Electric Cooperative News
Learn about what other co-ops are doing.
San Miguel Power Association to investigate diversifying its power supply. May transition to a partial requirements contract with Tristate.
Former Tristate Rural Cooperative in New Mexico - 5 years after they left to go out on their own
In 2016, Kit Carson cooperative utility split from Tristate because they wanted to have more control over their energy resources and reduce their costs. Five years later, their CEO Luis Reyes updates us on how the transition is going.
Does a Rate Restructuring have to be bad for low income people?
At the heart of SDCEA’s proposed rate restructuring is a move to put more of the rates in fixed costs. SDCEA already has very high fixed costs even when compared to other Colorado rural cooperatives. But the proposed rate change would cement SDCEA as the highest in the state and one of the highest in the country. So why are utilities trying to move customers to high fixed rates? Are there other alternatives? This article discusses what a fair fixed fee is and how many rural utilities use cost of service models that attempt to put the bulk of their infrastructure in fixed costs (as SDCEA does), while state regulators are moving toward a customer model that puts most of those infrastructure costs in energy rates. What is the difference? Who is impacted? Find out in this article.
Check out what’s happening with LPEA down in Durango!
One of our sister cooperatives, La Plata Electric Association in Durango, considered leaving Tristate. What they decided on instead, was a “partial requirements” contract with Tristate (Tristate also supplies SDCEA with our power). Most utilities in the Tristate system (like SDCEA) have a contract with Tristate that requires them to get 95% of their electricity supply from Tristate. This partial requirements contract La Plata has entered into allows them to generate more of their own power and will immediately lead to an estimated savings of $7 million per year.
Mountain Parks Electric: We’re out of here!
One of our sister cooperatives, Mountain Parks Electric in Granby, has said they will be leaving Tristate by January 16, 2025. Mountain Parks serves 22,000 members in Colorado’s rugged Grand and Jackson counties. Read what BigPivots found out.