Denver, CO… The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is seeking public input for an investigatory proceeding into community choice energy, also known as community choice aggregation. The public hearing is set for Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 4-6 p.m.
What is Community Choice Energy (CCE)?
- CCE is defined by House Bill 21-1269, enacted as Colorado Revised Statutes § 40-4-120, as “a mechanism that allows cities, including a city and county, counties, or groups of cities and counties to combine their purchasing power and choose one or more alternative wholesale electricity suppliers on behalf of the residents, businesses, and municipal facilities in the jurisdiction while the incumbent investor-owned electric utility maintains its existing generation and continues to own and operate its transmission and distribution system and deliver the electricity to both its own customers and CCE customers.”
- The PUC has been directed by the General Assembly to conduct an investigatory proceeding to consider the regulatory implications and legal impacts of possible future legislation that would allow cities and counties to acquire alternative wholesale electric supply on behalf of their residents, businesses, and local government facilities, in lieu of being provided electric supply from the incumbent investor-owned electric utilities, and report its recommendations to the General Assembly on or before December 15th.
- Under Proceeding No. 22I-0027E, the PUC will explore various topics and questions related to CCE, including:
- The scope of regulatory oversight of CCE operations
- Resource adequacy planning and reliability
- Renewable energy standard compliance
- Energy efficiency programs
- Time-of-use rates or other rate requirements
- Standards for request of proposals
- Determining principles and considerations for calculating transition fees, also known as exit fees, which a CCE community would pay to the incumbent investor-owned utility
- The impacts of CCE in Colorado and its ability to impact clean energy and greenhouse reduction goals
- The impacts of CCE on low-income households and communities disproportionately impacted by electric generation, and the ability of a CCE program to establish additional programs to assist low-income households and communities disproportionately impacted by electricity generation.
What’s Next: A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 4-6 p.m. Link to public calender. To register to speak at the hearing, click here.
To watch the proceeding, click on the Zoom link.
The Public Utilities Commission will issue a report on this investigation to the General Assembly on or by Dec. 15, 2022.
Details for how to access the remote public comment hearing through Zoom meeting can be found on the Calendar of Events on the PUC website at https://puc.colorado.gov.
Tell Us What You Think
You can submit written or verbal comments at any time the proceeding is open:
- 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). Oral and written comments will be given the same weight.
Please include “Proceeding No. 22I-0027E” in public comments.-