Issuing marching orders to state agencies including the Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, Gov. Jared Polis called on state agencies to work collaboratively with the state’s utilities and others to help reduce the burgeoning burden of bills for energy on Coloradans.

“We must leave no stone unturned to save Coloradans money on utility bills,” Polis said.

Immediately after Polis’ address Monday, a coalition of energy businesses, labor unions and non-profit organizations called a press conference of their own in a chilly outdoor courtyard to discuss high energy costs and what they are doing to give ratepayers some relief.

“Today, I’m pleased to announce that this coalition has committed more than a million dollars to help low-income Coloradans pay their energy bills, including a gift to Energy Outreach Colorado,” said Gary Arnold, business manager for the Denver Pipefitters Union Local 208.

Energy Outreach Colorado, a non-profit network of industry, state, and local partners helping Coloradans with their energy needs, says it has invested more than $410 million in affordable energy programs since its founding in 1989.

“One in four Coloradoans currently qualifies for energy assistance programs, and we recognize this has been a terribly difficult year for so many families,” Executive Director Jennifer Gremmert said. “Our toll free call center, (1+) 866-432-8435, is receiving 16 to 18,000 calls a week for people requiring energy assistance. These are our grandmothers. These are our neighbors. This is someone who lost their job. This is a mother who has a child in a health crisis.” 

“In the short term, our companies have comprehensive programs that nearly 5% of our Colorado customers have accessed for over $80 million in relief this year alone,” said Bob Frenzel, CEO of Xcel Energy. “Over the longer term, we’re set to partner with our state government, our local NGOs and other companies to look at continuously improving how we deliver energy cost affordably, reliably to our customers.”

Offer Coloradans relief from crushing energy bills, Polis tells utility regulators, energy office

Asked if Xcel should be contributing more of its $1.7 billion in reported profits to reducing customer rates across the board by The Denver Gazette’s news partner 9News, Franzel replied: “Look, we’re empathetic. We’re sympathetic to the challenges that our customers are experiencing.

“We’re trying to provide access through our programs, through the state programs, through the federal programs to direct our customers to all the assistance they need to manage their homes, their lives, and to make sure that they don’t have to make tough decisions.” 

Addressing Gov. Polis’ announcement, Lynn Granger, Executive Director of the American Petroleum Institute Colorado expressed disappointment that his orders did not include working with the natural gas and oil industry to incentivize production to increase supply.

“At the end of the day, this is a supply and demand issue, and supply is low,” Granger said. “The Energy Information Administration predicts that we will need more oil and natural gas in the future, not less. We have got to increase supply to meet the need.”

What does the Colorado Public Utilities Commission do?

But, she said, that requires better collaboration with the state on policies and regulations.

“We stand ready to work with the governor, with state agencies, and come to the table, but in order to be part of the solution, we have to be part of the conversation,” said Granger.

The uncertainty caused by years of rapid-fire regulatory changes are more than a headache for energy companies, say industry representatives.

“We’ve had over 30 rulemakings in the past 10 years in Colorado,” said Dan Haley, president and CEO of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. “I know that’s more than any state in the country. There are at least eight, potentially 10, rulemakings on the books for this year alone — all looking at pretty much every aspect of oil and natural gas industry.”

Haley said it’s time to let the regulations settle so energy companies can figure out how to comply and still operate in Colorado by creating a stable and predictable regulatory environment.

The nation’s largest natural gas-only energy company agrees.

“Over the past 10 years, while our production was going up, emissions from our industry went down more than 50%,” said Ken Fogle, vice president for marketing at Atmos Energy.

“We are blessed here in Colorado to have the second largest natural gas reserves in the country here in the western slope of Colorado,” Fogle said. “We just need the political will to develop that resource so we can safely and responsibly deliver it to customers across Colorado.”

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While renewables saved Coloradans $400 million in avoided fuel costs last year alone, says Xcel Energy’s Robert Kenney, a more diversified supply is needed.

“We agree with our industry partners at Colorado Oil and Gas Association and API Colorado that we need all energy sources and access to an even more diversified supply to help ensure reliability, to keep costs affordable, and to drive economic growth across this great state,” Kenney said.