BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

PROCEEDING NO. 18M-0074EG

_____________________________________________________________________________

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE

FEDERAL TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT OF 2017 ON THE RATES OF COLORADO
INVESTOR-OWNED ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS UTILITIES.
_____________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION OF RIGHT AND ENTRY OF APPEARANCE OF
THE COLORADO OFFICE OF CONSUMER COUNSEL
_______________________________________________________________________________

Pursuant to Decision No. C18-0075 issued on February 1, 2018, in this Proceeding and in

accordance with Rules 4 CCR 723-1-1200(a)(V), 1201(c), 1204, 1401(a), and 1401(b), of the

Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, § 40-6.5-104, C.R.S., the Colorado Office of
Colorado PUC E-Filings System

Consumer Counsel (“OCC”), by and through its undersigned counsel, files its Notice of

Intervention of Right and Entry of Appearance in the above-captioned Proceeding. As grounds for

this pleading, the OCC states as follows:

1. The OCC is an intervenor as of right in Proceeding Nos. 17AL-0363G (Public

Service Company of Colorado Gas Rate Case), 17AL-0649E (Public Service Company of Colorado

Electric Rate Case), 17AL-0429G (Atmos Energy Gas Rate Case) and Proceeding No. 17AL-0654G,

)Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Rate Case).

2. On December 22, 2017, the day President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and

Jobs Act (“TCJA”) and on December 26, 2017, the next business day thereafter, the OCC filed

motions to reopen the records in Proceeding Nos. 17AL-0363G and 17AL-0429G, respectively. In

Proceeding No. 17AL-0363G, the motion to reopen the record was taken under advisement by the

Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) after he conducted oral argument. In Proceeding No. 17AL-

0429G, the motion was denied by the ALJ.

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 3. In Proceeding No. 17AL-0649E, the OCC entered into a settlement Agreement with

Public Service Company of Colorado to address the TCJA that is pending before the Commission.

In addition, in Proceeding No. 17AL-0654G, the Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Rate Case, the OCC

addressed the TCJA in its Answer Testimony filed on January 19, 2018.

4. Therefore, the OCC has been actively and aggressively addressing the impact of

TCJA in the appropriate pending cases. Moreover, as noted in the Commission’s decision here, the

primary purpose of the OCC’s efforts has been to ensure that Colorado utility consumers benefit

from the reduction in the federal corporate income taxes through lower rates that become effective

on January 1, 2018, the date the TCJA took effect.

5. Rule 1401(b) of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, §§ 40-6.5-104

and 106(b), C. R. S. provide the basis for the OCC’s Intervention of Right. Activity in this

proceeding will directly affect the public interest, which the OCC is mandated to represent, and the

constituency that the OCC is statutorily directed to represent, namely the specific interests of

residential consumers, agricultural consumers, and small business consumers.

6. For these reasons, the OCC may intervene as a matter of right in this Proceeding in

accordance with § 40-6.5-106(1)(b) and (2), C.R.S.

7. The undersigned First Assistant Attorney General Thomas F. Dixon as well as

Senior Assistant Attorney General Gregory E. Bunker and Assistant Attorney General Brent

Coleman and enter their appearances in this proceeding on behalf of the OCC.

8. This Notice of Intervention of Right and Entry of Appearance is timely filed.

9. The OCC requests that paper and electronic copies of all pleadings, correspondence,

notices, rulings, orders, decisions, testimony, exhibits, discovery, and/or notices of any open

meetings relating to this proceeding be forwarded to:

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 Gregory Bunker Thomas F. Dixon
Senior Assistant Attorney General First Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General Office of the Attorney General
1300 Broadway, 7th Floor 1300 Broadway, 7th Floor
Denver, Colorado 80203 Denver, Colorado 80203
(720) 508-6212 (720) 508-6214
gregory.bunker@coag.gov thomas.dixon@coag.gov

Brent Coleman Cindy Schonhaut, Director

Assistant Attorney General Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel
Office of the Attorney General Department of Regulatory Agencies
1300 Broadway, 7th Floor 1560 Broadway, Suite 200
Denver, Colorado 80203 Denver, Colorado 80202
(720) 508-6213 (303) 894-2224
brent.coleman@coag.gov cindy.schonhaut@state.co.us

Chris Neil Ron Fernandez

Rate/Financial Analyst Rate/Financial Analyst
Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel
Department of Regulatory Agencies Department of Regulatory Agencies
1560 Broadway, Suite 200 1560 Broadway, Suite 200
Denver, Colorado 80202 Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 894-2124 (303) 894-2123
chris.neil@state.co.us ron.fernandez@state.co.us

Scott England Cory Skluzak

Economist Rate/Financial Analyst
Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel
Department of Regulatory Agencies Department of Regulatory Agencies
1560 Broadway, Suite 200 1560 Broadway, Suite 200
Denver, Colorado 80202 Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 894-2125 (303) 894-2118
chris.neil@state.co.us cory.skluzak@state.co.us

In addition, please send any electronic documents to Tim Villarosa

at tim.villarosa@state.co.us, Ingrid Hassell at ingrid.hassell@coag.gov and to Hector Arreola

at hector.arreola@state.co.us.

WHEREFORE, the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel intervenes in this proceeding

and its attorneys enter their appearances.

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Respectfully submitted this 2nd day of February 2018.

Cynthia H. Coffman
Attorney General

By: Thomas F. Dixon

Thomas F. Dixon, 500
First Assistant Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
1300 Broadway, 7th Floor
Denver, CO 80203
720-508-6214
thomas.dixon@coag.gov
ATTORNEYS FOR THE OFFICE
OF CONSUMER COUNSEL

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 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

The undersigned certifies that on February 2, 2018, a true copy of the foregoing NOTICE OF
INTERVENTION OF RIGHT AND ENTRY OF APPEARANCE OF THE COLORADO
OFFICE OF CONSUMER COUNSEL was filed via electronic filing with the Commission and served
on those parties shown on the Commission’s Certificate of Service.

s/ Ingrid Hassell
Ingrid Hassell