DURANGO, CO – La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) has been awarded $13,416,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to support LPEA members including those living in distressed, disadvantaged, and designated energy communities. LPEA is one of just four national applicants to receive funding, so far, in a highly competitive application pool. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) received more than $12 billion in funding requests for clean energy projects with $1 billion made available from Congress for this opportunity.
LPEA’s proposed project will support the local construction of 5 megawatts (MW) of solar generation and a 5MW/20MWh battery. This funding will propel LPEA's efforts toward advancing affordable, clean energy initiatives, increasing resiliency, and expanding local generation.
“Building a new local solar facility paired with battery storage will bring jobs to our community and generation closer to our homes and businesses,” said Jessica Matlock, CEO of LPEA. “This project marks a pivotal step forward in our commitment to affordable, renewable energy and has the potential to power up to 1,800 homes. With the pairing of solar generation and a battery, we will be able to use daytime solar production to power the grid when we need it the most during high-priced power costs.”
The USDA's PACE program aims to support projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs, and support rural communities' efforts in transitioning to cleaner energy sources. Through this program, LPEA has been recognized for its commitment to fostering innovation in the energy sector and its dedication to providing affordable and sustainable energy solutions to its rural membership.
“This is a huge win for our community and it will accelerate our efforts towards increasing local generation opportunities," continued Matlock. "We are committed to utilizing these resources effectively to implement affordable, clean energy projects right in our backyard that will benefit our members."
LPEA expresses its gratitude to the USDA for selecting them as a recipient of the PACE program funding and looks forward to collaborating with stakeholders to maximize the impact of these initiatives.
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About LPEA
LPEA is a member-owned, not-for-profit, electric distribution cooperative serving La Plata and Archuleta, with segments of Hinsdale, Mineral, and San Juan counties. LPEA is the fifth largest cooperative of 22 in Colorado, and aims to provide safe, reliable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost to its approximately 36,500 members. For additional information, contact LPEA at (970) 247-5786 or visit lpea.coop.