DENVER   It is a typical Colorado spring weather pattern.

With overnight temperatures in the 40s again, you might need the furnace to heat up your home overnight.

By tomorrow, when the temperatures hit the mid-70s, you'll be tempted to turn on the air conditioner during the day.

That decision, to cool your home, could cost more in September if Xcel Energy gets its request for a $312 million dollar electric rate increase.

The Office of Utility Consumer Advocate (UCA), the ratepayers' public defender, thinks that is $312 million too much.

"Well, we've proposed a reduction of approximately $27 million," said UCA Deputy Director Joseph Pereira. "Our office doesn't have a profit motive. And so what we're trying to do is get the most just and reasonable rates based on the evidence."

In March, we explained what happens with the electric rate case request and how you, as a ratepayer, can be heard on the issue.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) received dozens of emails following that story.

"No to this rate increase,” wrote an Xcel customer from Thornton.

"Stop raising the rates,” wrote an Xcel customer from Superior.

"Absolutely not. Hard no,” wrote an Xcel customer from Aurora.

"No more increases. You are making record profits,” wrote an Xcel customer from Arvada.

Rate cases are like a game of leapfrog, where Xcel seeks reimbursement for past expenses (investments) and build in costs for future expenses.

“What we've seen in this rate case is time after time the company is coming in, you know, 100-plus percent above budget. And that's a strong indicator that the company doesn't have a great handle on project estimation,” Pereira said. “We've proposed that the company are disallowed some of these costs to bring some cost discipline and to bring some motivation to the company to do better in the future.”

moar

Xcel is one of the most dysfunctional organizations I've ever worked with.  Stupid decisions, incompetent people (not all, but many), excess spending, lots of politics.  I've worked with government agencies that are more functional than Xcel.

And you and I are funding that organization.