Summer Celebration: Making New Connections

Xcel Wins Approval for Electric and Gas Rate Hikes

Electricity and gas rates are increasing for Xcel Energy’s Colorado customers but not as much as the company wanted.

After regulators at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission considered both requests, they made final decisions recently.

Electricity rates are increasing 4.77% per month for residents or an average of $5. The request from the utility was cut 56% by the regulators.

The PUC also adopted protections to keep monthly bills to a percentage of a customer’s income.

Natural gas rates will increase by 8.6% or an average of $5.16 a month, compared to the original proposal of an 11.4% increase.

The PUC also approved a $5 million shareholder-funded contribution to Xcel’s Gas Affordability Program, which will come from Xcel Energy’s corporate profits—not from customer rates. These funds will provide a stronger safety net for income-qualified customers.

These are among the resources to help those trying to save on utility bills:

• The Colorado Energy Savings Navigator free online tool, which identifies energy assistance, rebates, incentives, and programs designed for families in Colorado 
• PUC Consumer page and affordability webpage; and link to Xcel Energy’s PIPP program. 

Make your Voice Heard on Data Center Guardrails

After the Colorado legislature failed to enact safeguards on giant data centers, Climate CitiSuns turned their attention to the PUC where Xcel Energy has proposed a Large Load Tariff (Docket No. 26AL-0137E) for huge energy users.

The utility is proposing specific rules for energy users of 50MW or more, such as hyperscale data centers. Climate advocates believe improvements are needed to protect ratepayers from paying for the energy and water- hungry data centers.

About 60 climate advocates spoke at an August hearing, arguing that promised greenhouse gas reductions should not be derailed by data centers, and that consumers must be protected from financial and environmental damage.

October 20 is another opportunity to make your voice heard by signing up at a second public hearing from 4-6 p.m. Register Here

Our partners have put together a public comment toolkit for you to use that highlights background information, talking points, tips, and guidance on submitting comments. 

The Colorado Renewable Energy Society recently completed an updated policy statement on data centers which is available here: Policy Statement on Hyperscale Data Centers.

Plug-In Solar Heading to Colorado Soon

In May, the Colorado legislature passed HB 26-1007 to make it easier for residents to generate their own solar power.

The plug-in solar section allows for solar systems up to 1920 watts (about four 480 watt panels) to be installed without utility permission or typical electrician installation.

A special all in one microinverter converts solar to alternating current and plugs directly into an outlet at the home. That power is fed through that circuit to the whole house or apartment. The microinverter that provides the AC power to the house is isolated in the case of a power outage so it shuts down. These microinverters must be UL1741 listed, (The standard UL listing for inverters.) The panels that would provide the full wattage (1920 watts) allowed by the law can be quite large for a typical balcony--a 440 watt panel is about 67.8 x 44.6 inches.

The new law, which allows plug-in solar without a permit on January 1, 2027, also limits the restrictions that landlords and HOA’s can place on these energy saving systems. They cannot be prohibited but reasonable rules regarding installation and upkeep can be instituted. 

The plug-in system is a kit that includes panels, the microinverter, and connection to an outlet. Kits typically are 400-800 watts. Larger kits are available from NAZ Solar. A comparison of readily available kits shows the pros and cons of various offers: https://whydidmybillspike.com/blog/best-balcony-solar-kits-2026/.

These systems are relatively small producers and work differently from solar battery generators. New Energy Colorado has already presented information about back-up battery generators at community forums and the current blog article evaluates them. Plug in solar does not utilize a battery.

The second part of the new law addresses large roof-top systems for customers who don’t have enough power service to add the solar feed to their breakers. The solution is a meter collar that allows solar to feed right into the meter. All utilities are required to provide at least one meter collar option to these customers. The provisions of the law take effect January 1, 2027.

Read more:

Is Plug-in Solar Legal in Colorado (2026) https://plugrule.com/states/colorado/

Balcony Solar Has Arrived (special deal for small system with membership) https://www.brightsaver.org/balcony-solar-kits

While many federal programs to help people save on renewable energy and energy efficiency have ended, the state of Colorado's comprehensive portal can help you find anything you might qualify for:

Colorado Energy Savings Navigator | Public Utilities Commission

To add your organization to our list of sponsors for 2026-2027 Please contact support@newenergycolorado.org

More information at https://www.newenergycolorado.org/greenhomestours