CASE STUDY: Transition to Clean Energy for Cooperative Utilities

The document details Tri-State's Responsible Energy Plan (REP), announced in January 2020, which aims to retire significant coal capacity and add over 1 GW of wind and solar power by 2024. It outlines the economic and policy drivers behind the shift, the use of a multi-stakeholder advisory group to build credibility, and the challenges associated with stranded assets, transmission development, and the lack of a regional transmission organization in the West. The plan targets a 100% clean energy portfolio for Colorado by 2040 and a 70% reduction in emissions from Colorado wholesale electric sales by 2030.

• Tri-State's Responsible Energy Plan (REP), announced January 15, 2020, commits to retiring 904 MW of coal capacity by 2030 and adding 1,019 MW of planned renewable capacity.
• The REP specifies the retirement of the 253 MW Escalante Station in New Mexico by the end of 2020 and all three units of the 1,285 MW Craig Station in Colorado by 2030.
• Tri-State aims to achieve a 100% clean energy target for Colorado by 2040 and expects to reduce emissions from its Colorado wholesale electric sales by 70% by 2030.
• The transition is driven by falling renewable power prices, new carbon reduction targets in Colorado and New Mexico, and demands from distribution co-ops for cleaner energy.
• Tri-State utilized a multi-stakeholder advisory group, facilitated by Colorado State University’s Center for a New Energy Economy and former Governor Bill Ritter, to build credibility and buy-in.
• Significant obstacles to the transition include the 8–12-year timeline for building new transmission and the absence of a full-fledged Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) in the western United States.
• To mitigate the impact of plant closures, Tri-State established a $5 million Escalante community reinvestment fund and is working with state governments to provide retraining and economic assistance.

APA

Brehm, K., Dyson, M., & Siegner, K. (n.d.). CASE STUDY: Transition to Clean Energy for Cooperative Utilities. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2020/05/tri_states_responsible_energy_program_case_study.pdf

Chicago

Brehm, Kevin, Mark Dyson, and Katie Siegner. CASE STUDY: Transition to Clean Energy for Cooperative Utilities. RMI, n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2020/05/tri_states_responsible_energy_program_case_study.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brehm |first1=Kevin |last2=Dyson |first2=Mark |last3=Siegner |first3=Katie |title=CASE STUDY: Transition to Clean Energy for Cooperative Utilities |publisher=RMI |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2020/05/tri_states_responsible_energy_program_case_study.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brehmndcase, author = {Brehm, Kevin and Dyson, Mark and Siegner, Katie}, title = {{CASE STUDY: Transition to Clean Energy for Cooperative Utilities}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2020/05/tri_states_responsible_energy_program_case_study.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }