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Xcel Energy tells Alamosa council its rate filings would raise typical bills roughly 10% if approved
Summary
An Xcel Energy representative briefed the Alamosa City Council on electric and gas rate filings with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, citing capital investments in the San Luis Valley and outlining proposed residential bill impacts and a $10 million shareholder-funded affordability package.
An Xcel Energy representative told the Alamosa City Council the company has filed electric and natural gas rate cases with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and that the filings reflect capital investments and cost pressures that could raise customer bills.
"For the residential rates ... the monthly current bill comes in around $100.10. The monthly proposed bill would be $110.04. That's a monthly difference of $9.94 or a percentage difference increase of 9% uh 9.93%," the presenter said, describing the example for a household using about 601 kilowatt-hours per month. She said the electric increase, if approved, would take effect in August 2026 and the separate natural gas filing would take effect in October 2026 if approved.
The presenter, identified in the record as Ashley from Xcel Energy, framed the filings as driven by statewide trends: utilities are managing inflationary operating costs, investing to modernize equipment and improve reliability, and spending to reduce wildfire risk. She summarized investments in the St. Louis Valley region totaling roughly $26.7 million in 2023, $13.44 million in 2024 and $13.1 million in 2025.
The company also proposed customer-assistance measures. The presenter said shareholders will contribute a one-time $10 million toward affordability programs split evenly between electric and gas ($5 million each), and described programs intended to limit disconnections for enrolled participants and provide extra customer-support resources.
Councilors asked no technical questions during the presentation and the representative closed the briefing after a short Q&A. The presentation was informational; no council action on the filings occurred during the meeting. The rate changes described require approval by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission before they would take effect.
Provenance: The presentation and figures were laid out during the outside-agency presentations; the council discussion of the proposal was limited to the presentation and brief Q&A.
Ending: The council received the report; any final decision on the proposed rate increases awaits regulatory review by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
