Mission, Vision, Plan

LPEA Operational Plan 2021-2025

Since our incorporation in 1939, LPEA has existed to bring power and light to all corners of our area, improving lives and powering a strong local economy. More than 81 years later and LPEA is still focused on this mission while staying true to the cooperative principles on which we were founded.

In 2018, the LPEA Board of Directors set a Strategic Goal and series of Strategic Initiatives to complement LPEA’s Vision and Mission statement and to guide LPEA toward a successful future. With these signposts to guide us, LPEA employees collaborated in 2020 to develop a “North Star”, identifying six priority areas – the points on the star – to prioritize our work over the next five years.

LPEA 5-Year Operational Plan Document  

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LPEA Mission

La Plata Electric Association, Inc. provides its members safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost while being environmentally responsible.

LPEA Vision

Shaping the future by building trustworthy community partnerships as an innovative, forward-thinking industry leader, delivering excellence in our member-owned cooperative.

LPEA Strategic Goal

LPEA will strive to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% from 2018 levels by year 2030 while keeping members' cost of electricity lower than 70% of our Colorado Cooperative peers.

LPEA Board Commitment

As we look towards the future of the co-op, the Board commits to actively honoring our mission to provide safe, reliable, environmentally responsible power while achieving the lowest reasonable cost to our members. In doing so, we will explore and carefully vet a holistic suite of options to increase LPEA’s value to the membership. We will pursue our mission with transparency, community engagement, acknowledgement of risk, trust of our members by performing our fiduciary responsibility.

Strategic Initiatives

1. Member Engagement: LPEA will effectively serving our membership. In this, we seek to deepen and broaden our understanding of the membership and their desires for the coop as we move forward. Further, we seek to ensure our membership is educated about LPEA, including an accurate portrayal of our challenges and successes. Finally, we seek to demonstrate the unique value LPEA provides to the community through execution of our cooperative model.
    
2. Leadership and Organizational Development: LPEA will foster exceptional and visionary leadership within the senior leadership, cultivate an effective working culture, and ensure that LPEA staff & leadership have the resources, training and positions needed to meet and excel within the changing context of the industry.
    
3. Local Economic Development: LPEA will seek out opportunities aligned with our mission that promote strategic, local economic development.
    
4. Distribution Utility of the Future: LPEA will prepare for and optimize shifts coming in grid design, electrification and technology availability in a way that strengthens LPEA’s viability and relevance, maintain reliability, and advances our financial viability. This also includes adopting a business model aligned to shifting electric loads and cost structures.
    
5. Power Supply & Delivery: LPEA will generate a comprehensive strategy for supplying energy and capacity delivered in a way that maintains the highest possible value and reliability to LPEA’s membership.
    
6. Operational Excellence: LPEA will strive for operational excellence in all areas of daily operations and cooperative business.