Serving the community since 1903
VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 50
WEEK OF DECEMBER 14, 2023
GLOWING MEMORIES Brighton lights Founders Plaza tree P3
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What is the reason for power cost increases? BY MARK JAFFE THE COLORADO SUN
Bill Levis has tracked the ups and downs of utility bills for the past 14 years, first as director of the state Office of Consumer Counsel and then as a consultant for AARP, which represents retirees and older citizens. And when it comes to electricity bills, especially from the state’s largest provider Xcel Energy, the trend has gone in only one direction — up. Since 2019 the average monthly residential bill, for 600 kilowatthours of electricity, has risen 38% to $92.12, based on company figures. Utility bills are one of the biggest regular dings to any household’s budget, and with every Xcel announcement, the High Cost of Colorado marches upward. “We know it is going to go even higher as we go to renewables and they phase out coal-fired plants,” said Levis, whose office was the predecessor to the Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate. SEE POWER, P9
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DEGREES OF ART The high temperature beauty of blown glass
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