Key initiatives drive noncarbon progress, community partnership and organizational excellence
Fort Collins, Colo., – The Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan during the Oct. 29 meeting, reaffirming the wholesale power provider’s commitment to advancing the energy transition while prioritizing reliability and affordability for Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland.
The strategic plan aligns Platte River and owner community efforts around strategic initiatives that are grounded in the organization’s vision, mission and values. It also reinforces Platte River's commitment to working closely with its owner communities as the energy industry continues to evolve.
"This adoption reflects the strong partnership between our owner communities and their shared priorities that helped shape this strategic plan," said Jason Frisbie, general manager and CEO. "The plan provides a path forward as we continue our mission to provide reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible energy."
The strategic plan was developed through a collaborative process that included engagement with Platte River leadership and employees, and the board of directors. The process also included a dedicated briefing session on Oct. 2 with owner community councils and staff to gain alignment prior to the Platte River Board’s adoption.
In conjunction with the strategic plan, the board approved revisions to Platte River's Resource Diversification Policy that removes the 2030 date while supporting continued progress toward achieving a 100% noncarbon energy portfolio. The updates align the policy with the strategic plan while recognizing the progress made since 2018, the increasing cost and rate pressures, and the technical limitations of reaching a fully noncarbon energy portfolio by the end of the decade.
"I’ve said from the beginning that it’s not if, but when, we get there. Our noncarbon goal remains unchanged," said Frisbie. "As we continue pursuing our energy transition objectives, it is essential that we appropriately balance decarbonization efforts with the reliability and affordability our owner communities expect. The updated policy reflects that commitment and provides a framework for responsible decision-making as technologies, markets and customer needs evolve."
"The board is proud to adopt this strategic plan and updates to the Resource Diversification Policy as we continue providing direction and support for Platte River," said Gary Hall, chair of the Platte River Board of Directors and Mayor of Estes Park. "We appreciate the effort by Platte River staff to develop a thoughtful plan that reflects our communities’ priorities and positions the organization for continued success."
The policy updates are aligned with feedback gathered through a recent community survey conducted across Platte River's owner communities. Survey results presented during the Oct. 29 meeting reinforced that reliability and affordability remain the highest priorities for customers across Platte River's owner communities. Reliability was identified as the top priority, with 93% of residential customers and 97% of commercial customers rating reliable electric service as highly important. Affordability also emerged as a leading concern, receiving average importance ratings of 8.6 (on a 10-point scale) among residential respondents and 8.9 among commercial respondents.
Those findings reinforce Platte River's longstanding commitment to its mission of balancing reliability, affordability and environmental responsibility as it plans for the future energy needs of the communities it serves.