Who Regulates Xcel Energy in Colorado? Meet the PUC

If you’ve never thought about the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, you’re probably in good company. “PUC” sounds like the kind of acronym buried halfway through a government document you definitely weren’t planning to read.

But the decisions made at the PUC can show up in a place that’s much harder to ignore: your monthly energy bill.

From how much utilities can charge customers to who pays for new energy infrastructure, the PUC plays a major role in Colorado’s energy system. And right now, as data centers create enormous new electricity demands for our state, decisions before the Commission could affect Coloradans for decades.