5.	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, 2012 appropriately represent, in all material respects, the current status of other rate matters, and are incorporated herein by reference.

Pending and Recently Concluded Regulatory Proceedings — CPUC

Base Rate

Colorado 2013 Gas Rate Case — In December 2012, PSCo filed a multi-year request with the CPUC to increase Colorado retail natural gas rates by $48.5 million in 2013 with subsequent step increases of $9.9 million in 2014 and $12.1 million in 2015. The request is based on a 2013 forecast test year, a 10.5 percent return on equity (ROE), a rate base of $1.3 billion and an equity ratio of 56 percent. PSCo is requesting an extension of its Pipeline System Integrity Adjustment (PSIA) rider mechanism to collect the costs associated with its pipeline integrity efforts, including accelerated system renewal projects. PSCo estimates that the PSIA will increase by $26.8 million in 2014 with a subsequent step increase of $24.7 million in 2015 in addition to the proposed changes in base rate revenue. In conjunction with the multi-year base rate step increases, PSCo is proposing a stay-out provision and an earnings test through the end of 2015 with a commitment to file a rate case to implement revised rates on Jan. 1, 2016.

In January 2013, the CPUC suspended the tariff filing and set the case for hearing. In order to accommodate the procedural schedule, rates will go into effect as filed on Aug. 10, 2013, subject to refund for the difference between the filed rates and the rates approved in the final CPUC order in the case.

On April 3, 2013, four parties filed answer testimony in the natural gas case. The CPUC Staff and Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) recommended changes to the level of integrity management costs moved from the PSIA rider to base rates. For clarity, PSCo will present base rate recommendations relative to deficiencies without the PSIA revenues to isolate the base rate impacts of the recommendations. PSCo's 2013 deficiency based on a Forecasted Test Year (FTY) net of PSIA changes was $45 million for 2013 and the revenue deficiency was $28.3 million based on a Historic Test Year (HTY).

The CPUC Staff recommended a rate reduction of $14.4 million, based on a HTY, an ROE of 9 percent and an equity ratio of 52 percent and other adjustments. The OCC recommended a rate increase of $0.5 million based on a HTY, an ROE of 9 percent and equity ratio of 51.03 percent and other adjustments. While the OCC did not recommend that the CPUC set rates using a FTY, they did calculate a revenue deficiency of $12.4 million for 2013. No other intervenor made ROE recommendations or specific recommendations regarding the revenue deficiency. The major adjustments to the test year proposed by the CPUC Staff and OCC are presented below.

(Millions of Dollars)	CPUC Staff			OCC
PSCo deficiency based on a HTY	$	28.3		$	28.3
ROE and capital structure adjustments		(20.8	)		(20.0	)
Move to a 13 month average from year end rate base		(5.7	)		(3.2	)
Remove pension asset		(5.9	)		-
Remove incentive compensation		(3.5	)		(0.2	)
Challenge known and measurable		-			(9.0	)
Eliminate depreciation annualization		-			(1.8	)
Revenue adjustments		(4.1	)		(1.4	)
Resulting tax impacts		1.5			4.7
Other adjustments		(4.2	)		3.1
Recommendation	$	(14.4	)	$	0.5

On April 26, 2013, the CPUC Staff filed supplemental testimony recommending an additional net disallowance of $1.6 million for adjustments and corrections.

On April 29, 2013, PSCo filed rebuttal testimony and revised its requested annual rate increase to $44.8 million for 2013, $9.0 million for 2014 and $10.9 million for 2015, based on an ROE of 10.3 percent. PSCo refutes the recommendations of the CPUC Staff and the OCC to disallow known and measurable adjustments and otherwise change regulatory precedent including moving from end of year rate base to average rate base for a HTY, removing the pension asset, removing incentive compensation and moving to an imputed capital structure. PSCo agreed to recover approximately $3.5 million of revenue requirement in the PSIA, rather than through base rates and accepted the CPUC Staff's recommendation to use deferred accounting to accommodate property tax increases.

Hearings are expected to start in May 2013 and a decision is expected in the third quarter of 2013.

Colorado 2013 Steam Rate Case — In December 2012, PSCo filed a request to increase Colorado retail steam rates by $1.6 million in 2013 with subsequent step increases of $0.9 million in 2014 and $2.3 million in 2015. The request is based on a 2013 forecast test year, a 10.5 percent ROE, a rate base of $21 million for steam and an equity ratio of 56 percent. Final rates are expected to be effective in the third quarter of 2013.

Next steps in the procedural schedule are expected to be as follows:

•

Staff/Intervenor Direct Testimony – Aug. 7, 2013

•

Rebuttal Testimony and Reverse Cross-Answer Testimony – Aug. 28, 2013

•

Evidentiary Hearings – Sept. 23-27, 2013

•

Post-Hearing Statement Position – Oct. 11, 2013

•

Proposed Findings – prior to Dec. 31, 2013

2011 Electric Rate Case Earnings Test — On April 1, 2013, PSCo filed a tariff implementing the earnings sharing mechanism compliance with the settlement and CPUC decision for PSCo's 2011 electric rate case. The earnings sharing mechanism is used to apply prospective electric rate adjustments for earnings in the prior year over PSCo's authorized ROE threshold of 10 percent. Based on the filing, PSCo's earnings did not exceed the established threshold. Any party disputing the calculation must file a notice with the CPUC identifying all issues by May 15, 2013.

Electric, Purchased Gas and Resource Adjustment Clauses

Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Sharing — In May 2011, the CPUC determined that margin sharing on stand-alone REC transactions would be shared 20 percent to PSCo and 80 percent to customers beginning in 2011 and ultimately becoming 10 percent to PSCo and 90 percent to customers by 2014. The CPUC also approved a change to the treatment of hybrid REC trading margins (RECs that are bundled with energy) that allows the customers' share of the margins to be netted against the renewable energy standard adjustment (RESA) regulatory asset balance.

In March 2012, the CPUC approved an annual margin sharing on the first $20 million of margins on hybrid REC trades of 80 percent to the customers and 20 percent to PSCo. Margins in excess of the $20 million are to be shared 90 percent to the customers and 10 percent to PSCo. The CPUC authorized PSCo to return to customers unspent carbon offset funds by crediting the RESA regulatory asset balance. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, PSCo credited the RESA regulatory asset balance $4.0 million and $28.7 million, respectively. The cumulative credit to the RESA regulatory asset balance was $86.8 million and $82.8 million at March 31, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2012, respectively. The credits include the customers' share of REC trading margins and the customers' share of carbon offset funds.

This sharing mechanism will be effective through 2014 to provide the CPUC an opportunity to review the framework and evidence regarding actual deliveries.