Gassing up at the power company

Last fall, when a 272-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Fort Lupton was put on the market, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. jumped on the deal.

A wholesale power supplier based in Westminster, Tri-State provides power for and is owned by 44 electric cooperatives, including the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association. The association wasn’t necessarily shopping for new plants at the time, but the offer was “an unforeseen opportunity” to increase its natural-gas power, said Brad Nebergall, Tri-State senior vice president of energy management.

The association’s increased stake in natural-gas is part of a growing national trend fueled by cheap natural-gas…