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Why We're Making This Change
After careful analysis, we're moving forward with our plan to transition away from our wholesale contract. This board decision allows us to:
- Stabilize your rates
- Gain energy independence
- Tap into clean, local energy sources
What Progress Has Been Made?
We've been taking action long before this decision was made to make this transition as smooth as possible. Including countless hours of research prior to the decision being made, this is what we've been up to the last seven months:
- Conducting weekly transition planning meetings with Tri-State
- Learning from successful energy transition models at other cooperatives
- Signing a contract with Mercuria to secure bridge power for the post-departure period
- Actively researching and planning future energy sources
- Gathering ongoing member feedback to address your concerns and learn from our membership
Our Path Forward
We're building an exciting and diverse energy portfolio that includes solar, wind, hydropower, and other sources to ensure reliable power at the times you need it. This mix will help us match our local usage patterns while keeping costs in check. For example, we'll harness winter wind power when needed most, and maximize solar during peak summer months.
Managing the Transition
There's an estimated $209M contract termination payment to consider. It's important to note that this payment is not a penalty; rather, it’s a necessary settlement of our financial obligations and reflects what we would have been responsible for if we had remained a member of our wholesale power provider. We will receive the final payment amount one month before our departure in March 2026.
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