Tri-State Generation and Transmission has shaved its renewable-energy prices in half, attracting a new group of customers to the voluntary program.
Participants in the new pricing plan include Telluride’s Mountain Village, Schriever Air Force Base in El Paso County and Wolf Creek Ski Area.
Tri-State, a Westminster- based electric wholesaler, said it will charge its member cooperatives an extra $1.25 per 100 kilowatt-hours per month for green power, down from the previous $2.50.
A typical household uses 800 kilowatt-hours per month. That means that if a household wants to use all renewable energy, it will pay a premium of about $10 a month on top of its regular electric bill, based on Tri-State’s wholesale prices.
The primary green-power source is renewable-energy credits purchased by Tri-State from regional wind farms. While customers don’t receive the actual electricity produced from the wind farms, their payments support the development of new wind generation.
A smaller portion of the green power comes from Tri-State’s direct purchase of wind energy, hydroelectric generation and power made from methane collected from hog manure.
Environmental critics have said Tri-State is too reliant on coal-fired power. Western Resource Advocates of Boulder said in a recent report that Tri-State’s plan to spend $5 billion on three new coal-burning power plants could saddle members with big rate hikes and other financial risks.
Analyst Rick Gilliam of Western Resource Advocates said Tri-State’s green-power price cut is a positive step but not a major shift in the utility’s emphasis on coal-fired generation.
Staff writer Steve Raabe can be reached at 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com.
