Efficiency Works

Are you ready to SEA some speed? 🌊 The NoCo Time Trials are back and going fully on‑theme with Under the Sea this Saturday! Student‑built cars, splashy designs, and plenty of energy at the track. Two racers will swim away with $1,500 STEM scholarships. Let’s make a splash!

Happy Earth Day! 🌱 We had a great time representing Platte River at the Earth Day Fort Collins event at Odell Brewing Company. It was inspiring to connect with so many people who care about a reliable, sustainable future for our owner communities.

Platte River staff had the opportunity to visit the CSU Energy Institute Powerhouse and learn about the groundbreaking research happening on campus. Along with Efficiency Works, we’re proud to support the Energy Institute’s Mobile Classroom, helping spark curiosity and hands-on STEM learning around clean energy for students across our communities.

What does it take to keep the lights on? 💡 Platte River employees sat down with Poudre PTECH students for a career panel to talk education, career paths, and the wide range of opportunities in public power. Students got an inside look at how meaningful work behind the scenes powers our communities.

Are you ready to start your engines, future innovators?! 🚗💨 The NoCo Time Trials are back for their 7th year! Middle school students across northern Colorado will be building, racing and competing in our annual solar and battery-powered car showdown. Race day is Saturday, May 2, at our headquarters campus, and two lucky students will be awarded a $1,500 STEM scholarship! We'll see you on the race tracks! 🏁

In recognition of National Wildlife Week, we’re highlighting the diverse wildlife that calls the land around Rawhide Energy Station home. From pronghorn, prairie dogs, and wild turkeys to eagles, owls, foxes, coyotes, moose, and of course our famous bison, the area surrounding Rawhide supports a wide range of species that are an essential part of Northern Colorado’s landscape and ecology. Our team works year‑round to protect and preserve the natural habitats near our facilities, demonstrating that responsible energy generation and wildlife conservation can go hand in hand. As reflected in Platte River’s 1973 Annual Report, environmental stewardship and the protection of wildlife have been a core part of our mission since the beginning. #NationalWildlifeWeek #ResponsibleEnergy #PublicPower

Platte River has officially joined the Southwest Power Pool Regional Transmission Organization (SPP RTO) as of yesterday, marking a major milestone in our energy future! ⚡ This transition strengthens regional collaboration, enhances grid reliability and supports our path toward a noncarbon energy future. Read more: prpa.org/news-releases/……

During Colorado Climate Week, Platte River teams were working late to help oversee a major market transition, joining the Southwest Power Pool Regional Transmission Organization (SPP RTO). Advancing a reliable energy portfolio doesn’t always look the same. Some days it means maintaining critical infrastructure. Other days, it looks like a very late night in the control room, fueled by teamwork and snacks. Collaboration and long‑term planning are at the core of our energy transition, and the reliability our owner communities count on. #ColoradoClimateWeek #ReliablePower #PublicPower #EnergyLeadership

#EarthHour is a global moment, but Platte River's work is local. From renewable resources to efficiency programs to long‑term resource planning, we support a bright energy future for the owner communities we serve every day.

Behind every reliable kilowatt is trusted weather insight. At Platte River, meteorological data plays a critical role in how we operate, helping us anticipate energy demand, prepare for extreme weather and optimize renewable generation every day. From forecasting solar production to navigating storms and safeguarding the grid, weather science supports our energy transition while helping keep the lights on for our owner communities. Here’s to the forecasts that power the public! ⚡🌦️ #WorldMeteorologicalDay #PowerReliability #EnergyForecast #PlatteRiver #PublicPower

🍀 Sending a spark of luck your way this St. Patrick’s Day! Proud to power the owner communities we call home.

This Solar Appreciation Day, we’re celebrating the sun and the progress it’s powering. In 2025, Platte River completed Black Hollow Sun Phase 1, bringing 150 MW of solar into our portfolio. As the largest solar project in northern Colorado, Phase 1 strengthens our noncarbon portfolio while supporting a more diversified, resilient energy mix. Phase 2 construction continues, targeting completion this fall, and it comes with new capabilities, including the ability to provide reactive power support even at night, helping stabilize the grid when sunlight isn’t available. Black Hollow Sun is also benefiting from updated solar tracking software designed to make better use of available sunlight and improve overall performance. #SolarAppreciationDay #CleanEnergy #NorthernColorado

Platte River Power Authority is proud to continue our annual support of United Way of Larimer County, helping strengthen vital services for families and individuals across our community. Each year, our employees and organization come together to contribute through workplace giving and volunteer efforts, a tradition that reflects our commitment to supporting the well‑being of the people we serve. We’re grateful to partner with an organization that drives meaningful impact in Larimer County, and we look forward to continuing this important work together. Together, we’re powering a stronger community. @UnitedWay

