Could this be anything other than gas?

Platte River Power Authority issues RFP for up to 200 MW of dispatchable generation. Opponents of natural gas fuming.

by Allen Best

Platte River Power Authority, the wholesale provider for four cities along the northern Front Range, wants to get a proposal for up to 200 megawatts of electrical generation that can perform and function at full capacity within 30 minutes.

That leaves open the theoretical option of something other than added natural gas. But community watchdogs are crying foul. They argue that the RFP is structured in a way that they believe Platte River already has somebody in mind.

“You don’t know what is out there until you ask the question,” said Sue McFaddin, a Fort Collins resident. “This is so restrictive, it’s set up to be a natural gas plant. You can’t even ask the question if you’re only have 12 days.”

Bid proposals in response to the all-sources RFP must be in by April 24. However, in the read of the RFP by McFaddin and others, the effective date will be March 6. They say that 60 to 90 days is the industry norm.

On Friday morning, after this article was first posted, Javier Camacho, the director of public and external affairs for Platte River, rejected the criticism as factually incorrect. “It’s incredibly misleading,” he said. The March 6 date in the RFP is when Platte River asks that those with ideas tell Platte River that they plan to submit proposals. “We have been very transparent about what we’re doing,” he said.

Critics of Platte River fear a new gas plant, if that is what the utility chooses, will cost $200 million to $300 million.

Platte River has been adding renewables at a rapid rate. That is all it has added to its generating capacity since 2018, and it expects to add up to another 150 megawatts of solar energy and up to 250 megawatts of additional wind energy. The utility says it’s close to finalizing negotiations for an additional 150 megawatts of solar and storage.

But with all this renewable capacity, says Jason Frisbie, the chief executive, the utility needs to manage for the intermittency of renewables.

“This RFP allows us to identify innovative tools and technologies that support the transition while maintaining the foundational pillars,” he said in a press release.

Platte River’s power sources during January 2024.

Platte River famously adopted a policy in December 2018 that called for 100% carbon-free generation by 2030. (The original version of this story said 100% renewables) But that policy also had eight or nine conditions.

“We are actively replacing coal generation with wind and solar resources as we continue to transition our energy portfolio,” said Raj Singam Setti, the chief operating officer of innovation and sustainable resource integration.

“Our strategy emphasizes not only the expansion of intermittent renewable resources but also the importance of firming these resources with reliable, flexible, efficient and quick-start dispatchable power, to ensure a balanced and sustainable energy future.”

Platte River has its own coal plant, Rawhide, and has an interest in a plant at Craig. In January, coal was responsible for 45.6% of its electricity, wind 23.6%, hydropower 12.5%, solar 1.1% and natural gas 0.5%. It purchased 16.7% of unspecified generation.

Why support Big Pivots?

You need and value solid climate change reporting, and also the energy & water transitions in Colorado. Because you know that strong research underlies solid journalism, and research times take.

Plus, you want to help small media, and Big Pivots is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

Big grants would be great, but they’re rare for small media. To survive, Big Pivots needs your support. Think about how big pivots occur. They start at the grassroots. That’s why you should support Big Pivots. Because Big Pivots has influence in Colorado, and Colorado matters in the national conversation.