Fwd: Re: CEO provides PUC oversight of PRPA
Jeni Arndt
Begin forwarded message:
From: Jeni Arndt <jar...@fcgov.com>
Date: September 17, 2024 at 7:21:00 PM EDT
To: Jason Frisbie <Fris...@prpa.org>, Javier Camacho <cama...@prpa.org>, Tyler Marr <tm...@fcgov.com>, City Council <CityC...@fcgov.com>
Subject: Fwd: [EXTERNAL] Re: CEO provides PUC oversight of PRPA
See below for an email from Will Toor, Colorado Energy Office.
Kindly,Jeni Arndt, Mayor of Fort Collins—With limited exceptions, emails, and any files transferred with them are subject to public disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). To promote transparency, emails will be visible in an online archive, unless the sender puts #PRIVATE in the subject line of the email.However, the City of Fort Collins can’t guarantee that any email to or from Council will remain private.—
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Toor - CEO, Will" <will...@state.co.us>
Date: September 17, 2024 at 4:57:30 PM MDT
To: Susan McFaddin <s...@7genllc.com>, Jeni Arndt <jar...@fcgov.com>, Keith Hay - CEO <keith...@state.co.us>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: CEO provides PUC oversight of PRPA
Hi Sue,
I think that Mayor Arndt likely mixed up different state agencies - easy to do as the laws in this space are complicated. Under statute, utilities like PRPA that are self-regulated are required to submit their Clean Energy Plan to the Air Pollution Control Division at CDPHE for review of the utility's emissions workbook. APCD verifies that the plan as approved by the board meets the 80% emissions reduction requirement for 2030. There is an important nuance here. The plan recently approved by the PRPA board is not the utility's Clean Energy Plan. Under the statute, a utility's clean energy plan was the first IRP submitted after the statute. PRPA's Clean Energy Plan was already submitted and verified. Therefore, PRPA is not required to submit the IRP for emissions verification. However, it is our understanding that the methodology for projecting the emissions reductions associated with the plan use the APCD workbook approach, and show a projected 92% emissions reduction by 2030.
From our perspective, this is a major accomplishment, since it actually reflects remaining emissions that are 60% less than the statutory requirement, and would make PRPA one of the top 2 utilities in the state for emissions reduction. And, while we have not done a detailed review of the resource plan, the approach being taken is very much aligned with the conclusions we have drawn from the statewide modeling done by Ascend Analytics, which found that the most cost effective approach to deep emissions reductions in the mid term future while maintaining reliability involved deploying significant wind, solar and batteries, while using gas CTs to maintain reliability, but with levels of operation, essentially serving only to back up the renewables.
I hope this is helpful, Will
Will ToorExecutive Director, Colorado Energy OfficePhone 303-866-2202 / Mobile 303-328-1529Pronouns: he/him
On Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 3:07 PM Will Toor <will...@gmail.com> wrote:
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Sue McFaddin <s...@7genllc.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Subject: CEO provides PUC oversight of PRPA
To: Will Toor <will...@gmail.com>, <keith...@state.co.us>
Will and Keith
Can you clarify that the CEO provides technical and economic review of the PRPA IRP like the PUC does for Xcel, Tristate and Black Hills?Or are you just confirming that they have "a plan" to reach the states Clean Energy Plan of 80% by 2030?
The community is asking for a technical and economic review by an independent 3rd party like NREL since we don’t currently have PUC oversight. It would be great news to hear that you are doing technical and economic review.
Thank you
Sue McFaddin, PhD, LEED-AP, CEM
--------- Forwarded message ---------From: Jeni Arndt <jar...@fcgov.com>
Date: Sat, Sep 14, 2024 at 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: Request for Second Opinion on Gas Power Plant
To: Ian Cohee <ian....@gmail.com>, Rupa Venkatesh <rvenk...@fcgov.com>, Sarah Kane <SK...@fcgov.com>
Cc: CforSE...@gmail.com <CforSE...@gmail.com>
Hi Ian!
Thank you for writing to us. State statue requires submission of the IRP to the Colorado Energy Office for this exact purpose—to have an outside review of the plan and make sure it’s in compliance with all state goals and statutes.I think this is very appropriate.
Kindly,Jeni Arndt, Mayor of Fort Collins—With limited exceptions, emails, and any files transferred with them are subject to public disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). To promote transparency, emails will be visible in an online archive, unless the sender puts #PRIVATE in the subject line of the email.However, the City of Fort Collins can’t guarantee that any email to or from Council will remain private.—
On Sep 13, 2024, at 7:56 PM, Ian Cohee <ian....@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Mayor Arndt,
As a concerned resident of Fort Collins, I’m writing to seek clarification on your position regarding the proposed gas plant and why you haven't supported the idea of obtaining a reputable, independent second opinion on this project.
In 2018, the City of Fort Collins, along with the Platte River Power Authority, made a commitment to transition to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030—a goal that inspired many of us to believe in a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community. However, the recent proposal to build a gas plant raises serious concerns. Not only does this decision seem at odds with our carbon-free pledge, but it’s also projected to cost ratepayers over $500 million.
The plant’s long-term viability is even more questionable when local energy expert and former mayor Dr. Wade Troxell warns that it could be obsolete within a few years. With such high financial stakes and the potential to undermine our sustainability goals, it seems prudent to seek an independent second opinion to ensure we are making the best decision for our city’s future.
The community deserves to know if this project aligns with our long-term environmental and financial interests, especially given the scale of the investment and its potential to lock us into fossil fuel infrastructure for decades.
I kindly ask you to reconsider your position on this issue and advocate for an independent assessment before proceeding further. Your leadership on this matter will play a crucial role in maintaining the trust of residents who care deeply about Fort Collins' sustainable future.
Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Ian S. Cohee
Taxpayer
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