The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) serves the public interest by effectively regulating utilities and facilities so that the people of Colorado receive safe, reliable, and reasonably priced services consistent with the economic, environmental, and social values of our state. The Fixed Utilities sections of the Commission include economists, rate/financial analysts, engineers, and administrative support, supplemented by outside experts. The staff within these sections work together as a team to challenge, develop, present, and recommend complex economic, financial, engineering, and legal proposals regarding utility regulation. The staff functions both in uncontested proceedings as well as in formal litigated proceedings before the Commission. In performing these functions, the work unit must balance the need for financially healthy utilities with the needs of consumers for safe, reliable electric, gas, steam, water, or geothermal utility service at rates that are just and reasonable. The work unit must assist the Commission in the evolution of new regulatory structures in the face of a changing business environment brought about by: increased focus on consumer protection; emerging technologies and increasing competition in many areas of utility operations; emerging understanding of environmental impacts and related costs of traditional utility services; and an increased legislative focus on energy and environmental policies. Specifically, the Economics Section staff provides the economic expertise necessary to permit the PUC to carry out its statutory mandate to achieve a regulatory environment that provides safe, reliable, and quality services to electric, natural gas, steam, propane distribution, and water utility customers on just and reasonable terms. The economists provide analysis and examination of utility proposals and make technical and policy recommendations via testimony or advisory memorandum, and briefings. The work involves the application of financial and/or accounting standards, advanced economic analyses, and state and federal rules and regulations to analyze applications for rate establishment or changes in rates and terms of service by public utilities. Frequently, the economics staff works as members of multi-disciplinary teams comprised of accountants, financial and policy analysts, engineers, statisticians, auditors, lawyers, and other economists to analyze all aspects of rate requests or applications for utility programs and proposals, or to perform investigations or audits. Position: SGA 5128 The purpose of the Senior Economist position within the Economics Section is to provide the Commission with economic analysis and policy and/or technical recommendations through advisory meetings or memorandum when in an advisory role, or through written and oral testimony when in a trial staff advocacy or litigant role. This economic analysis focuses primarily on utility rate design, revenue requirements, the allocation of costs across functional categories, rate recovery mechanisms, and rate classes, and electric resource planning. This position’s purpose is to review and evaluate utility filings in conjunction with other Senior Economists and the Chief Economist, to provide research support to the Economics Section, to formulate recommendations and expert testimony resulting from review of utility filings, and to often serve as the lead in litigated proceedings before the Commission. The scope of the analyses includes cost allocation, consumer cost impacts, alternative cost recovery methodologies, cost and environmental assessment of generation resource options, and other policy goals. Duties include, but are not limited to:Performing economic and financial analysis for revenue requirement cases, rate design proposals, evaluation of proposed utility investments and financing mechanisms, other utility proposals, including developing potential alternatives; Assisting in the evaluation of large and complex data sets and conducting economic, statistical, and financial analysis related to public utilities;Providing specific recommendations within the Section and working with other professionals, including engineers, economists, rate financial analysts, and legal counsel from the Office of the Attorney General;Examining and investigating the books and records of regulated utilities in order to verify that utility applications and tariff filings meet generally accepted regulatory practices, as well as Commission rules;Reviewing the reasonableness of utility proposals; performing economic analyses as a basis for recommendations to approve, modify, or deny utility applications or tariff filings; and interpreting and implementing policies for utility cost recovery;Performing research as directed by the Commission or the Section Chief regarding employment, economics, demographics, energy, and other data sets to help inform the analyses and recommendations of the Economics Section in various proceedings.