Public Service seeks approval to join SPP Markets Plus; CPUC holds evidentiary hearing

Good morning. We're now on the record. It's 9 a.m. on Tuesday, 05/27/2025, this is an evidentiary hearing in proceeding number 25-0075E, Public Service Company of Colorado's application requesting that it be found in the public interest to participate in SPP's regional day-ahead market called Markets Plus and to recover associated costs through the Electric Commodity Adjustment, Commission Chair Eric Blank said at the start of the hearing.

Public Service presented Joseph C. Taylor, senior director for Western Markets, as its lead witness. Taylor adopted his pre-filed direct and rebuttal testimony on the record and answered cross examination from intervenors including Advanced Energy United, Western Resource Advocates, Black Hills, Tri-State and counsel for the Colorado Energy Office. Steven H. Denman appeared as counsel for Public Service.

The hearing record includes a spreadsheet of pre-filed exhibits marked as hearing exhibit 1,400 and multiple witness exhibits (for example, Taylor's hearing exhibits 101 and 103 were admitted). Commissioners and parties focused on three overarching questions: whether Markets Plus is in the public interest for Colorado ratepayers; whether costs to join and operate Markets Plus should be recoverable through the ECA; and how Markets Plus participation interacts with regional resource adequacy and seams with other proposed markets.

Taylor told the commission that Markets Plus is “the next step” in Public Service's participation in organized wholesale markets and that the company views participation as part of a multi-stage path from the company's current participation in Western Energy Imbalance Service (WEIS). He also confirmed the Markets Plus expected go-live date has been pushed from April 2027 to October 2027.

No final commission decision was issued at the hearing. Commissioners emphasized time limits for the evidentiary schedule and asked parties to use hearing time efficiently; the proceeding will continue with additional witnesses and briefing on evidence already placed in the record.

The hearing record also established procedural facts: witnesses were sworn and cross examination schedules adjusted, and the commission admitted pre-filed testimony and attachments into evidence. Parties asked the commission to be explicit about whether the commission's approval of Markets Plus participation would be revocable later if future conditions changed; Public Service asked that cost recovery for implemented actions be handled prospectively and not clawed back retroactively.

Looking ahead, commissioners asked the company to provide follow-up items on certain factual points, including confirmation of forecasts used in the company's cost/rate impact exhibit and clarification of phase-2 funding agreement provisions, and scheduled additional testimony and procedural steps.

Ending: The hearing record will remain open for additional testimony and exhibits; the commission will weigh the written record, exhibits and testimony before issuing any decision on Public Service's application.