🌟 Engineer spotlight: Danielle Sosa, plant mechanical engineer II Danielle's father sparked her interest in engineering since he is both an electrical and mechanical engineer. In high school, she discovered a love for chemistry, which led her to pursue a career as a chemical engineer. After 12 years away, she was excited to return to her hometown of Fort Collins and join Platte River, where she is proud to work at one of the nation's top power stations. Her most memorable project is the dust collection upgrade completed during the recent major outage. It was the largest and most involved project she has completed, covering everything from contracting to commissioning. A service‑first mindset drives Danielle. She focuses on improving plant operations so her coworkers' jobs are easier, safer and more efficient, which directly supports the reliable power our owner communities depend on. She is enthusiastic about the future of energy, especially emerging technologies and her role in the new generation project, the longest and most ambitious project of her career. 💡 Danielle's advice to future engineers: "Say yes to new opportunities, embrace the unknown, trust your abilities and remember - if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room." Thank you, Danielle, for helping power our community and our energy transition! #NationalEngineersWeek

Heads up, trail users! A portion of the Power Trail will temporarily close starting March 2 as we install fiber optic cable to the transmission line. For the safety of both contractors and the community, the Power Trail will be fully closed between Harmony and Prospect roads for the duration of the project. Learn more, including timing and detours: prpa.org/news-releases/…

🌟 Engineer spotlight: Brian Brigandi, senior plant electrical engineer (dubbed: Platte River's gingineer) From taking things apart as a kid to exploring three engineering disciplines in high school, Brian's curiosity ultimately sparked a passion for electrical engineering. After college, he set his sights on Platte River. The timing wasn't right at first, but Brian stayed connected, and that persistence paid off. Eventually, he joined the Rawhide team, where he's made an impact ever since. One standout moment in his career: leading the 2019 protective relay and control system upgrade on the combustion turbines. It demanded intense coordination and teamwork, but the payoff was huge, stronger reliability and a project the team still celebrates. Brian takes the most pride in turning "almost impossible" challenges into real‑world wins. Today, his work helps ensure reliable energy is ready whenever the grid calls. He's enthusiastic to help bring the GE LM6000 turbine project from concept to commissioning, a major step forward for Platte River. He is also leading the 100MW, four-hour battery energy storage system, expecting commercial operation in early 2027. 💡 Brian's advice for future engineers: "Turn off distractions. Hard concepts require serious focus." Thank you, Brian, for helping power our community and our energy transition! #NationalEngineersWeek #Gingineer

Today, we’re recognizing one of the essential building blocks of our plan for a noncarbon and dispatchable future: energy storage. At Platte River, storage will be key for how we will deliver, manage and balance energy for our owner communities in the decades ahead. Our strategy combines multiple storage forms to support reliability, flexibility and customer participation across the system. Here’s how we’re building that future: 🔋 Long‑duration storage: bridges extended periods of low renewable energy production and is an option that we are continually monitoring as the technology advances 🔋 Utility‑scale storage: pairs with renewable generation for optimal energy supply timing and supports transmission operations 🔋 Distributed storage: behind‑the‑meter batteries that provide localized flexibility, reduces local demand and strengthens resilience 🔋 Customer‑sited storage through the Virtual Power Plant (VPP): empowers residents and businesses to participate directly in the energy transition Together with our owner communities, we’re building a smarter, cleaner, more adaptable energy future. #NationalBatteryDay #EnergyStorage #CleanEnergy #VPP #DER #UtilityInnovation #PlatteRiver

At Rawhide, outages aren’t just about equipment, they’re about people. Many longtime Platte River employees return after retirement because they still feel part of something bigger. Retirees like Mike Kerr and Mike Meade, who together contributed nearly 70 years of service, came back for the recent outage to support critical fan and coal mill work. Their expertise, pride in craftsmanship and willingness to mentor younger mechanics made a meaningful impact. They return for the same reasons they stayed for decades: ⚡ A deep sense of purpose ⚡ Camaraderie built through shared challenges ⚡ A culture where people support one another like family Their knowledge strengthens reliability. Their presence strengthens the team. And their legacy continues to guide the next generation of Rawhide leaders. At Platte River, reliability isn’t just engineered, it’s passed down. Read more here: prpa.org/other-news/why…

We have been keeping Rawhide reliable for 40+ years! Since 1984, Rawhide Energy Station has delivered reliable, affordable power to our owner communities, and planned outages have been a key part of that success. From early “preventive medicine” in 1985 to today’s highly coordinated, weeks‑long overhauls, every outage reflects the dedication of Platte River employees, contractors and retirees working together to keep Rawhide running safely and efficiently. Major upgrades over the years, from turbine rebuilds to advanced control systems and miles of new boiler tubing, have strengthened reliability, improved safety and modernized operations. But outages aren’t just about equipment. They’re about people. Traditions like Family Day and the “game ball” celebrate teamwork, pride and care for one another. The result? 97% lifetime reliability and more than 80 million low‑cost MWh delivered since 1984. Planned outages aren’t interruptions; they’re investments in the dependable energy our owner communities count on. 💡 Read more about how we are powered by our past here: prpa.org/other-news/raw…

Our grid’s been through plenty of big games, and it shows! 📈 Looking back, electricity use in our owner communities during the 2014 championship game outpaced that of the 2019 matchup. No matter who you’re rooting for today, we’ve got the power to help get you through every play. 🏈