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Pagosa Springs: Join us TONIGHT at Ramon's from 5:30 PM to 7 PM for a Current Conversation. Learn More.

April 2025

Dear LPEA Members,


As we enter this beautiful spring season, my first in southwest Colorado, we’re reminded that with warmer temperatures and persistent drought conditions comes a heightened risk of wildfire. At LPEA, we share your concern and take our role as a responsible operator very seriously. Our top priorities are your safety, the reliability of your power, and doing our part to prevent wildfires in our region. 


Read the full letter about our recent fire mitigation activities 👉 here.


We are training, planning, and innovating—but wildfire prevention is not something we can tackle alone. It will take all of us. 


That’s why we ask every member to review our Vegetation Management Guidelines and understand how you can play a role. From maintaining defensible space around your home to reporting potential hazards, your actions matter. 


Thank you for partnering with us as we work to protect what matters most. 


Sincerely, 


Chris Hansen 

CEO of LPEA

Read the Full Letter

Watt's Happening at LPEA?

Listen to LPEA's First Podcast!


We’re flipping the switch on a new way to stay connected! In our debut episode (just 8 minutes!), we sit down with Sue, LPEA’s Energy Management Specialist, to talk about how our Time-of-Use rate can help you take control of your energy bill.

It’s short, smart, and all about empowering you to save.


Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Find Facts on the Energy Transition


Check out our Power Supply page to learn more about this important transition.

Learn More

Reminder: Updated Rates Will Be Reflected on May Bills


The Board approved the 2025 rate changes on March 26, 2025. You may view updated rates on our website.

Learn More

Vote in the LPEA Board Election Starting Monday, April 21


Online voting will open at 8:00 a.m. MDT on Monday, April 21 and paper ballots will start to arrive in the mail.

Learn More

LPEA Awarded $250,000 in Grants

$200,000 for Grid Technology Project


We have been selected to receive $200,000 through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Innovative Queue Management Solutions (iQMS) program. This competitive award supports our efforts to streamline renewable energy and EV interconnection processes—helping us better manage an increasingly complex grid. In collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Camus Energy, we will pilot cutting-edge software tools that use real-time data from our advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). These tools will help us evaluate and expand hosting capacity, explore flexible interconnection options, and improve grid planning in a high-DER (distributed energy resource) environment.

$50,000 for Drone Fire Mitigation



Thanks to a $50,000 grant from COSWAP, we conducted a drone inspection of the Los Ranchitos neighborhood. The drone captured high-resolution imagery—highlighting areas of dense vegetation through chlorophyll contrast—to help guide our vegetation management efforts from ground to sky. This neighborhood experienced the highest number of tree-related outages during last winter’s storms, making it a top priority for proactive fire mitigation and system reliability improvements.

The insights gathered are helping us build more targeted and data-driven vegetation management schedules moving forward. We look forward to showcasing how this technology-driven approach is keeping our members safer and our system stronger.

National Lineworker Appreciation Day

We are always proud of the incredible work our lineworkers do, but with National Lineworker Appreciation Day on April 18, we thought we'd take a moment and acknowledge them. Rain or shine, they are out there working hard to keep the lights on and the power flowing here in Southwest Colorado!

Mark Your Calendars

Current Conversations with Chris - Pagosa Springs - April 16

National Lineworker Appreciation Day - April 18

Committee on Policies (COP) Meeting - April 21

Voting for Board of Directors begins - April 21

La Plata County CodeRed Test Text - April 21

Current Conversations with Chris - Ignacio - April 22

Current Conversations with Chris - Hesperus - April 25

Online Voting Closes at Noon MDT - May 20

Paper Ballots Must be received by 4 PM MDT - May 20

LPEA Annual Meeting - Durango - May 21

View Our Event Calendar

Join us at the Annual Meeting


Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Truck Barn at LPEA Durango Office

45 Stewart Street


11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Registration, Lunch, In-Person Voting

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Annual Meeting and Election Results


Every year, LPEA hosts its Annual Meeting to conduct the business of the cooperative, provide an update, and certify the results of the Director Election. Members are invited to attend. The meeting will also be live-streamed.

RSVP

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