Platte River Power Authority recently welcomed two new members to its board of directors.
Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring of Longmont and Mayor Patrick McFall of Loveland join representatives from their communities, and Estes Park and Fort Collins, on the wholesale generation and transmission utility’s board.
The appointments follow mayoral and council confirmations by the cities of Longmont and Loveland that occurred earlier this month.
Platte River is a not-for-profit, community-owned public power generation and transmission utility that provides safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado, for delivery to their distribution utility customers.
“I am excited for Mayor Hidalgo-Fahring and Mayor McFall to join our board of directors and look forward to welcoming them to Platte River at this month’s board meeting,” says Jason Frisbie, general manager and CEO of Platte River. “Having our board reflect new representatives from our owner communities is at the core of the public power model and something I am proud to champion.”
Platte River’s Board is comprised of two representatives from each owner community: the mayor (or another member of the governing board designated by the mayor if the mayor chooses not to serve) and an appointed director, typically the utility director from each owner community. Public power utilities promote local control and transparent decision making that keeps the communities’ best interests in mind.
“I am pleased to join the board of an organization that has served our region reliably and affordably for over 50 years,” says McFall. “I look forward to applying my public service experience to support the direction of our locally owned energy wholesale supplier.”
McFall served on the Loveland City Council before being elected mayor. Hidalgo-Fahring served as Mayor Pro Tem on the Longmont City Council before her appointment to mayor this year.
“As a longtime public servant, I am excited to help further Longmont’s clean energy goals alongside our community partners in Estes Park, Fort Collins and Loveland,” says Hidalgo-Fahring. “A clean energy future continues to be a priority for our community.”
The board of directors are responsible for setting policy and providing policy guidance. In 2018, Platte River’s Board adopted the Resource Diversification Policy, directing the CEO to work toward a 100% noncarbon resource mix by 2030, as long as the organization’s foundational pillars of reliability, environmental responsibility and financial sustainability could be maintained.
Former Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh was among the board members who adopted the Resource Diversification Policy and served on the board for eight years. Former Longmont Mayor Joan Peck served on the board since 2021.
“I appreciate the dedication and commitment of Mayor Marsh and Mayor Peck during their respective tenures on our board,” adds Frisbie. “Their support and leadership helped guide us during a critical time in our resource transition and I wish them the best as they move forward.”
The board member appointments precede Platte River’s last board meeting of the year on Dec. 11, where the board will vote to approve the utility’s 2026 Strategic Budget.
The budget includes strategic investments to further the region’s progress on decarbonization while maintaining reliability and competitive wholesale rates.
In addition to providing a public health and safety service to the owner communities, Platte River is working toward a 100% noncarbon energy future through a Resource Diversification Policy approved by its board of directors in 2018.
