Better together since 1973
We are Platte River Power Authority, a not-for-profit, community-owned public power utility. More than 50 years ago, the communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland formed our organization to serve their wholesale energy needs. Since then, we have proudly generated safe, reliable, financially sustainable and environmentally responsible electricity for their customers.
Town of Estes Park
Population: 5,880
Utility: Estes Park Power
and Communications
City of Fort Collins
Population: 168,538
Utility: Fort Collins Utilities
City of Longmont
Population: 100,758
Utility: Longmont Power
& Communications
City of Loveland
Population: 77,194
Utility: City of Loveland Utilities
We were formed to help the owner communities deliver a vital public health and safety service as reliably and affordably as possible. It is at the core of who we are.
Jason Frisbie, CEO
Powering a sustainable future with a past built on bold initiatives
Since 1973, Platte River has focused on building an energy system with long-term resilience and sustainability in mind. We were among the first utilities in the country to add scrubber technology on our coal-fired unit at Rawhide Energy Station to reduce emissions. We were the first utility in Colorado to bring wind energy online in 1998. And in 2018, our board of directors adopted a Resource Diversification Policy outlining a decarbonization goal long before Colorado established statewide policies.
Read more about Platte River’s energy transition in a series of articles published in 2024.
Powering a sustainable future with a past built on bold initiatives
Since 1973, Platte River has focused on building an energy system with long-term resilience and sustainability in mind. We were among the first utilities in the country to add scrubber technology on our coal-fired unit at Rawhide Energy Station to reduce emissions. We were the first utility in Colorado to bring wind energy online in 1998. And in 2018, our board of directors adopted a Resource Diversification Policy outlining a decarbonization goal long before Colorado established statewide policies.
Read more about Platte River’s energy transition in a series of articles published in 2024.
Our plan to create A noncarbon ENERGY future
Phasing out coal
We’re retiring our coal-powered energy station, Rawhide Unit 1, approximately two decades before its planned retirement and transitioning our employees to operate other resources.
Investing in renewables
We’ve tripled solar capacity, grown wind generation seven-fold and added battery storage capacity. Going forward, we’ll continue to add even more sources of renewable energy to our portfolio.
Long-term reliability
Our progress toward a noncarbon future
■ Completed ■ Future
2018
Resource Diversification Policy passed by Platte River’s board of directors
2020
Added 225 MW Roundhouse Wind project
Approved 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)
2021
Added 22 MW Rawhide Prairie solar project
Filed voluntary clean energy plan with the state
2023
Joined Southwest Power Pool’s energy imbalance market
2024
Approved 2024 IRP
2025
Adding 150 MW Black Hollow Sun solar project (phase 1)
Retiring 77 MW Craig Unit 1
2026
Adding Black Hollow Sun solar (phase 2) and utility-scale battery storage project
Joining Southwest Power Pool’s regional transmission organization
2027
Adding four-hour battery storage in each owner community
2028
Submitting the 2028 IRP
Adding future wind project and aeroderivative turbines
Retiring Craig Unit 2
2029-2030
Adding future wind project and virtual power plant
Retiring Rawhide Unit 1
Platte River is public power
Platte River Is Public Power
As a locally-owned public power utility, we are accountable to the communities we serve and are governed by our board of directors made up of elected officials and technical experts from each of our owner communities. We are proud to live and work in the communities we serve. As a consumer of Platte River’s public power, you can expect:
- Reliable service at competitive costs
- Accountability to the communities we serve
- Transparent decision-making that gives you a voice
- Not-for-profit operation that serves your interests
- Environmental stewardship that prioritizes sustainable practices
Learn more about the benefits of public power from the American Public Power Association.
Platte River is public power
As a locally-owned public power utility, we are accountable to the communities we serve and are governed by our board of directors made up of elected officials and technical experts from each of our owner communities. We are proud to live and work in the communities we serve. As a consumer of Platte River’s public power, you can expect:
- Reliable service at competitive costs
- Accountability to the communities we serve
- Transparent decision-making that gives you a voice
- Not-for-profit operation that serves your interests
- Environmental stewardship that prioritizes sustainable practices
How can I help support the energy transition?
Participate in customer energy programs through Efficiency Works
Efficiency Works programs, funded through Platte River and our four owner communities, provide guidance, resources and programs to help customers use their electricity more effectively and work toward a noncarbon energy future. Efficiency Works programs are available to residential and commercial electric customers of Estes Park Power and Communications, Fort Collins Utilities, City of Loveland Utilities and Longmont Power & Communications.
Learn about distributed energy resources
DERs are small-scale technologies like solar panels, batteries and smart devices that generate or manage electricity close to where it’s used. They can help you reduce your electric bills and help utilities reduce costs and improve reliability. When networked together, DERs can form a virtual power plant (VPP), coordinating energy flow across homes and business to support the grid just like a traditional power plant – only cleaner and more flexible.
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