider how best to provide equity, minimize impacts, and prioritize benefits to disproportionately impacted communities, and to address historical inequalities in all of its work. Learn more about this proceeding at the PUC Key Issues Equity webpage or PUC Equity Initiatives webpage.
Tuesday, Aug. 4 11 AM – 5 PM MT · Virtual
Register for the Equity Rulemaking Hearing→
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AUG 5
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9-1-1 Services Enterprise Board
The board’s regular monthly meeting.
Wednesday, Aug. 5 3 – 4 PM MT · Virtual
Join the 9-1-1 Board Meeting→
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AUG 12
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Monthly Commission Public Comment Opportunity
The Commission accepts virtual public comment during the Commission's 2nd weekly meeting of the month (i.e., the 2nd Wednesday). The PUC holds formal meetings at 9 AM every Wednesday of the month, except for holidays. All meetings are streamed on the PUC’s YouTube page.
Wednesday, Aug. 12 9 AM MT · In person and remote
Registration is encouraged but not required. The link posts the Friday before on the PUC Calendar.
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AUG 25
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Xcel Energy Large Load Tariff Remote Public Comment Hearing, Proceeding No. 26AL-0137E
Xcel filed a new “Large Load Tariff” proposal to address high-demand energy projects, such as large-scale data centers. Under the proposal, large-load customers (those requiring 50 MW or more) would be required to cover the costs of the specific transmission lines, substations, interconnection upgrades and new electric generation capacity needed to serve them. New customers using between 20 and 50 MW may also be subject to the tariff. A second remote public comment hearing will be held Oct. 20. Learn more about this proceeding at the PUC’s Key Issues webpage.
Tuesday, Aug. 25 4 – 6 PM MT · Virtual
Register for the Aug. 25 hearing→
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COMMEMENT ANYTIME
Reference the proceeding number in every comment — for example, 25AL-0538G for the Xcel gas case.
Online Colorado PUC comment form
Email dora_puc_comments@state.co.us
Phone 303-869-3490 — leave a voicemail in English or Spanish
Mail Colorado PUC, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202
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CONTACT THE PUC
1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202
Main 303-894-2000
Consumer Assistance 303-894-2070 or 800-456-0858 outside Denver
Permits and Insurance 800-888-0170 outside Denver
Email dora_puc_website@state.co.us
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