Report highlights energy transition progress grounded in community partnership
FORT COLLINS, Colo., – The Platte River Power Authority’s April 30 board meeting marked the retirement of Reuben Bergsten from the utility’s board of directors. Bergsten serves as the utilities director for the town of Estes Park and joined the board in 2012, serving as vice chair in 2016 and 2017.
“Bergsten brought more than three decades of utility industry experience to our board and was a consistent advocate for reliability, thoughtful planning and collaboration with the owner communities throughout his tenure,” says Jason Frisbie general manager and CEO for Platte River.
Bergsten will be succeeded on the board by Travis Machalek, town administrator for Estes Park.
Additionally at the meeting, Platte River’s Board of Directors accepted the utility’s 2025 Annual Report. The report highlights a year of continued progress grounded in partnership and collaboration with Platte River’s four owner communities as the utility advances the energy transition.
Guided by the theme “moving forward together,” the report reflects Platte River’s shared commitment with its owners to deliver reliable, affordable energy while thoughtfully navigating a changing energy landscape. The report emphasizes both operational excellence and collaboration as essential elements of long-term success.
“Moving forward together means working side by side with our owner communities to ensure we are making smart, balanced decisions,” said Frisbie. “In 2025, we continued building the foundation for a more flexible and resilient system while maintaining the reliability our communities expect. Our progress is the result of strong partnerships, shared goals and the dedication of our employees and board.”
Major milestones from the 2025 Annual Report include:
- Black Hollow Sun Phase 1 entered commercial operation, delivering 350,000 megawatt‑hours of solar energy annually to northern Colorado.
- Platte River finalized an agreement for Weld Energy Storage, its first utility‑scale battery project, providing 100 MW of four‑hour storage.
- Severance Substation was energized, enabling interconnection for new renewable resources.
- Platte River secured a 1041 permit from Larimer County for highly efficient aeroderivative turbines.
- The Rawhide Unit 1 major outage was completed safely and efficiently, supporting long‑term reliability.
- Platte River continued close collaboration with owner communities, including extending the organic contract and power supply agreements through 2075.
Together, these accomplishments reflect a balanced approach to the transition, one that prioritizes reliability today while collaboration to prepare the system for the future.
“On behalf of Platte River’s Board of Directors, we are proud of the progress made in 2025,” said Gary Hall, Platte River Board Chair and mayor of Estes Park. “This report underscores the importance of partnership with our owner communities as we continue moving forward together through the energy transition.”
The 2025 Annual Report is available on Platte River’s website at prpa.org/financial-information.