Leading Through Energy Affordability | The Room Where Billion-Dollar Decisions Get Made —Colorado PUC Chair Eric Blank (S5:E4)

What happens in a room most people never think about — no cameras, no headlines, no viral moments — shapes every electricity bill in your state. In this episode of Just Power, Carolyn Parrs sits down with Eric Blank, Chair of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to manage the most expensive grid transformation in American history without leaving people behind. Eric brings a rare combination of regulatory authority and real-world developer experience to one of the most complex moments in energy history — where billion-dollar decisions, climate uncertainty, and kitchen-table affordability all collide.HighlightsWhy Colorado could see electricity demand grow 10 to 25 times faster than the last 15 years — and what that means for your bill.How the Commission is thinking about new large loads like data centers in Colorado.The creative financing tools Colorado is pioneering so ratepayers don't absorb the full weight of grid transformation.What 400,000 income-qualified customers tells us about the scale of the affordability crisis already underway.Why public testimony — from security guards to kids — still shapes how Eric makes billion-dollar decisions.What Eric would tell the next person who sits in his chair.About our guest: Eric Blank is the Chair of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, appointed by Governor Polis in January 2021 and reappointed in January 2025. Before joining the PUC, he spent nearly 20 years co-founding and running a pioneering national renewable energy company. Colorado PUC: https://dora.colorado.gov/; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-blank-35549144/About our host, Carolyn Parrs: Carolyn is a Senior Strategic Communications Leader and the CEO of Mind Over Markets. mindovermarkets.com; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynparrs/Just Power Podcast is about the human side of the clean energy transition. The podcast focuses on grid modernization, energy affordability, and community engagement — featuring leaders from utilities, policy, technology, and frontline communities navigating the real-world impacts of energy infrastructure change.🔔 Never Miss an Episode of This Series! Subscribe Now.YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJustPowerPodcast?sub_confirmation=1💖 Spread the LoveLike, comment, and share this episode with a friend, policymaker, or energy provider who needs to hear this.YouTubeFacebookInstagramNew Mexico State University MicrolearningMind Over MarketsLinkedIn