May 2021 PUC Update
Clean Energy Action Board Member Marguerite Behringer works for E9 Insight and part of her work is to compile summaries of Colorado Public Utilities Commission activities. E9 Insight has given CEA permission to publish the items that we think our readers might find useful. If you have questions about the content, please contact hello@e9insight.com.
Note: Xcel Energy does business in Colorado as Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo); references to both Xcel and PSCo will appear in the summaries below.
Note: PUC refers to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
21A-0141E Xcel 2021 Clean Energy Plan
June Events
June 18, 2021 – Remote Technical Conference (PUC and Xcel) on modeling
June 23, 2021 – Joint Prehearing Conference (Parties to the Proceeding)
Comments from Clean Energy Action Affiliates
On May 27, the Colorado PUC issued an interim order which approved several new parties to the proceeding and established a Joint Prehearing Conference on June 23. In the order, the commission expressed a variety of topics it would like to explore, including, “the impact of vehicle-to-grid integration; virtual power plants; modelling an extreme, widespread weather event in the summer of 2030; modelling solar-plus-storage as a single, co-located, quasi-dispatchable resource; the possibility of interregional transmission such as a 1,500 MW tie running to the Southwest Power Pool east of Colorado and another 1,500 MW tie running to the west of Colorado; and the impacts of a scenario in which the system peak shifts 60 to 90 minutes earlier or later in the day.”
In a separate order, the Colorado PUC rejected a coal industry front group, the “Coalition of Ratepayers,” from participating in Xcel’s Clean Energy Plan proceeding. The “Coalition of Ratepayers” advocated in the 2018 integrated resource plan to keep two coal units at the Comanche plant running despite the cheap new wind and solar projects selected via competitive bidding procedures. The Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel objected to the coal organization’s participation by citing an Energy and Policy Institute investigation which showed that the group is a front group for the state of Wyoming and coal mining companies. The Energy and Policy Institute provides additional details on the Coalition of Ratepayers’ activities and reactions.
Separately, PUC Trial Staff responded to Xcel’s request for certain waivers with concern, noting that the waiver would involve complex issues, including the provision of Renewable Energy Standard costs.
20A-0528E Tri-State 2020 Electric Resource Plan
On May 21, 2021, Tri-State filed its Second Conferral Report, representing five additional resource planning scenarios determined by Staff, CEO, WRA, SWEEP, Interwest, CIEA,Wyoming Cooperatives, IBEW Local 111, and the Conservation Coalition:
i. Intervenors’ Modified 80pct CR V4 Portfolio Scenario
ii. Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap Scenario
iii. Coal Retirement Scenario (Springerville 3 and Craig 3)
iv. Low Coal Utilization Scenario
v. Updated Social Cost of Carbon Scenario/No New Combined Cycle
All scenarios will incorporate the social cost of carbon as an output in the form of the total annual costs for all scenarios. The PUC responded on June 8 by pausing discovery to allow Tri-State to analyze the scenarios, deeming the application complete, and referring the application to an Administrative Law Judge to manage hearings and final disposition.
21A-0096E Colorado Pathway Transmission Project
The Colorado PUC issued an order which deemed that Xcel’s application to build a 560-mile 345 kV transmission project was complete and requested that Xcel file a proposed procedural schedule. Xcel proposed the following schedule:
Procedural Activity Date
Application filed Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Prehearing Conference Wednesday, June 16, 2021 (if needed)
Public Comment Hearing TBD by Commission
Answer Testimony Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Rebuttal & Cross-Answer Testimony Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Stipulations & Settlement Agreements Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Prehearing Motions Friday, October 8, 2021
Responses to Prehearing Motions Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Corrections to Pre-Filed Testimony and Exhibits Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Cross-Examination Matrix Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Evidentiary Hearing October 18-22, 2021
Statements of Position Friday, November 12, 2021
Deadline for Commission Decision Tuesday, February 1, 2022