VOLUME 35| ISSUE 50
WEEK OF DECEMBER 12, 2024
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HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND SOUNDS
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• Vestas to lay off 200 employees
The local Scout Ensemble band played Christmas tunes for guests as they went through event activities outside of the Commerce City Civic Center on Dec. 4. See the story on page 4. photo by Jackie Ramirez
BUSINESS
Xcel Energy wants to charge more for electricity later in the evening
BY SAM BRASCH CPR NEWS
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•27J Schools moves online-only Dec. 1
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Millions of Colorado residents could soon pay more to use electricity later in the evening under a proposal from provider Xcel Energy. The state’s largest utility filed to change time-of-use rates in early September. If state regulators approve the proposal, customers will pay the most for power from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays during the summer and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the winter. The current “on-peak” hours currently stretch from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. year-round. The company also charges slightly higher rates during “mid-peak” hours from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., which would be eliminated under the new proposal.
State utility regulators expect to reach a final decision in February 2025, and the company could begin implementing the updated rate schedule as soon as May 2025. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission recently encouraged residents to participate in a public hearing on the proposal on December 17. Xcel Energy customers can also provide written feedback to the commission through an online form. Xcel Energy started moving its Colorado customers to time-of-use rates in 2022. The pricing plans are meant to nudge customers to use energy during periods of lower demand and higher renewable energy production. Wind energy, for example, often goes to waste at night, so a utility can operate more efficiently by encouraging customers to run
OBITUARIES: 7 | BRIEFS: PAGE 8 | CLASSIFIEDS: PAGE 9
dishwashers or charge electric cars later in the evening. The company says the latest proposal isn’t only easier to understand. By setting higher rates for customers in the evening, the utility hopes to discourage energy usage at a time of day when solar energy production tends to drop — along with the sun. “We found that we use the most fossilfuel generation after the sun sets when solar generation is low, but customer usage remains relatively high,” said Tyler Bryant, an Xcel Energy spokesperson. Customers, however, are already blasting the proposal. In written comments submitted to regulators, residents and business owners say it’s inconvenient to cook or run a dishwasher after 9 p.m.
If using energy during cheaper periods doesn’t make practical sense, multiple customers said the proposed time-of-use rates amount to a “money grab” amid rising energy prices. Bryant told CPR News the proposed changes would not allow the company to collect more revenue from energy users. It would, however, cut the cost of operating the electricity grid. SEE ENERGY, P6
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