Posted on 12/23/2022 7:00:56 AM PST by george76
Commissioners promise to 'scrutinize this to a degree we've never done before'
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DENVER — State regulators with the Public Utilities Commission questioned Xcel's proposal for an electric rate hike in Wednesday's meeting, following "unprecedented" comments objecting to the proposed increase.
Xcel has proposed a $312.2 million revenue increase, which would result in an 8.2% increase ($7.33/month) for the average residential customer.
The commission has suspended the effected date of the higher rates, while the case was scheduled to be taken up again to set procedures in early February.
Commissioner John Gavan called for the commission to "scrutinize this to a degree we've never done before," especially following a gas rate hike that recently went into effect and a separate request to recoup coal supply costs from consumers.
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Xcel needs to step back and focus on customer satisfaction instead of nickel and diming us with all of these onerous rate increases that are just pancaking and adding up," Gavan said.
Regarding coal supply issues, the commission is requiring Xcel to separate the issue so customers would not have to pay the associated costs starting on Jan. 1.
Consumer advocates argue that these rate hikes have a disproportionate impact on communities that can least afford them.
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Colorado's Office of the Utility Consumer Advocated is protesting the electric rate increase, pointing to Xcel's increasing profits: $555 million in nine months this year.
"They are making extraordinarily high profits, and this company doesn't understand how they should be tightening their belts," said Cindy Schonhaut
Closing well- performing, environmentally superior units - already paid for - existing power plants that run 24 / 7 will hurt rate payers
Colorado Ping ( Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
“...Commissioners promise to ‘scrutinize this to a degree we’ve never done before’ ...”
True.
They’ll “scrutinize”.
Then they’ll approve it anyway.
And so goes the formerly great state of Colorado.
Xcel Natural Gas rates are already are up 117% over Nov. 2021, here in Colorado.
Green energy = you will freeze in the dark.
The PUC was supposed to be a watchdog to make sure regulated monopoly utilities delivered plentiful energy at affordable rates to consumers. They have completely abandoned that mission to pursue the left’s man made global warming / climate change lunacy, which drives rates up.
During the 2017 legislative session, Xcel.. failed in the Colorado state Senate.. because it made zero economic sense to force Coloradans to pay to shut down our most affordable and dependable - paid for - power plants that run 24/7, in favor of unreliable wind turbines and solar panels that increase electricity costs while decreasing dependability.
After the session, Xcel changed its tune.. by going to then governor Hickenlooper and the Public Utilities Commission for something it could not get passed through the Legislature... as its Minnesota executives and Wall Street shareholders laugh their way to the bank. Kickbacks to .. ?.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3689070/posts
In the 1980s, California tried to DECREE lower prices for car insurance. Didn’t work, because they went after the wrong end of the problem. Rather than limiting costs, by taking uninsured vehicles off the road, limiting lawsuits, and attacking the huge fraud in the system, they simply deemed that insurance companies lower their prices to the public.
And they were determined to do just that. But the problem they had was that the insurance companies showed the regulators their books...so the regulators had a choice, either still demand the lower prices and watch the companies leave the state, or give up on that idea and keep approving rate increases. They (wisely) chose the second option.
I’ve seen worse.
and starve
Everybody needs to think of the benefits they receive.
Try living with out on demand power.
I just went through 48 hours without it due to a winter storm.
PITA without it.
I did just fine wood heat, generator, LP range.
But still it Was a PITA.
Much easier to flip the switch.
I’m reminded of how Colorado Springs has essentially voted to shut down their coal plant at Drake for a new natural gas plant outside of the city (https://www.cpr.org/2021/08/26/the-end-of-an-era-the-martin-drake-coal-plant-in-colorado-springs-burns-coal-no-longer/).
The greenies want everything to be solar or wind.
Gas is more flexible than coal when it comes to maintaining the grid due to the variability of renewables.
So instead of keeping a facility that’s already paid for, CSU bowed to the greenies.
And sure enough, electricity rates have been steadily increasing over the past several years...
In 2001, Colorado electricity consumers enjoyed some of the lowest electric rates in the country. The years since have not been so kind to rate payers. Politicians, PUC commissioners, woke leftists , and Deep State advocates have told Colorado rate payers that they could transform the state’s electricity generation away from affordable, clean coal and toward not reliable wind & solar with little cost to rate payers.. They lied.
Governor Polis’s goal of 100% renewable energy is to out- Californicating - California with unreliable, interment, and expensive energy...that does not work 24 - 7..
https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/3949927/posts
You stop fracking via the Federal Regulatory State and bad things happen.
So what are you getting at?
That all rate increases are justified or something else?
The will scrutinize who is complaining. /s
I am out of state at the moment. -7 degrees out. Wind howling. Snow came in thru window frame at hotel overnite due to wind. Flights were cancelled. Now leaving monday, I hope.
For the work that one can get done having electric power.
It is a great bargain.
But not at an unlimited price. There is only one electricity supplier in every area. It is a monopoly and the prices must be regulated.
Minus 70°F: Coldest wind chill seen so far during this event, in eastern Wyoming.. Cheyenne, Wyoming, set a record for its greatest one-hour temperature drop, going from 43°F to 3°F in 30 minutes, per the NWS.
Roads were closed across Colorado on Wednesday night, from the town of Ault to the border with Wyoming, as Buckley Air Force Base, some 20 miles east of Denver, reported temperatures plummeting 46°F to 7°F in an hour.
https://www.axios.com/2022/12/21/bomb-cyclone-blizzard-arctic-cold-front
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