Several years ago, ditching Black Hills may have seemed like the right thing to do. The South Dakota-based company’s management seemed insensitive to the concerns of ratepayers and the community at large. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission seemed disinterested in keeping Black Hills in check. And knowing what we knew then, a utility company run by the city of Pueblo didn’t seem like such an expensive and impractical proposition.

A lot has changed. Black Hills has eliminated some of its draconian cutoff policies and become a better corporate citizen. Pueblo now has a strong advocate on the PUC’s three-member board and Senate President Leroy Garcia is pushing forward with legislation intended to make the commission more sensitive to ratepayers.

Read more at The Pueblo Chieftain.