Tri-State submits renewable energy plan to state regulators

WESTMINSTER and DENVER — Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. has formally submitted plans to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to reduce emissions from its power generation operations through the decade.

The Westminster-based Tri-State announced the plans in a joint press conference with Gov. Jared Polis in November; the plan calls for reducing emissions caused by its electricity generation for Colorado customers by 80% by 2030.

It intends to hit that goal by decommissioning its coal plants in Moffat County in 2028 and 2029 and adding 1,850 megawatts of renewable energy and 200 megawatts of storage capacity to its power mix within the decade.

However, the utility left room for it to change the plan as needed in the coming years to accommodate changes to its membership requirements and react to new generation and storage technologies coming online.

Tri-State previously said it would allow its members to request contract changes in 2021 that would allow them to generate up to half of their own power, with up to 10% of the wholesaler’s peak demand eligible for the offer.

Tri-State members currently have to buy 95% of their power mix from the wholesaler and can generate the rest by themselves or buy from another source.

The plan could also be affected if member co-ops force an exit from their contracts in search of a different wholesaler. Brighton’s United Power Inc. and Durango-based La Plata Electric Association Inc. have been embroiled in a monthslong, multi-jurisdiction effort to get an exit fee from Tri-State.

“Our preferred scenario identifies potential resource options, including battery storage and natural gas generation, but we do not have to commit to a path at this time,” CEO Duane Highley said in a statement. “There will be time for emerging technologies to become competitive before we have to make acquisition decisions.”

A spokesman for the CPUC said the commission must wait 30 days for other groups to file attempts to intervene in the plan before it can proceed with reviewing the plan.

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