Ruling expected on Xcel Energy increase

By The AP
Thursday, March 21, 2013

DENVER — The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is set to rule Thursday on Xcel Energy’s request to recoup the last $17 million in expenses for its SmartGridCity project.

The cost of the Boulder-based pilot project has nearly tripled to $45 million. Xcel has recovered $28 million of the cost through customer rates and wants customers to pay the rest.

According to the Denver Post, SmartGridCity had been billed as the nation’s first comprehensive experiment of the smart grid, which uses communication and computer technology to manage electricity flows.