Advisory staff briefed the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Public Service Company of Colorado’s phase 1 electric rate filing, in which the company asked for a roughly $356 million increase to its base-rate revenue requirement.

"Public service requests a $356,000,000 rate increase in this case," advisory staff (Ian Fetters) told commissioners and summarized the company's support, which included a $2.749 billion proposed base-rate revenue requirement and a test year ending Dec. 31, 2025.

Staff and the Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate (UCA) filed protests seeking suspension of the tariff-sheets and a hearing. Commissioners agreed to suspend the proposed tariff sheets for an additional 120 days and to set the matter for an en banc hearing. They also directed the company to supplement its filing with more recent historical data: commissioners asked for the most recent available historicals by Jan. 15 and a fuller update by March 31 so interveners can prepare responsive testimony.

Commissioners flagged many contested issues — including test-year methodology, WACC and ROE assumptions, cost allocation, proposed new trackers, and proposed recovery of distribution investments — and urged a procedural schedule that allows parties adequate time to review supplemental materials. Chair Mark Blank and other commissioners also said they may examine customer-service and billing performance issues in the rate case record.

The commission emphasized the difference between procedural action and substantive findings; at this stage it ordered suspension and a schedule to develop a fuller evidentiary record.