Utilities provide electricity at the retail and wholesale levels. Retail electric utilities provide electricity to power homes and businesses in Colorado, while wholesale electric utilities generate electricity and provide power for other utilities.
Depending on where retail customers are located within the state, customers may be served by an investor-owned utility, a cooperative utility or a municipal utility. Investor-owned utilities are for-profit corporations that are regulated by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Colorado has two investor-owned electric utilities -- Black Hills Energy and Public Service Company of Colorado, known as Xcel Energy. Coloradans are also served by 29 municipal utilities and 22 rural electric cooperatives. Since municipal and cooperative utilities are not operated as for-profit corporations, they are not regulated by the PUC.
Colorado Electric Utilities Service Territories
Electric Resource Adequacy Reporting
As required in HB23-1039, each electric utility providing retail or wholesale electricity services is required to submit an annual report detailing the adequacy of its electric resources to its regulating authority. The Colorado Energy Office aggregates these reports to assess reliability and electric resource adequacy as Colorado transitions to clean electricity.
Resources
-
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Colorado State Energy Profile
- 2010 Colorado Utilities Report
Investor-owned Utilities
Cooperative Utilities
- Colorado Rural Electric Association
- Tri-State Generation and Transmission (wholesale power)
Public Power & Municipal Utilities
- Arkansas River Power Authority (wholesale power)
- Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities
- Municipal Energy Association of Nebraska (wholesale power)
- Platte River Power Authority (wholesale power)
- Western Area Power Authority (wholesale power)