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Energy Sources>
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectric generation is a valuable renewable resource in the Rocky Mountain region. Hydropower is generated when water (either from a river or reservoir) is diverted through a turbine, which then turns a generator to produce electricity. This provides a very flexible, low cost renewable resource. Much of the hydroelectric power in the west has been developed as part of the federal reclamation program. At the direction of Congress, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation was charged with developing multi-purpose projects to provide, among other things, flood control, irrigation, recreation and water storage. Electric generation was included as a part of these projects to make more efficient use of the water and to help pay the costs associated with the projects. Power not only pays for the hydropower features of the Federal projects, but also pays most (about 90% in most cases) of the irrigation features. Included in the law are provisions that the power from the Federal projects will be sold to preference customers, primarily to non-profit municipal and rural electric systems at rates sufficient to recover the costs of operating the projects and repaying the government for the investment in the projects.
Platte River has long-term contracts (through 2024) for the purchase of federal power from the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) and the Salt Lake Integrated Projects (SLIP). This power is marketed by the Western Area Power Administration. The LAP facilities are primarily located in Colorado and Wyoming and include generation from the Colorado Big Thompson Project (between Loveland and Estes Park, Colorado), dams along the North Platte River in Wyoming, and the Mt. Elbert pumped storage project (near Leadville, Colorado). The SLIP projects include the power produced from the features of the Colorado River Storage Project at Glen Canyon Dam (near the Utah/Arizona border), Flaming Gorge Dam (near the Wyoming/Utah border), and Blue Mesa Dam (and associated Crystal and Morrow Point Dams near Gunnison, Colorado). SLIP also includes several other smaller projects in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. This renewable hydroelectric power provides about 20% of the resources needed to serve the loads of the four municipal systems served by Platte River.
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