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SB19-236: Sunset Public Utilities Commission

This bill regarded the continuation of the Public Utilities Commission and implementing the recommendations within the 2018 evaluation report done by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. The recommendations in the report included: distribution system planning, workforce transition planning, a clean energy plan, a wholesale electric cooperative electric resource plan, vehicle booting regulations, energy impact bonds, rules, and appropriation.

Signed Bill

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Year Published: 2019

Published by: Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies

Summary

The act implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies' 2018 sunset review and report on the public utilities commission (commission) by:

  • Authorizing the commission to promulgate rules to delegate routine, administrative transportation matters to staff and clarifying that the commission provides initial review of each case submitted for adjudication and determines whether it wishes to retain the case or to assign it to an administrative law judge or to an individual commissioner;
  • Providing for alternate forms of communication that a public utility may utilize to notify its customers of rate changes, including text message and e-mail, and requiring the public utility to post notice of the rate change on its public website, including a reference to the docket numbers of relevant rules or adjudicatory matters;
  • Transferring the administration of the legal services offset fund from the department of law to the department of regulatory agencies;
  • Making technical changes regarding criminal history record checks and telecommunications;
    • Repealing a requirement that an electric utility, as part of the electric utility's plan for acquisition of renewable resources, purchase a certain amount of energy from community solar gardens in 2011 through 2013, but delaying the repeal until 2043 to keep the legislation in place until contracts entered into pursuant to the requirement have likely all expired;
  • Repealing the requirement that the commission, in considering electric utilities' proposals for generation acquisition, give consideration to proposals to propose, fund, and construct integrated gasification combined cycle generation facilities; and
  • Clarifying that the commission may impose a civil penalty for a violation of railroad crossing safety regulations.