Section 40-3-104 - Changes in rates - notice(1)(a) In the case of a public utility other than a rail carrier, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this subsection (1), no change shall be made by any public utility in any rate, fare, toll, rental, charge, or classification or in any rule, regulation, or contract relating to or affecting any rate, fare, toll, rental, charge, classification, or service or in any privilege or facility, except after thirty days' notice to the commission and the public. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (a), changes in intrastate telecommunications services which have been determined by the commission to be competitive in nature, pursuant to the provisions of article 15 of this title, shall not be subject to any notice requirement, including, but not limited to, any requirement in this section whether or not denoted as a notice requirement.(c)(I) A public utility shall provide the notice required under subsection (1)(a) of this section by filing with the commission and keeping open for public inspection new schedules stating plainly the changes to be made in the schedules then in force and the time when the changes will go into effect. At the time of the public utility's filing with the commission, the public utility shall post the notice on its public website, including a reference to the docket numbers of relevant rules or adjudicatory matters, which posting must be conspicuously displayed on the website for at least thirty days. The commission may require transportation and water utilities to give additional notice in a manner set forth by order or rule. For public utilities other than transportation and water utilities, the commission shall require additional notice prior to an increase or other change in any rate, fare, toll, rental, charge, classification, or service, which additional notice may be made, at the option of the public utility, by any of the following methods: (A) Publication of a notice in each newspaper of general circulation in each county in which the public utility provides service, which notice shall be four columns wide and eleven inches high stating plainly the changes and shall be published once each week for two successive weeks during the first twenty days of the thirty-day period prior to the effective date of the increase or change. If notice is given by publication, public utilities other than those providing intrastate telecommunications services pursuant to section 40-15-104 (1) shall also be required to include, with each regular billing statement mailed to affected customers during the first regular billing cycle following the filing of the application for an increase or other change, a bill insert containing the same information contained in the notice by newspaper publication.(B) Mailing of a notice to each affected customer of the public utility during the first twenty days of the thirty-day period prior to the effective date of the increase or change;(C) Inclusion of an insert in, or a clear and conspicuous statement on, the bill mailed to each affected customer of the public utility during a regular billing cycle not later than the twentieth day of the thirty-day period prior to the effective date of the increase or change;(D) Subject to subsection (1)(c)(VII) of this section, not later than the twentieth day of the thirty-day period before the effective date of the increase or change, sending an e-mail or text message to each affected customer of the public utility for whom the utility has an e-mail address or a mobile telephone number; or(E) At the request of the public utility, such other manner as the commission may prescribe.(II) Such additional notice shall be sufficient if it states the total dollar amount sought to be raised by such increased rates or other changes and, if determinable at the time of filing, the average monthly increase, by dollar amount or percentage, to customers served under residential and small business tariffs; states the effective date or dates thereof; contains a general description of the types of services to be affected thereby; informs affected customers, other than residential and small business customers, where they may call to obtain information during the thirty-day period prior to the effective date of the proposed increases or changes concerning how such increases or changes will affect them; and includes the telephone number and address of the commission with instructions regarding the registration of a protest to the proposed increases or changes. Proof of additional notice shall be filed by the public utility with the commission.(III) Increases in rates, fares, tolls, rentals, or charges associated with electric and gas utility adjustment clauses are subject only to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.(IV) For public utilities other than transportation and water utilities, where increases or changes in any rate, fare, toll, rental, charge, classification, or service result from requested increases in revenue requirements and rate restructuring and are contained in a single advice letter or application, the additional notice required under subparagraphs (I) and (II) of this paragraph (c) shall be deemed sufficient if a single notice is given even if more than one proceeding is established by the commission with respect to the increases or changes.(V) In the case of a public utility that provides regulated intrastate telecommunications services: (A) Notice of a decrease in a rate or charge for any regulated telecommunications service shall be given by filing with the commission and keeping open for public inspection for a period of fourteen days the new schedule stating plainly the decrease to be made and the time that the decrease will become effective. Such decreases shall not be subject to any additional notice requirements.(B) Notice of changes in terms and conditions for any regulated telecommunications service shall be given by filing with the commission and keeping open for public inspection for a period of fourteen days the new schedule stating plainly the changes to be made in the terms and conditions and the time that the changes will become effective. Such changes in the terms and conditions shall not be subject to any additional notice requirements unless the commission determines that such additional notice is in the public interest. Any such additional notice shall be given in a manner specified by the commission.(VI) A public utility that provides additional notice pursuant to subsection (1)(c)(I) of this section must include in the additional notice: (A) The public utility's public website address; and(B) A toll-free telephone number associated with the public utility that a customer may call for additional information or assistance. If a public utility sends additional notice by e-mail or text message pursuant to subsection (1)(c)(I)(D) of this section, the e-mail or text message need not include all information required by this subsection (1)(c)(VI); however, the e-mail or text message must include a link to the portion of the public utility's public website where that information is posted.(VII) A public utility may provide additional notice pursuant to subsection (1)(c)(I)(D) of this section only if the public utility provides its customers with a mechanism by which a customer may opt out of receiving e-mail or text message notifications. For any customer that opts out, the public utility shall provide an alternate method of additional notice authorized under subsection (1)(c)(I) of this section.(2) The commission, for good cause shown, may allow changes with less notice than is required by subsection (1) of this section by an order specifying the changes so to be made and the time when they shall take effect and the manner in which they shall be filed and published.(3) When any change is proposed in any rate, fare, toll, rental, charge, or classification or in any form of contract or agreement or in any rule, regulation, or contract relating to or affecting any rate, fare, toll, rental, charge, classification, or service or in any privilege or facility, attention shall be directed to such change on the schedule filed with the commission immediately preceding or following the item.Amended by 2019 Ch. 359, § 10, eff. 5/30/2019.Amended by 2015 Ch. 291, § 1, eff. 8/5/2015.L. 13: p. 470, § 16. C.L. § 2927. CSA: C. 137, § 17. CRS 53: § 115-3-4. C.R.S. 1963: § 115-3-4. L. 84: Entire section amended, p. 1036, § 2, effective July 1. L. 85: (1)(a) and (1)(c) amended, p. 1296, § 1, effective May 19. L. 2000: (1)(b), (4), and (5) repealed, p. 215, § 1, effective March 29. L. 2002: (1)(c)(V) added, p. 200, § 2, effective August 7. L. 2015: IP(1)(c)(I) and (1)(c)(I)(D) amended, (SB 15-261), ch. 1188, p. 1188, § 1, effective August 5. L. 2019: IP(1)(c)(I), (1)(c)(I)(C), and (1)(c)(I)(D) amended and (1)(c)(I)(E), (1)(c)(VI), and (1)(c)(VII) added, (SB 19-236), ch. 3304, p. 3304, § 10, effective May 30.Section 31 of chapter 359 (SB 19-236), Session Laws of Colorado 2019, provides that the act changing this section applies to conduct, including power purchase agreements entered into and utility rate-based property development, occurring on or after May 30, 2019.
For the legislative declaration contained in the 2002 act enacting subsection (1)(c)(V), see section 1 of chapter 74, Session Laws of Colorado 2002.