Xcel does an end run on the legislature — with an assist from Colorado’s PUC
Xcel is employing creative accounting to make the CEP look affordable, which is why it didn’t pass the smell test with my most business- and energy-savvy colleagues in 2017. Flaws in the company’s analysis became apparent during CEP hearings, thanks to diligent watchdog work by third parties and ratepayer advocates. But the plan won approval despite those dubious underpinnings and the doubts of some PUC members.