HB 17-1232

House Bill 17-1232, also known as the "Public Utilities Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicles" bill, allows public utilities in Colorado to build and operate charging stations for electric vehicles and fueling stations for alternative fuel vehicles. These services can be provided either under regulated or unregulated conditions, depending on approval from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). If approved, utilities can recover costs related to these facilities through customer rates similar to how they recover costs for other infrastructure investments. This bill has been signed into law and is now in effect, meaning that public utilities can start applying to build such facilities with the possibility of cost recovery from all customers.

Official Summary

In an existing provision that authorizes resellers of electricity and natural gas to provide motor vehicle charging or fueling stations as unregulated services, the bill authorizes public utilities to provide these services as regulated or unregulated services and allows cost recovery. The bill allows a utility to apply to build facilities to support alternative fuel vehicles. Standards are set for approval. When a facility is built, the rate and charges for the services: May allow a return on any investment made by an electric public utility at the weighted average cost of capital at the electric public utility's most recent rate of return on equity approved by the public utilities commission (commission); May allow a return on any investment made by a natural gas public utility at the utility's weighted average cost of capital at the public utility's most recent rate of return on equity approved by the commission; and Must be recovered from all customers of an electric or natural gas public utility in a manner that is similar to the recovery of distribution system investments.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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