Rate Matters

Except to the extent noted below, the circumstances set forth in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements included in PSCo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2016 and in Note 5 to PSCo’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017, appropriately represent, in all material respects, the current status of other rate matters, and are incorporated herein by reference.

Pending Regulatory Proceedings — Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)

Colorado 2017 Multi-Year Electric Rate Case — In October 2017, PSCo filed a multi-year request with the CPUC seeking to increase electric rates approximately $245 million over four years. The request, summarized below, is based on forecast test years (FTY) ending Dec. 31, a 10.0 percent return on equity (ROE) and an equity ratio of 55.25 percent.



Revenue Request (Millions of Dollars)	2018		2019		2020		2021		Total
Revenue request	$	74.6	$	74.9	$	59.7	$	35.7	$	244.9
Clean Air Clean Jobs Act (CACJA) revenue conversion to base rates ^(a)	90.4		—		—		—		90.4
Transmission Cost Adjustment (TCA) revenue conversion to base rates ^(a)	42.7		—		—		—		42.7
Total ^(b)	$	207.7	$	74.9	$	59.7	$	35.7	$	378.0

Expected year-end rate base (billions of dollars) ^(b)	$	6.8	$	7.1	$	7.3	$	7.4


^(a)	The roll-in of each of the TCA and CACJA rider revenues into base rates will not have an impact on total customer bills or total revenue as these costs are already being recovered through a rider. Transmission investments for 2019 through 2021 will be recovered through the TCA rider.


^(b)	This base rate request does not include the impacts associated with the renewable energy standard adjustment and retail electric commodity adjustment for the Rush Creek wind investments or any impacts of the proposed Colorado Energy Plan.

Final rates are expected to be effective in June 2018. PSCo also proposed a stay-out provision and earnings test through 2021.

Colorado 2017 Multi-Year Natural Gas Rate Case — In June 2017, PSCo filed a multi-year request with the CPUC seeking to increase retail natural gas rates approximately $139 million over three years. The request, detailed below, is based on FTYs, a 10.0 percent ROE and an equity ratio of 55.25 percent.



Revenue Request (Millions of Dollars)	2018		2019		2020		Total
Revenue request	$	63.2	$	32.9	$	42.9	$	139.0
Pipeline System Integrity Adjustment (PSIA) revenue conversion to base rates ^(a)	—		93.9		—		93.9
Total	$	63.2	$	126.8	$	42.9	$	232.9

Expected year-end rate base (billions of dollars) ^(b)	$	1.5	$	2.3	$	2.4


^(a)	The roll-in of PSIA rider revenue into base rates will not have an impact on customer bills or total revenue as these costs are already being recovered through the rider. PSCo plans to request new PSIA rates for 2018 in November 2017. The recovery of incremental PSIA related investments in 2019 and 2020 are included in the base rate request.


^(b)	The additional rate base in 2019 predominantly reflects the roll-in of capital associated with the PSIA rider.

In October 2017, several parties filed answer testimony. The CPUC Staff (Staff) and the Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC), recommended a single 2016 historic test year (HTY), based on an average 13-month rate base, and opposed a multi-year plan (MYP). The Staff and OCC recommended an equity capital structure of 48.73 percent and 51.2 percent, respectively. Both the Staff and the OCC recommended the existing PSIA rider expire with the 2018 rates rolled into base rates beginning Jan. 1, 2019. Planned investments in 2019 and 2020 would be recoverable through base rates, subject to a future rate case.

The following represents adjustments to PSCo’s filed request made by Staff and OCC for 2018:



(Millions of Dollars)	Staff			OCC
Filed 2018 new revenue request	$	63.2		$	63.2
Impact of the change in test year	4.4			4.4
PSCo’s filed 2016 HTY	$	67.6		$	67.6

Recommended adjustments:
ROE (9.0 percent)	(13.5		)	(13.5		)
Capital structure and cost of debt	(10.2		)	(7.5		)
Change in amortization period	(5.4		)	—
Prepaid pension and retiree medical assets	(5.2		)	—
Change from 2016 year end to average rate base	(4.8		)	(4.8		)
Other, net	(5.0		)	(5.5		)
Total adjustments	$	(44.1	)	$	(31.3	)

Total recommended rate increase	$	23.5		$	36.3

The next steps in the procedural schedule are as follows:


•	Rebuttal testimony — Nov. 3, 2017;


•	Intervenor sur-rebuttal testimony — Nov. 15, 2017;


•	Hearings — Dec. 11 - 15 and 18 - 19, 2017; and


•	Statements of position — Jan. 19, 2018.

Interim rates, subject to refund, are expected to be effective Jan. 1, 2018. A final decision by the CPUC is anticipated in March 2018.

Annual Electric Earnings Test — PSCo must share with customers earnings that exceed the authorized ROE of 9.83 percent for 2015 through 2017, as part of an annual earnings test. The current estimate of the 2017 earnings test, based on annual forecasted information, did not result in the recognition of a liability as of Sept. 30, 2017.