Platte River Power Authority

Giving you the power since 1973

Platte River Power Authority
and your local utility

Platte River Power Authority is a not-for-profit public power utility that generates reliable, financially sustainable and environmentally responsible electricity for our owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. You might not have heard of us, but we’ve partnered with electric utilities in our four communities to provide you with dependable power since 1973.

service-map-2

Vision, mission and values

Our vision

To be a respected leader and responsible power provider improving the region’s quality of life through a more efficient and sustainable energy future.

Our mission

While driving utility innovation, Platte River will safely provide reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to the owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland.

Our values

Safety

Without compromise, we will safeguard the public, our employees, contractors and assets we manage while fulfilling our mission.

Integrity

We will conduct business equitably, transparently and ethically while complying fully with all regulatory requirements.

Service

As a respected leader and responsible energy partner, we will empower our employees to provide energy and superior services to our owner communities.

Respect

We will embrace diversity and a culture of inclusion among employees, stakeholders and the public.

Operational excellence

We will strive for continuous improvement and superior performance in all we do.

Sustainability

We will help our owner communities thrive while working to protect the environment we all share.

Innovation

We will proactively deliver creative solutions to generate best-in-class products, services and practices.

A history of serving Northern Colorado

Anticipating future growth in the population of northern Colorado, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland came together to establish a new organization to meet their power needs. The result was the Platte River Power Authority. Today, we provide wholesale electric generation and transmission for:

Town of Estes Park

Population: 5,880
Utility: Estes Park Power
and Communications

City of Fort Collins​

Population: 168,538
Utility: Fort Collins Utilities

City of Longmont​

Population: 100,758
Utility: Longmont Power
& Communications

City of Loveland

Population: 77,194
Utility: Loveland Water
& Power

Celebrating 50 years of power

As we commemorate this important milestone, we’re planning for the next 50 years. Ensuring we continue to provide your family with safe, reliable power means investing in innovative, diverse sources of energy and partnering with the community at each step of the way. And as always, our foundational pillars will guide us as we chart a path forward:

icon2

Reliability

Providing a highly reliable supply of power to our owner communities

icon3

Environmental
responsibility

Achieving noncarbon energy goals and protecting our natural resources

icon1

Financial
sustainability

Managing financial risks, providing stable, competitive wholesale rates that generate adequate cash flow and maintain access to low-cost capital

The power of numbers

27

Substations

263

miles of wholly owned and operated high-voltage lines

522

miles of high-voltage lines jointly owned with other utilities

303

MW of wind energy

52

MW of solar energy and 2 MWh of battery storage

AA

credit rating, among the highest in the industry

2

herds of American Bison at our Rawhide Energy Station

See where your power comes from

The power of numbers

27

Substations

263

miles of wholly owned and operated high-voltage lines

522

miles of high-voltage lines jointly owned with other utilities

225

MW of wind energy

52

MW of solar energy and 2 MWh of battery storage

AA

credit rating, among the highest in the industry

2

herds of American Bison at our Rawhide Energy Station

See where your power comes from

Watch: A history of
Platte River Power Authority

Where we’ve been is just as important as where we’re headed. As we celebrate 50 years of giving you the power, we’re taking a look back at the people and milestones that have helped make us an energy leader since 1973.

Planning for our energy future

Going forward, we’ve set an aggressive goal to pursue a 100% noncarbon energy mix. We’ll accomplish this by investing in wind, solar and new technologies, retiring coal resources, and in the immediate future, bringing up to an additional 250 MW of solar power online by 2025. We’ve also developed a distributed energy resource (DER) strategy, with help from our owner communities and their customers. But there’s still more work to do before we can reach our goals. Learn about the future of your energy by reading our Strategic Plan and Integrated Resource Plan.

Asset 15@2x

100%

noncarbon
energy mix

right-arrow
left-arrow
Asset 14@2x

See how we are
giving you the power

Take control of your electricity use with Efficiency Works. Learn how to make your home or business more energy efficient, find available rebates and locate service providers to complete upgrades. Visit EfficiencyWorks.org for more information, or check the latest news on our website. Interested in what sources make up our current energy production mix? View real-time generation data.

What it takes to get to 100% noncarbon energy

Platte River’s resource planners work with industry and technical experts to accelerate renewable integration while maintaining the three core pillars of the organization: reliability, financial sustainability and environmental responsibility. The transition to a noncarbon energy future introduces both technical and economic challenges. Learn more about the challenges to achieving a 100% noncarbon resource mix from the American Public Power Association here.

Asset 15@2x
right-arrow
bison-logo

What's with
the bison logo?

We’re glad you asked. The bison in our logo is a reminder that responsibly operated generation facilities like ours can coexist peacefully with wildlife when proper care is taken. We’ve deemed them our environmental ambassadors. Today, two herds of American bison reside at our Rawhide Energy Station, where they’re taken care of by our staff.


TOP