The La Plata Electric Association election season has barely cooled off, but already the new board of directors is faced with a consequential decision about the future of our local energy economy that has the potential to undermine for decades our ability to generate our own local power.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission, the corporate power producer from which our co-op buys electricity, is pushing the LPEA board to adopt a waiver that would give Tri-State all decision-making authority over where we buy power for the next 40 years. The agreement, called a blanket waiver, would make it impossible for our co-op to buy power from local producers, such as the long-discussed bio-mass generation station in Pagosa Springs, a solar farm in La Plata County or new hydro projects elsewhere in the region. This would have a huge impact on our local energy economy and ensure that Tri-State, not the board of local representatives that we elect to run our co-op, sets the terms of where and how we get power and for how much.

Who do you think will be more responsive to the desires of our local community and future regional economic development – the board member you greet over coffee or a Denver-based corporation with the varied and pressing demands of 1.5 million customers to consider? It is irresponsible for our co-op board of directors to give away our independence and freedom to choose where and how we get power, and this decision could have serious economic consequences. Contact your LPEA board members (www.lpea.com) before the next board meeting and tell them to vote against the blanket waiver.

Rachel Landis

Durango