IP-6-2001 (November 2001)
Author: Matthew Edgar

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Executive Summary

Three main regulations unnecessarily restrict the supply of electricity in Colorado.

First, regulations from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission force utilities to create an inflexible plan for building power plants in Colorado, using forecasts based on unreliable and changeable data.

Second, Colorado’s electrical future is subject to bureaucratic whim through the “Public Convenience” doctrine. The future of Parker, Colorado has been put at severe risk because of this law. Without immediate regulatory change, Parker may soon face rolling blackouts and a severe power strain.

Finally, the PUC requires Xcel Energy to collect a tax from all ratepayers and then gives that money to large corporations, so that the corporations have money to buy energy efficient products that have no benefit to the common electricity consumer.

These regulations are unfairly making electricity more costly.