The Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Oct. 1 took multiple procedural steps in two expedited applications from Public Service Company of Colorado seeking authority to begin construction of Segment 5 of the Colorado Power Pathway transmission project in Albert and El Paso counties.

Staff recommended and the commission agreed to deem both applications complete and to hear the matters en banc rather than refer them to an administrative law judge. Advisory staff recommended joining each affected county as an indispensable party under the commission rules and acknowledged intervention-of-right filings from trial staff and the consumer office; the commission granted a motion for permissive intervention from COSA (Colorado Organization of Small-entity Advocates) in both dockets and deferred a separate intervention filed by Bare Ranch Land Holdings LLC for later consideration.

On timing, Public Service had asked the commission to adjudicate the matters on a 120-day timeline. Both Albert and El Paso counties opposed the expedited schedule and argued the proceedings will require extensive hearings and witness preparation. Staff recommended denying the 120-day expedited request and extending the potential decision timeline to the full 250 days permitted under the statute, while signaling a willingness to adopt a shorter schedule where feasible. The commission voted to deny the expedited-treatment request and adopt staff’s scheduling approach.

Staff also proposed specific near-term scheduling steps the commission adopted: hold required prehearing conferences Oct. 22 (Albert County, 1–2 p.m.; El Paso County, 2:30–3:30 p.m.); set an Oct. 15 deadline for parties to file a consensus procedural schedule or a motion proposing a procedural schedule; and ask counties to submit their preferred location for the public comment hearing at least 10 days before the prehearing conference (Oct. 13). Staff instructed parties to propose schedules that allow no fewer than eight weeks from hearing to requested decision date and to account for commissioners’ availability in February–March windows.

Next steps: Staff will prepare two ABC-style decisions—one for each proceeding—memorializing the procedural rulings and scheduling guidance; the commission indicated it will endeavor to resolve the matters sooner than 250 days where possible.