Colorado
Proposal to ensure customers don’t fund utilities’ political activities blasted as too weak
Rules proposed to prevent customers from having to cover public utilities’ expenses for lobbyists, advertising and political contributions are too weak to prevent potential abuses, critics said.
A public meeting Monday drew speakers who want to see the Colorado Public Utilities Commission strengthen regulations to carry out a 2023 law that was passed after a widespread outcry over high utility bills.
Besides directing utilities to look at avoiding the kind of price jumps that doubled or tripled some Coloradans’ heat bills in early 2023, Senate Bill 23-291 prohibited utilities from adding expenses for lobbying, certain advertising, public relations, political contributions and membership dues to customers’ rates.
But the bill’s prime sponsors as well as a dozen Colorado organizations and a national watchdog group have argued the proposed regulations aren’t detailed or specific enough to ensure that ratepayers aren’t footing some of the bill. They said initial reports by Xcel Energy-Colorado, Black Hills Energy and Atmos Energy reveal “glaring reporting gaps.”
In a filing with the PUC, the bill’s sponsors, members of a select legislative committee, said they support requiring more specific information from utilities “to ensure that ratepayers are insulated from these costs.”
During Monday’s meeting, Laurie Anderson, a Broomfield City Council member who was representing Colorado Communities for Climate Action, said she is concerned about “the common practice” of utilities across the country using ratepayer money to influence politics.
“Income from monthly bills should never be used by a utility to lobby or work against laws and regulations that would lower those same bills,” Anderson said.
The companies required to report information on activities targeted by the law all objected to the level of detail sought by environmental and community groups and the Energy and Policy Institute, a national organization focused on utilities and renewable energy. Xcel Energy said in a document that the suggested changes to the PUC’s draft rules would result in administrative burdens, creating little or no benefit and possibly higher costs for rate cases.
Providing even more detailed, transaction-level detail, including by employee, “would necessitate a manual review process of upwards of 30,000 transactions annually,” Xcel contended.
Black Hills Energy and Atmos Energy also maintained that the burden of requiring more specifics would outweigh the benefits. The companies said more time is needed to respond to comments on the rules.
State Administrative Law Judge Robert Garvey, who oversaw the public meeting, said there will be an opportunity to file more comments and perhaps another meeting.
During Monday’s meeting, Garvey quizzed speakers about the utilities’ arguments, including that demanding more detailed reports on items they can’t charge customers for could end up boosting the companies’ overall expenses.
“Are we going to have to increase rate expenses to show that they didn’t do anything wrong?” Garvey asked. “I think the ratepayers don’t want to pay a whole lot more for nothing.”
But David Pomerantz, the executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, said his organization offered examples of rules from other states where utilities must submit more specific data. He said the Colorado utilities’ initial reports contain mostly aggregate rather than specific information.
“The central purpose is to ensure compliance,” Pomerantz said. “Without itemized data, it’s impossible to verify.”
A 2023 nationwide report by the policy group explored ways to ensure that utility customers don’t pay for the companies’ political operations or practices that run counter to customers’ best interests. The group suggested that the Colorado PUC require utilities to itemize lists of expenses by employee and invoice and require companies to report on employees, affiliates and outside vendors conducting the kind of political activities singled out by the law.
“They’re kind of asking for blind trust here. We’re asking the commission to take a trust-but-verify stance,” Pomerantz said.
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Colorado
Julian Lewis Says Deion Sanders’ Colorado ‘Wasn’t Really Looking at Defenses Much’ Last Season
Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis made a stunning admission that could explain the team’s 3-9 finish to the 2025 season.
While speaking to ESPNU at Big 12 media days, Lewis was asked what the biggest difference was between last year and this year, and he revealed that the Deion Sanders-coached Buffaloes typically didn’t watch film during his first season with the team.
“My play, I’m actually looking at the defenses now,” Lewis said. “Last year, we wasn’t really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school free-balling, just out there playing football. But it’s a lot bigger than that now, so it should be fun.”
Before taking a redshirt year, Lewis played in four games as a true freshman with two starts and threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 55.3 percent of his passes. He should fare even better this season with the benefit of film study.
Lewis will enter the 2026 campaign as Colorado’s starting quarterback, so he will have the opportunity to show his improvements when the Buffaloes open the year against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
State and federal agencies are starting to reopen public lands, state wildlife areas and a segment of the Colorado River that were closed in light of the Snyder Fire in Mesa County.
Stage 2 fire restrictions — banning all open fire or flames, including charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves — remain in effect as extreme fire danger, spurred on by hot and dry conditions, persists across the region.
The Snyder Fire started on Friday, June 26, when several smaller fires burning on the Colorado-Utah border combined. As of July 7, the fire was 98% contained after burning over 30,200 acres and killing three wildland firefighters.
With fire activity decreasing and containment increasing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management shared their plans Tuesday to reopen lands impacted by the wildfire.
Parks and Wildlife said in a news release that it, alongside the Bureau of Land Management, had lifted the closure for public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River, starting at the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. It also reopened the boat ramp at the Fruita section of the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita to downstream traffic.
The state agency’s Horsethief State Wildlife Area in Fruita and the Loma Boat Launch State Wildlife Area also reopened.
The BLM said in a news release that all lands within the perimeter of the Snyder Fire burn area remain closed to ensure public and firefighter safety.
“The burned landscape — including vegetation — remains dynamic and unpredictable as it naturally recovers from the fire impacts. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the order is rescinded,” the BLM said.
Both agencies also warned that fire danger remains extremely elevated and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place.
A map of current federal and state fire restrictions is available on the Rocky Mountain Area Interagency Fire Restriction Dashboard or by visiting DFPC.Colorado.Gov/sections/wildfire-information-center. The Colorado Trails Explorer (or COTREX) app also has wildfire closure alerts.
Under current conditions, Parks and Wildlife advised the following actions to prevent sparking wildfires:
- Use established rings: Where permitted, only build campfires inside permanent metal fire rings in designated campgrounds.
- Clear nearby debris: Remove all dry grass, leaves and pine needles within a 10-foot radius of any flame.
- Drown and stir: Extinguish fires completely with water, stir the ashes, and ensure the debris is cold to the touch.
- Watch campfires constantly: Never leave a fire or portable stove unattended. If you see an unattended fire, call 911.
- Keep vehicles off brush: Avoid parking or idling cars on tall, dry grass where hot exhaust systems can ignite a fire.
- Secure towing equipment: Ensure trailer safety chains do not drag and spark against asphalt. Check them at every stop.
The BLM added that under its Stage 2 restrictions, smoking is prohibited except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Gas-powered stoves or grills with a shut-off valve are still allowed in cleared areas under this stage.
Violating Stage 2 fire restrictions by lighting a campfire is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Violators face an immediate citation, a mandatory court appearance, steep fines and potential jail time. Additionally, you can be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs and property damage if the campfire sparks a wildfire.
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