Decision Regarding the Scope of Work for the Independent Engineer in Public Service Company of Colorado's Power Pathway 345kV Transmission Project

Strategic Insights -

The Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado has issued a decision regarding the scope of work for the independent engineer (IE) in Public Service Company of Colorado's Power Pathway 345kV transmission project. The Commission has directed the Company to make certain modifications to the scope of work (SOW) to provide greater clarity regarding the content and filing of reports, establish the IE's ability to communicate with all parties to the proceeding, and establish the IE's ability to have certain ad hoc letters or reports submitted into the record of the proceeding.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Commission directed the Company to engage an Independent Engineer (IE) to provide oversight of the Company's management and procurement practices on behalf of ratepayers, as part of the Power Pathway 345kV transmission project.
  • The IE's responsibilities include attending the Company's project management status meetings on at least a monthly basis, reviewing the Company's carbon core conductor analysis, and providing quarterly reports to the parties.
  • The Commission also directed the Company to file the IE's quarterly reports into the proceeding within five days of receipt, and to make the IE's monthly cost analyses available to the Commission.
  • The Commission made three requests to modify the SOW, including making explicit the IE's right to communicate freely with all parties to the proceeding, and to address the conflicting assessments of carbon core conductors in the record.
  • The Commission has directed the Company and Staff to work with the IE to find ways to help address and clarify the conflicting assessments of carbon core conductors in the record.

Statistics:

  • The Power Pathway 345kV transmission project was granted a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity by the Commission on June 2, 2022.
  • The SOW submitted by the Company and Staff proposes that the IE attend project management status meetings on a monthly basis, with a total estimated cost of $X.
  • The SOW also proposes that the IE provide quarterly reports to the parties, with the first report due on January 31, 2023.
  • The Commission has directed the Company to file the IE's quarterly reports into the proceeding within five days of receipt, and to make the IE's monthly cost analyses available to the Commission.

Sources:

  • Decision No. C22-0736 BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO PROCEEDING NO. 21A-0096E IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO FOR CERTIFICATES OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR COLORADO'S POWER PATHWAY 345 KV TRANSMISSION PROJECT
  • Decision No. C22-0270, P 112 - 116
  • Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado Decision No. C22-0736 PROCEEDING NO. 21A-0096E