PRPA: Cold snap accentuates importance of energy networks

FORT COLLINS — Platte River Power Authority’s call to action was urgent and unusual for the wholesale electrical power supplier in Northern Colorado, known for its reliability. Yet it wasn’t unusual in the central United States as frigid temperatures gripped the region from International Falls, Minnesota, to the Rio Grande of Texas.

PRPA put out a call on Sunday, asking consumers to reduce their power consumption because of a cascading series of events that threatened the power supplier’s ability to meet anticipated demand as residents of the region cranked up space heaters and thermostats to ward off the chill.

Consumers did reduce…