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LPEA special election: Mail ballots due by May 20 as member frustrations grow
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

LPEA special election: Mail ballots due by May 20 as member frustrations grow

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice It’s crunch time for mail-in ballots in the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA)  board election – and with contested seats and rising costs in the mix, turnout matters. Ballots have to be in LPEA’s hands by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, May 20 – postmarks don’t count. With slow mail times a known issue, LPEA voters who haven’t yet mailed their ballot should drop it off in person or vote online through SmartHub. Online voting closes at noon on May 20. Paper ballots are due by 4 p.m. Results will be shared at the annual meeting on May 21, from 11:30 to 12:30 at LPEA’s Durango office. Drop boxes are located at: 45 Stewart Street, Durango 603 S. 8th Street, Pagosa Springs With four contested seats on the ballot this year, the stakes ar...
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Members left in the dark: LPEA board spends big while margins shrink and bills climb
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Members left in the dark: LPEA board spends big while margins shrink and bills climb

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice When La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) members open their May power bills, most will see the effects of a 7.72% rate increase that quietly took effect April 1. While LPEA’s board says the hike is needed to cover infrastructure and supply costs, many members are beginning to ask harder questions – not just about what they’re paying, but about how their cooperative is being run. From 2019 to 2023, La Plata Electric Association’s revenue barely grew, just $3 million over five years. But its expenses went up by more than $10 million, causing profits to drop sharply.  In 2019, LPEA made $10.3 million in net income.  By 2023, that had fallen to just $3.8 million, a 63% decline. That means the co-op now keeps only 3 cents of every do...
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In $210M plan to ditch Tri-State, LPEA members feel the financial pinch
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Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

In $210M plan to ditch Tri-State, LPEA members feel the financial pinch

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Rancher J. Paul Brown tends sheep and cattle on his La Plata County spread, facing a $4,000 monthly electric bill. Lisa huddles in a home with her children, skipping heat to ease her electric bill’s bite.  This spring, folks like them could owe $90 more a year — or $308 more monthly for Brown — if a rate hike passes.  Meanwhile, La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) CEO Chris Hansen, who took the helm in November 2024, earns an estimated $545,000 annually, within the role’s $400,000–$600,000 range reported by the Durango Herald. On Feb. 19, county residents packed the LPEA Board of Directors meeting over climbing rates, tied to a $210 million plan to ditch Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, their longtim...
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