Date: 12/10/2015

Final
Presentation from the Public Utilities Commission Pursuant to Joint Rule 25

COMMITTEE ON JOINT TRANSPORTATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
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10:38 AM -- Presentation from the Public Utilities Commission Pursuant to Joint Rule 25

Joe Neguse, Executive Director, Department of Regulatory Agencies, and Doug Dean, Director, Public Utilities Commission (PUC), came to the table to present to the committee on the PUC, pursuant to Joint Rule 25 of the General Assembly. A copy of the PUC's presentation was distributed to the committee (Attachment F). Director Neguse made opening comments on the mission and goals of DORA and the PUC.

JTTRAN1210ATTACHF.pdfJTTRAN1210ATTACHF.pdf

Director Dean provided an overview of the PUC and the value it provides to Colorado's citizens. He said the PUC is 100 percent cash funded and saves Colorado's constituents $10.75 for every $1.00 that funds the commission. Director Dean explained that the PUC is quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial, and balances the needs of investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to receive a fair rate of return with the needs of the utility customers to pay reasonable energy rates.

Director Dean explained the industries regulated by the PUC, noting that the rates of transportation network companies (TNCs) and the limousine industry are not regulated by the PUC. He said the PUC responds to consumer complaints and questions in regards to utilities. He introduced and discussed the PUC's commissioners and staff, as outlined in Attachment F. He explained how oversight of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) is also performed by the PUC, which then bills RTD for the oversight, per state law.


10:54 AM

Director Dean provided an overview of legislation that the PUC is bringing forward in 2016. He discussed some of the recent major cases of the PUC, including Black Hills Energy's request to build a wind farm and Boulder County's goal of creating a municipal utility. Director Dean responded to questions on the status of a case before it on High Cost Fund (HCF) support for telecommunications utilities.

Director Dean discussed the PUC's recent major rulemakings. He said rulemaking for TNCs had come about through collaboration between PUC staff and the TNCs, which was a new approach for the PUC that it plans to use going forward in rulemaking for taxi companies and other industries. He responded to a question on the PUC's role in local community expansion of broadband availability, stating that there is none.


11:05 AM

Director Dean discussed the challenges of the PUC, as seen on page 26 of the presentation, which include budgetary challenges and its annual workload. He responded to questions on the regulation of out of state vehicles being used to transport people from Denver International Airport to mountain resorts. Director Dean stated that these carriers do not fall under PUC regulation. He responded to questions on statutory changes made to Office of the Consumer Counsel (OCC) oversight, what happened to OCC cases after legislative changes made in the 2015 session, and whether the PUC needs legislation to be introduced to cover its costs.

Director Dean discussed rate case annual customer savings, and responded to questions on what the PUC is doing to ensure energy assistance for low-income customers.

At the request of the committee, Lynn Notarianni, Telecommunications Section Chief, came to the table to speak to the HCF for broadband deployment and the pending Century Link settlement case currently sitting before the PUC. She explained the details of the case and moneys to be received by Century Link if a ruling is found in its favor. She responded to questions on whether the PUC has considered moving HCF moneys to another fund, the potential results of its ruling in the current case, and whether mapping can be provided on broadband-competitive areas of the state.


11:31 AM

The committee was adjourned.