Platte River, owner communities ink new contract

FORT COLLINS, Colo., May 30, 2019 – Platte River Power Authority’s owner communities today signed an extension to the organic contract extending the life of Platte River through 2060. New power supply agreements (PSAs) were also executed, running concurrently with the organic contract.

“Platte River has served our northern Colorado communities very well for the past 45 years and will continue to move the organization foreward,” said Todd Jirsa, Estes Park mayor and board chair of Platte River. “I’m pleased to help move everyone toward a new energy future.”

“The collaborative bond between Platte River and our owner communities has been very strong since we began operations in 1973,” said Jason Frisbie, general manager and CEO of Platte River, “and we are honored for the opportunity to continue serving our owner communities for years to come.”

The organic contract, initially executed in 1975, established Platte River as a political subdivision authorized to provide wholesale power to its owner communities. The PSAs are the agreements under which Platte River provides power to the owner communities. Extending these agreements through 2060 will provide long-term stability for Platte River to make needed business decisions.

Changes to the PSA include:

  • A provision allowing third-party energy providers to site solar generating capacity on customer property and to sell output to the customer
  • Changing the metering point at substations to prepare for a wholesale electricity market
  • Creating a mechanism for routine updating of the PSAs to reflect changes in the electric industry
  • Updating the description of the delivery substations

“The updated PSA will now enable our owner communities to provide their customers with greater energy resource flexibility and help us pursue opportunities with a regional energy market, which is necessary to achieve our non-carbon energy goals,” said Frisbie.

The organic contract and PSAs took effect immediately upon the signatures of the mayors and Frisbie.

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Platte River Power Authority is a not-for-profit wholesale electricity generation and transmission provider that delivers safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to its owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado for delivery to their utility customers.

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