|
Tri-State Generation & Transmission, the operating utility at Craig Station, a coal-fired power plant in Moffat County, today submitted a community assistance plan to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC). This plan, if approved, will provide up to $70 million in financial and other support between 2026 and 2038 for the economic transition in Craig and Moffat County.
The community assistance plan was negotiated between Tri-State and elected officials in Craig and Moffat County, and it is part of a larger settlement agreement among multiple parties concerning Tri-State’s resource planning and acquisition for the next several years as they transition away from coal powered energy generation. To take effect, the entire settlement agreement will need to be approved by the PUC.
“It would be hard to overstate how truly groundbreaking this agreement is,” said Moffat County Commissioner Melody Villard. “We will now have reliable long-term resources to drive our own transition and determine the trajectory of our economy after coal.”
“Tri-State has made a major commitment to our future, and we greatly appreciate that,” added Craig Mayor Chris Nichols. “They stepped up to the plate when we needed them and we are satisfied with the outcome.”
Using an OJT grant to hire attorneys for representation in the PUC process, the city and county worked with Tri-State to develop a community assistance package that includes funding for an economic development fund and a property tax “backstop” with offsets for new or repurposed energy generation resources and other items. The agreement may serve as a model for other transition communities in Colorado and around the country.
In addition to the grant that the communities used to hire a legal team, OJT also funded a facilitated process over the last two years that provided the framework upon which the settlement is partially based. In addition to OJT, the city, the county, and Tri-State, participants in that process included the Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate and the Colorado Energy Office. The framework developed in that process is outlined in the Informational Community Assistance Plan, which Tri-State filed at the PUC in May.
"The Office of Just Transition provided important resources to communities to help create good-paying jobs and boost local economies. Our administration will continue to support communities in Northwest Colorado to help build a better and resilient future," said Governor Jared Polis.
OJT recognizes that the hard work of the transition still lies ahead. But with a permanent fund of this size, the community has one more powerful tool in the transition that will help Northwest Colorado prosper for decades to come.
|
