Poudre Valley REA Hosts U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity Leadership

(October 28, 2026 – Fort Collins, CO) – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity, Katie Jereza, visited northern Colorado Wednesday to meet with Poudre Valley REA (PVREA), community and business leaders, first responders, and representatives from the Colorado Energy Office to discuss investments in grid modernization, wildfire mitigation, emergency preparedness, and affordable electric service.

With more than $5.8 million in federal and state grant funding, PVREA is investing more than $9.1 million in projects to strengthen and modernize the electric system across northern Colorado. The projects include 2.2 miles of underground distribution line in Boulder County; a community resilience microgrid in Livermore designed to support critical energy needs during extended outages; modernization of approximately 10 miles of distribution line in rural Weld County; and advanced grid analytics and forecasting capabilities for system planning and modeling. Together, these investments are helping improve reliability and emergency preparedness, reduce wildfire risk, and strengthen community resilience.

“These projects are legacy projects that will provide sustainable benefits to the communities we serve for generations,” said Jeff Wadsworth, President and Chief Executive Officer of PVREA. “Federal and state funding helps us improve and modernize our system while keeping costs down for our members, helping us to maintain the lowest electric rates in Colorado.”

During the visit, Assistant Secretary Jereza observed a live utility copper replacement demonstration and met with PVREA line crews to discuss how proactive infrastructure investments improve safety, reliability, and long-term system performance.

“We have the technology to see risks coming – now it’s time to act,” said Katie Jereza, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity. “At DOE, we’re helping utilities spot weaknesses before they become failures and target solutions where they matter most. What we learn in Colorado can help set a new standard for protecting America’s electric grid and the families and businesses it serves.”

The event concluded with a community conversation featuring local business leaders, first responders, elected officials, and state energy partners focused on affordable and reliable electricity, emergency preparedness, and the benefits of infrastructure investments in rural communities.

“In the face of increased fire risk and extreme weather events, grid hardening, grid monitoring and microgrids are essential to minimize power outages, keep the lights on, and ensure hospitals, evacuation shelters, fire stations, and other key facilities stay open during emergencies. We are pleased to support this collaborative effort with local utilities, which will bring grid infrastructure upgrades and increased grid reliability to rural communities in the northern Front Range and help Coloradans stay safe and connected at the most critical times,” said Will Toor, Executive Director of the Colorado Energy Office.

The visit highlighted collaboration among DOE, the State of Colorado, local communities, and PVREA to strengthen the electric grid while supporting reliable, affordable electric service across northern Colorado.