(1) (a) A utility is entitled to fully recover the costs that it prudently incurs in executing an approved emission reduction plan, including the costs of planning, developing, constructing, operating, and maintaining any emission control or replacement capacity constructed pursuant to the plan, as well as any interim air quality emission control costs the utility incurs while the plan is being implemented.
(b) The general assembly finds that the emissions reductions under this part 2 are being made to assist the state of Colorado to comply with current and reasonably foreseeable emission restrictions under federal law. To provide this assistance, the utility is being asked to make substantial capital investments and to enter into substantial contractual commitments in an expedited time period outside of the normal resource planning process.
(2) (a) If a public utility's wholesale sales are subject to regulation by the federal energy regulatory commission, and if the public utility sells power on the wholesale market from a project developed pursuant to the plan, the commission shall determine whether to assign a portion of the plan cost to be recovered from the public utility's wholesale customers. The commission may make such assignment to the extent that it does not conflict with the public utility's wholesale contracts entered into before April 19, 2010.
(b) Except as specified in paragraph (c) of this subsection (2), if the commission makes an assignment of costs pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) and if the utility applies to the federal energy regulatory commission for recovery and pursues that application in good faith, then:
To the extent that the federal energy regulatory commission does not permit recoveryof the allocated wholesale portion of plan-related investment, the commission shall approve retail rates sufficient to recover such disallowed wholesale portion of the investment through the recovery mechanism detailed in this section; and
The public utility may not recover any revenue shortfall caused by a delay in makingany filing with the federal energy regulatory commission or due to any rate suspension period employed by the federal energy regulatory commission or because the public utility failed to pursue recovery of the amounts at the federal energy regulatory commission in good faith.
(c) If the public utility fails to apply to the federal energy regulatory commission within six months after the commission's final order assigning a portion of the plan's costs to the public utility's wholesale customers, the public utility is not entitled to recover the assigned portion of the costs from its retail customers.
Current recovery shall be allowed on construction work in progress at the utility'sweighted average cost of capital, including its most recently authorized rate of return on equity, for expenditures on projects associated with the plan during the construction, startup, and preservice implementation phases of the projects.
To the extent that an approved plan includes the early conversion or closure of coalbased generation capacity by January 1, 2015, and to the extent that the utility demonstrates that a lag in the recovery of the costs of the plan related to the investment required by such plan contributes to a utility earning less than its authorized return on equity, the commission shall employ rate-making mechanisms, in addition to allowing a current return on construction work in progress, that permit rate adjustments, no less frequently than once per year, without requiring the utility to file a general rate case to allow recovery of the approved plan's costs. Such ratemaking mechanisms may include a separate rate adjustment clause, regular make-whole rate increases, or other appropriate mechanisms as determined by the commission.
During the time any special regulatory practice is in effect, the utility shall file a newrate case at least every two years or file a base rate recovery plan that spans more than one year.
The commission shall allow, but not require, the utility to develop and own as utilityrate-based property any new electric generating plant constructed primarily to replace any coalfired electric generating unit retired pursuant to the plan filed under this part 2.
Source: L. 2010: Entire part added, (HB 10-1365), ch. 140, p. 472, § 1, effective April 19.