Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association said Tuesday that it has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to regulate the wholesale electricity rates it charges in Colorado and surrounding states.
Tri-State, which is based in Westminster, said it expects to receive approval of its tariff applications within the next 60 days.
“Rate regulation certainty is necessary as we accelerate our pursuit of renewable energy and member flexibility, decrease emissions and strive to lower members’ wholesale rates,” Duane Highley, Tri-State’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
In May, the Colorado legislature passed a law that required Tri-State to submit its resource plan to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, a move that .
But in June, Tri-State said it would pursue rate regulation under FERC, arguing it was better to have a single regulator. Tri-State serves 43 member cooperatives in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nebraska.
Critics argue Tri-States continued heavy reliance on coal generation has caused its members to pay more for electricity than if the cooperative had been more pro-active in switching to renewable energy sources. They also question how in touch Beltway regulators will be with the needs of electricity users in the rural West.
