AN A320 PIC USES HIS EMER AUTH TO DSND BACK TO HIS PREVIOUSLY AUTH ALT WHEN ENCOUNTERING SEVERE TURB IN A CLB THROUGH FL367 20 MI W OF LAA; CO.

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BECAUSE OF FORECAST TURB ENRTE; I BRIEFED CABIN AND PAX TO EXPECT TURB THE ENTIRE RTE. WE ENCOUNTERED TURB STARTING ABOUT 100 MI E OF LAS (RTE WAS LAS TO BOS). W OF LAMAR VOR (LAA) WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB AT FL330. ZDV RPTED A BETTER RIDE AT FL370; WHICH WE REQUESTED. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH ZDV; FREQ 134.12. CLBING THROUGH FL367; WE SUDDENLY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. THE SEATBELT SIGN HAD BEEN ON SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE FLT. WE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED DSCNT BACK DOWN TO FL330. THE ACFT WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY; BUT NOT OUT OF CTL. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ZDV ON 134.12 AND THE PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED FREQ WITHOUT SUCCESS; I DIRECTED THE COPLT TO SQUAWK 7700 WHILE I INITIATED DSCNT BACK DOWN TO FL330 WHILE CONTINUING TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ZDV. I THEN DIRECTED THE COPLT TO SQUAWK 7600. WHEN THE RIDE IMPROVED; WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT ZDV ON FREQ 127.65. THIS FREQ WAS CONGESTED WITH XMISSIONS OF CONFUSION. APPARENTLY JUST AS WE ENTERED THE SEVERE TURB; ZDV EXPERIENCED A PWR FAILURE. HENCE THE COM FAILURE. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE CTLR; HE TOLD US THAT 'YOU DID THE RIGHT THING AND NO FURTHER ACTION IS NECESSARY.' THOUGH I SQUAWKED 7700; I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AFTER CONTACT WAS RE-ESTABLISHED. WE RPTED; VIA RADIO; THE TURB TO OUR OPS AND MAINT CTL AS PER OPS SPECS. WE SUFFERED 2 VERY MINOR INJURIES TO PAX AND THOUGH WE COORDINATED WITH COMPANY MEDICAL AND AN 'ONBOARD' PHYSICIAN; MEDICAL TREATMENT WAS NOT REQUIRED AND FURTHER ASSISTANCE DECLINED BY THE 2 AFFECTED PAX.