When most people think of advocacy, they picture testimony at the State Capitol or meetings with elected officials. While those moments matter, some of the most important conversations happen long before legislation is debated or rules are finalized.
Recently, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed Chairman Eric Blank and Director Rebecca White from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to Mesa County for an in-depth roundtable with business leaders, utility providers, elected officials, industry representatives, and community stakeholders. The purpose was straightforward: ensure the voices of Western Colorado employers, workers, and households are heard by those making decisions that shape our state’s future.
Affordability is no longer an abstract policy discussion. It is a kitchen table issue for families, a workforce issue for employers, and a competitiveness issue for Colorado’s economy.
While many Coloradans may not be familiar with the Public Utilities Commission, its work touches nearly every household and business in the state. The three-member commission, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Colorado Senate, oversees investor-owned electric, natural gas, water, telecommunications, and transportation utilities. From approving infrastructure investments to establishing the regulatory framework that guides these essential services, the commission’s decisions play a significant role in shaping reliability, affordability, and the overall cost of doing business in Colorado.
Throughout the discussion, Chairman Blank shared that affordability remains one of the commission’s highest priorities as Colorado balances growing energy demand, aging infrastructure, and the investments necessary to maintain a reliable energy system. That recognition created an important foundation for a productive conversation. From there, the Chamber challenged the discussion to consider not only individual rate cases, but the cumulative effect public policy has on employers, employees, and households across the Western Slope.
As businesses continue to absorb higher insurance premiums, wage pressures, housing costs, taxes, regulatory compliance, and utility expenses, every additional increase matters. Looking at any one policy in isolation risks missing the broader economic picture.
During the discussion, Chamber President and CEO Candace Carnahan challenged the commission to view affordability through that broader lens.
“We’re not paying individual increases individually. It’s cumulative. It’s cumulative in the pockets of our workforce, in our businesses.”
Carnahan also reminded the commission that businesses rarely resemble the “average customer” often referenced in policy discussions.
Restaurants operate refrigeration around the clock. Manufacturers power specialized equipment. Healthcare providers cannot simply reduce consumption during peak demand. Agricultural operations experience significant seasonal fluctuations. For these employers, energy use is driven by operational necessity, making the cumulative impact of regulatory decisions especially significant.
The conversation extended well beyond utility rates. Participants discussed natural gas reliability, transmission infrastructure, workforce impacts, permitting, future energy demand, and the importance of maintaining an environment where businesses can continue to invest, hire, and grow. Legislators, employers, utility representatives, and industry experts each contributed perspectives that underscored the complexity of balancing Colorado’s ambitious goals with the realities facing communities today.
The Chamber has long believed that the best public policy is informed by those who live with its consequences every day. Convening regulators, legislators, employers, and community leaders in the same room creates opportunities to move beyond headlines and political rhetoric to better understand how decisions made in Denver affect businesses, workers, and families on the Western Slope.
Advocacy is not simply opposing or supporting legislation. It is creating meaningful dialogue, asking thoughtful questions, and ensuring the experiences of Mesa County’s employers help shape the decisions that affect their future.
As the conversation drew to a close, Carnahan left the commission with a challenge that reflects the Chamber’s approach to advocacy:
“We hope what you’re hearing here today stays in your mind as you continue to work with your teams, talk amongst the three of you, and make these decisions. We do it as businesses. In a perfect world, this is what we want. But how can reality support that in a sustainable way?”
The roundtable reinforced something the Chamber hears from employers every day: no single policy or rate increase exists in isolation. Business owners make decisions based on the total cost of operating, investing, hiring, and growing.