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Council approves utilities rate orders and transmission transfer to Southwest Power Pool
Summary
City Council approved six utilities actions including changes to rate tariffs and rescinding the city's open access transmission tariff as Colorado Springs Utilities moves into the Southwest Power Pool organized market; council voted unanimously on the items presented.
City Council approved a package of six Colorado Springs Utilities resolutions covering rate schedule changes, rules and regulations amendments, and transmission‑related items tied to the utility's planned entry into the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Regional Transmission Organization.
Why it matters: Joining an RTO and aligning tariffs affects how transmission is planned and paid for, how resources are dispatched across a broader market and ultimately the cost and reliability of electric service for customers in the City of Colorado Springs.
Travis Diehl, CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities, told council that joining SPP lets the utility participate in a broader organized market that can lower costs through economic dispatch and greater transmission availability: "As we go into the Southwest Power Pool, it's an organized market... it brings the lowest power ... to our customers," he said. Council also directed staff to include explicit economic development special contract language in the large‑load tariff at the next rate case so companies evaluating the area will see the terms codified.
Council voted individually on each item in the package; the record shows unanimous approval for each of the six items before council. Discussion focused on protecting ratepayers by ensuring economic development deals do not shift undue cost risk to existing customers, and on memorializing tariff terms in future rate cases.
Next steps: Utilities and staff will implement the approved tariff and rule changes and prepare language on economic development contracts to return in the next rate case filing. Council asked staff to ensure City Auditor review of any special economic development agreements.
