IT IS TIME TO END TRI-STATE’S RELIANCE
ON FOSSIL FUELS LIKE COAL
Tri-State advertises that it's moving beyond fossil fuels to help Colorado meet its climate goals. But there’s a catch.
While it is indeed planning to retire its in-state coal capacity to meet Colorado climate emission reduction goals – which is laudable – loopholes in the ERP process keep Tri-State’s member co-ops deeply invested in two expensive out-of-state coal plants, one in Arizona and one in Wyoming.
With operating costs significantly higher than clean energy alternatives, these plants pack a harmful one-two punch; they keep rates unnecessarily inflated while under-achieving on cutting CO2 emissions, and so far, Tri-State has made no indication it intends to remove these uneconomic units from its system.
It's time for Tri-State to #TriHarder
How I Can
Help You
ADVOCATE FOR CLEAN, RENEWABLE
ENERGY AND CLIMATE ACTION FOR
YOUR CO-OP!
Tri-State's future is in your hands! Call, email, attend meetings, draft letters and/or publish opinion pieces in local media to push your rural co-op leadership, Tri-State or the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
We need them to take every step necessary at both the state and federal levels to speed co-ops' energy transition so rural communities can avail themselves of the benefits of fully embracing clean energy. Here are the key asks - Tri-State should:
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Close all of its uneconomic coal generation, in particular its out-of-state plants, as quickly as possible.
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Dispense with plans to add any new fossil gas capacity.
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Work cooperatively with its member co-ops to secure as much federal support as possible for replacing its costly fossil fuel assets with new clean energy resources.