Coloradoan: "PRPA, facing skyrocketing costs for gas and wind projects, plans for larger rate increases"

[Sue McFaddin]

Board Members and Council

If the PRPA board believes they are qualified to serve as the regulators for PRPA, I would highly suggest they do a lot of continuing education in utility regulations. https://www.euci.com/. I don't think being a regulator is an innate quality of a mayor. 

When I became a housing commissioner, I insisted we be trained properly to do our job not rubber stamp the Director.  FC Housing Authority sent us through numerous NAHRO trainings to become certified commissioners. The same needs to happen with the PRPA board.

Bill Steele, Chair of Colorado Utility Consumer Board, which I have serve on, teaches University courses on rate setting and has served at the CO PUC for many years. He could teach the board much about utility governance and rate structures. 

Bill can also give you the history of Colorado Ute, the other G&T (Generation and Transmission Utility) that took on stranded assets and went bankrupt leaving the costs to the ratepayers in the Roaring Fork Valley. The legacy is the malfeasance of the board members to not intervene on the CEO. I don't think you want the same legacy. 

A basic initial step would be to have 3rd party oversight by a qualified organization like NREL as the FC Energy Board requested. 

Sue McFaddin

970.420.0000

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Sue McFaddin <s...@7genllc.com>
Date: Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Subject: Coloradoan: "PRPA, facing skyrocketing costs for gas and wind projects, plans for larger rate increases"
To: <cityl...@fcgov.com>
Cc: Gary Hall <gh...@estes.org>, Joan Peck <Joan...@longmontcolorado.gov>, Jacki Marsh <Jacki...@cityofloveland.org>, Jacob Castillo <jcas...@fcgov.com>, Brian Tholl <bth...@fcgov.com>, Shirley Peel For Mayor <shi...@shirleyforfoco.com>, Christopher Conway <chris4c...@gmail.com>, <amyhoeven...@gmail.com>, Cathy Kipp <cathy.ki...@coleg.gov>, Andy Andrew Boesenecker <andrew.boes...@gmail.com>, <yara...@gmail.com>

Dear City Council and PRPA Board members, 

I hope you saw the article in the Coloradoan about PRPA latest OOOPS!!   No other utility in the state gets to say OOOPS!  

This is exactly why the FC Energy Board and community members have been asking for 3nd party oversight.  Spending another $623 M on natural gas turbines makes no sense if our goal is to be net zero by 2030.  These are stranded assets.

We really needs a CEO with experience in renewables and 21st century energy generation.  Below are two articles about United Power (across I-25) and Holy Cross moving forward with renewables and not saying OOOPS.  

The Colorado article states that the cost of the gas turbines will now go  from $350M to $623M.  How much solar and storage could we have bought with $623M ? We need a new IRP (Integrated Resource Plan).

It really is time to call for a new CEO and hold off on approving the Organic Contract and Power Supply Agreement until we get a new CEO and new Integrated Resource Plan.  We know how terribly flawed the existing IRP is.  

We don’t need more gas turbines.  We just need a new CEO.  Please hold off on approving the Organic Contract until we get some competent leadership.  (The City and County of Denver recently held off on signing the new power supply agreement with Xcel until they ratepayers get maximum benefit).

On Nov 11th, Empower Our Future will be hosting Bryan Hannegan, CEO of Holy Cross Energy.  I hope you will zoom in and see what a highly qualified utility CEO thinks.  

On Oct 30, the RAQC will release their latest data on Ozone emissions from power plants including Rawhide.  This is critically important to your community's health.

Sue McFaddin, PhD, LEED-AP, CEM

Sue McFaddin

s...@7genllc.com 

970.420.0000

[Gary Hall]

I will reach out to Bill for conversation and insights. 

Gary M. Hall

Mayor of the Town of Estes Park

Office phone: 970-577-3706

Email: gh...@estes.org

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