Energy Bill Will drop 15 percent in March

REQUEST | Governor Jared Polis is asking for additional actions to reduce energy bills. (Photo/EFE)

THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION STUDIES GOVERNOR POLIS’ PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL ENERGY SAVING IN COLORADO

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

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Governor Jared Polis directed the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which regulates state public utilities, and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) to take several immediate actions to alleviate the impact that the price of natural gas has had on energy bills. “Coloradans need short- and long-term relief on their energy bills. I am presenting ways that state entities and utilities can take additional steps to save on energy costs,” Polis said.

At the beginning of the winter of 2023, the invoices sent by Xcel Energy to its Colorado customers included an increase in the price of gas. This gas increase was 75 percent compared to last year. Changes in gas market prices are due to factors beyond Colorado’s immediate control. Among these external factors are extreme weather; infrastructure limitations in gas production; changes in world demand; and international conflicts such as the war in Ukraine.

Rate reduction for March

Some relief from energy increases is coming in March. The PUC approved a 15 percent reduction in Xcel’s rates that will take effect next month. This company has a monopoly within its service territories. It has one million five hundred thousand clients to whom it provides electrical service and another million four hundred thousand clients to which it provides natural gas. Polis assures that this reduction is not enough and therefore urged the service company to take additional measures to protect Coloradans.

The governor calls for identifying regulatory changes that could reduce energy costs when natural gas price increases occur. Likewise, Polis indicates that the infrastructure for natural gas storage should be improved, and energy efficiency programs should be implemented. On the other hand, the governor of Colorado indicated that access to clean energy and assistance with paying bills must be increased.

A testimony

“I am speaking as a wife and mother of two children. Our utility bill has almost doubled in the last two months. Before the recent increase, we were paying $250 a month for energy. My most recent bill from Xcel Energy came to $475. This new energy cost is greatly impacting my life and the life of my family,” said Reyna Zárate, a Colorado resident at a press conference with Governor Polis.

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