The recently announced 7.7% rate increase by LPEA for 2025 is a burden on ratepayers already stretched thin. This hike, tied to the $209 million buyout from Tri-State Generation and Transmission, is a questionable decision that prioritizes ideology over affordability. LPEA claims it’s preparing for a 2026 exit to secure cleaner energy, but at what cost to its members?
The $209 million buyout, roughly $4,250 per meter, will likely drive rates up for years to come, impacting the poorest in La Plata and Archuleta counties hardest. Inflation and labor costs are cited for the increase, but the buyout’s expense is the clear culprit. Tri-State is already shifting to renewables, with $2.5 billion in federal funding and a goal of 70% clean energy by 2030. Why pay millions to leave a co-op that’s meeting these demands, only to buy power from for-profit global firms at potentially higher rates?
LPEA’s leadership should reconsider this costly exit. Staying with Tri-State offers stability, shared ownership, and competitive rates without the risky gamble of untested contracts with foreign entities. The board’s 9-3 vote in March ignored warnings of financial strain. Now, we’re seeing the fallout, a rate hike that punishes members for a decision lacking transparency and any fiscal sense.
Everyone, please urge LPEA to halt the buyout, continue with Tri-State’s renewable progress, and keep rates affordable. We deserve reliable power, not expensive experiments. Write to LPEA at comments@lpea.coop by ASAP and voice your opposition to this multi-million dollar plan to exit from Tri-State.
Oliver Terry Snodgrass
Durango
