Planning For Growth: Power You Can Count On

Change isn’t new to the electric industry, but how we handle change matters.

As conversations evolve regarding possible data centers in our area, I want you to understand how your cooperative approaches growth, and why your interests remain at the center of every decision we make.

Data centers are facilities that store and process digital information like streaming services, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. They operate 24/7 and require steady, dependable electricity.

When people hear about data centers, two questions often come up: Will my power bill go up? And will the lights stay on? Those are the right questions and ones we ask ourselves when planning for potential growth.

Maintaining Affordability

At PVREA, we operate under a long-standing principle: growth pays for growth.

That means any new large load, including a data center, is responsible for paying the full cost of the infrastructure needed to serve them. Those costs are not shifted onto existing members. This model has helped us maintain the lowest electric rates in Colorado, and we remain committed to protecting that affordability as we grow.

Safeguarding Reliability

You depend on one of the most reliable electric systems in the country. Our responsibility is to ensure growth strengthens our reliability rather than strains it.

Serving new large electric loads requires extensive engineering studies, careful planning, and coordination with regional power suppliers and transmission partners. When done responsibly, infrastructure built to serve new large loads can strengthen the bulk electric grid by adding redundancy and improving capacity to help support long-term reliability.

Together, We Can Protect What Matters

As a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative, we exist to serve the best interests of all our members, not outside investors or special interests. While we are required by Colorado law to serve all electric load in our territory, how that growth is managed matters. Policies at the state and federal level play a major role in ensuring we can continually put our members first.

That’s where Cooperative Voices comes in. This voluntary legislative advocacy network gives you a way to stay informed and engage on state or federal policies that could impact electric costs, long-term reliability, and our growth-pays-for-growth model.

The energy landscape is changing, but our commitment to you is not. By staying informed and engaged, we can protect what matters most.

Learn more and add your voice at https://pvrea.coop/cooperative-voices/.