Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which has taken heat from members for rates and what they say is a lack of flexibility, said Wednesday that it will cut rates by 8% and allow individual electric associations to produce more of their own power.
Building on a previously announced plan to boost its use of renewable energy, Tri-State said its goal is to lower wholesale electric rates by 8% by the end of 2023. And the Westminster-based power supplier said starting in early 2021, member cooperatives can say they want to generate more power locally, up to 300 megawatts across the utility’s four-state territory.
A longtime 5% cap on the amount of power individual cooperatives could generate has been a point of contention among Tri-State’s members and one of the reasons given by cooperatives that have cut ties with the utility or want to.
The utility’s 42 members includs 17 electric cooperatives in Colorado.
Tri-State CEO Duane Highley and Wednesday’s announcements are part of ongoing efforts to increase the utility’s use of renewable energy and to cut its carbon emissions. He called the planned rate reduction a “green energy dividend.”
Some member cooperatives, environmental advocates and legislators have criticized Tri-State for relying too much on coal and limiting members’ ability to pursue their own renewable energy projects. In the past few years, the utility has added more wind and solar power to its system and closed or announced plans to close some of its coal-fired power plants.
In January, Tri-State unveiled its “Responsible Energy Plan.” It includes goals of boosting its renewable energy sources to 50% by 2024 and cutting greenhouse-gas emissions by 90% by 2030 from Colorado facilities it owns or operates.
Former Gov. Bill Ritter is director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University. He and his staff worked with Tri-State on the energy plan, convening what he said was a large and diverse group of people to give input.
“It demonstrates to me that Tri-State’s commitment is not just a paper commitment but a concrete commitment to how they will be part of the clean energy transition, not just in Colorado but in the United States,” Ritter said during a call with Tri-State and reporters.
However, conservation groups have said Tri-State’s energy plan won’t meet the target set by the Colorado General Assembly of reducing carbon dioxide emissions 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. In a filing with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, Western Resource Advocates said the plan will result in only a 34% reduction by that time.
Highley said the utility is on track to achieve the goals in its energy plan and that the state has told Tri-State that the plan will support overall carbon-reduction goals.
“But we’re not finished and we’re looking for ways to achieve additional carbon dioxide reductions,” Highley said.
Tri-State must file an electric resource plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission by the end of the year and the filing will address lowering carbon emissions, Highley added.
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