Learn more about the benefits of public power from the American Public Power Association.
Giving you the power
We are Platte River Power Authority, a not-for-profit, community-owned public power utility. For more than 50 years we have proudly generated safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity for our owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado. We do this through the distribution of wholesale, local power with our network of partner distribution utilities in Northern Colorado:
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
We were formed to help the owner communities deliver a vital public health and safety service as reliably and affordably as possible. It is at the core of who we are.
Jason Frisbie, CEO
Powering a sustainable future with a past built on bold initiatives
We’ve always worked hard to do what’s right for our communities. And that’s clear from Platte River’s history, where, since 1973, we’ve made it a priority to build with the future in mind. Forward-thinking ideas are part of the fabric of our organization and allow us to always keep your interests at heart – ideas like being the first utility to bring wind energy to Colorado, operating the first energy station in the nation to utilize biodiesel fuel, and leading a renewable energy transition that has added nearly one million megawatt-hours of hydropower, wind, solar and battery storage to our portfolio. Today, each of these bold initiatives has led us to our most ambitious goal yet: decarbonizing our entire energy portfolio.
Powering a sustainable future with a past built on bold initiatives
We’ve always worked hard to do what’s right for our communities. And that’s clear from Platte River’s history, where, since 1973, we’ve made it a priority to build with the future in mind. Forward-thinking ideas are part of the fabric of our organization and allow us to always keep your interests at heart – ideas like being the first utility to bring wind energy to Colorado, operating the first energy station in the nation to utilize biodiesel fuel, and leading a renewable energy transition that has added nearly one million megawatt-hours of hydropower, wind, solar and battery storage to our portfolio. Today, each of these bold initiatives has led us to our most ambitious goal yet: decarbonizing our entire power grid.
Our plan to create a 100% noncarbon future
for every person in our communities represents a phased, methodical approach that involves:
Phasing out coal
We’re retiring our coal-powered energy station, Rawhide Unit 1, approximately two decades before its planned retirement and transitioning our employees to operate other resources.
Investing in renewables
We’ve tripled solar capacity, grown wind generation seven-fold and added battery storage capacity. Going forward, we’ll continue to add even more sources of renewable energy to our portfolio.
Long-term reliability
We’re participating in energy markets that allow us to buy and sell the excess power we generate and supporting our continued reliability by using natural gas for backup generation
Our mission: equity in energy
At Platte River, we make decisions with your best interests in mind, and we always put people before profit. While we’re carefully plotting our way forward, our goal remains clear: we’re committed to an equitable energy transition that uses a 100% carbon-free energy mix. We believe this approach allows every member of our communities – no matter their financial background – to share equally in the benefits of a power grid built on clean energy sources. And, as always, throughout this process, we’re dedicated to maintaining reliability and financial sustainability. It’s what our communities have asked for, it’s the right thing to do for the environment, and it aligns with the foundational pillars we’ve held since 1973:
Reliability
Providing an uninterrupted supply of power to Plate River’s owner communities
Environmental
responsibility
Working toward our noncarbon energy goals and protecting our state’s natural resources
Financial
sustainability
Managing financial risks and working to ensure affordable, stable rates
Platte River is public power
Platte River Is Public Power
Our ambitious, community-driven goal is driven by you, our owner communities, and by being a locally-owned public power utility. This means we’re accountable to the communities we serve and governed by our local board of directors representing our service area. We are proud to be public power where we live, work and serve the very communities who own us. As a consumer of Platte River’s public power, you can expect:
Reliable service at competitive costs.
Accountability to the communities we serve.
Transparent decision-making that gives you a voice.
Not-for-profit operation that serves your interests.
Environmental stewardship that prioritizes sustainable practices.
Platte River is public power
Our ambitious, community-driven goal is driven by you, our owner communities, and by being a locally-owned public power utility. This means we’re accountable to the communities we serve and governed by our local board of directors representing our service area. We are proud to be public power where we live, work and serve the very communities who own us. As a consumer of Platte River’s public power, you can expect:
Reliable service at competitive costs.
Accountability to the communities we serve.
Transparent decision-making that gives you a voice.
Not-for-profit operation that serves your interests.
Environmental stewardship that prioritizes sustainable practices.
Our plan to give you the power
While ambitious, the path to noncarbon energy has been carefully planned since 2017, when we began considering the challenges of a zero-net carbon energy portfolio. Those initial steps indicated big changes were needed, so we set to work designing two critical tools to help us ensure our decisions balanced the need for progress with the ability to continue bringing you reliable, equitable power.
You can learn more about this transition by reviewing our distributed energy resource (DER) strategy and Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). These resources, created with input from citizens, board members and energy experts, were developed to outline our objectives and offer a roadmap for the future.
What are DERs?
DERs are physical or virtual devices or systems that can be deployed on the electric distribution system or on customer premises that can be used to provide value to all customers through electric system optimization and/or individual customer benefits.
What is an IRP?
Platte River’s IRP is an action plan that allows us to ensure we continue to meet the needs of our owner communities with reliable, financially sustainable and environmentally responsible electricity.
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. American bison are sensitive to toxins in their environment and cannot thrive in suboptimal conditions. Today, two herds of American bison reside at our Rawhide Energy Station where they’re managed by our staff and receive top honors at the annual National Western Stock Show’s Gold Trophy Show and Sale.
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