La Plata Electric Associaiton

I’m and Engineer with an MBA and almost 3 decades of electric utility experience building, operating and maintaining distribution, substation and transmission infrastructure. I am running for re-election because LPEA is now independent of Tri-State and has a bright future ahead of us. I will use my skillset to be a champion of affordability, reliability and resilience.

One of our strategic goals at LPEA is to reduce our 2005 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) levels by 80% by 2030. Prior to our Tri-State exit, we were at a 30%reduction. As of our April 1st exit, not only will our members save $5 million in generation and transmission costs, but our new power supply portfolio will immediately reduce GHG to 50% of the 2005 levels. I will continue to work for future opportunities to save our members money while maintaining and improving our efficiency, reliability and resiliency.

Resiliency comes from local investment. When we develop or partner on projects closer to home, we are strengthening our own communities instead of sending those dollars somewhere else. That shows up in reliability, in local jobs, and in the ability to respond quickly when challenges arise. And just as important, cooperatives are accountable to their members. That means we are constantly balancing affordability, reliability, and emissions based on what our community actually values.

In a place like Southwest Colorado, where we are deeply connected to the land and already seeing the impacts of a changing climate, that local control and flexibility is what allows us to build a more resilient energy future.

I love to hike, bike and fish. Nothing beats a sunny Western Slope day going hiking and saying hi to all the people you meet on the trail!

Join David for a canvass on the following dates:

• April 19
• April 24
• April 25
• April 26
• May 2
• May 3

Email Leda at leda@powactionfund to sign up

I found Pagosa Springs during one of those in-between seasons of life, and it didn’t take long for this place to feel like home. This community taught me how to ski, how to kayak, and how to really experience the landscape that makes Southwest Colorado so special. At a certain point, you realize it’s time to give something back. I married into a family that owns and operates Wolf Creek Ski Area, and through that, I’ve had a front row seat to something that’s hard to ignore. Winter is changing. Shorter seasons, less snow, more uncertainty. It’s something I came to love as an adult, and now feel a responsibility to protect.

When I first ran for the LPEA board, I asked myself what the most meaningful thing I could do about that was. For me, the answer was decarbonizing our power supply. But once you step into this work, you realize it’s not that simple. People depend on electricity every day. Reliability is not optional, and neither is affordability in a place like this. That’s what led to one of the biggest decisions we’ve made as a cooperative: exiting our long term wholesale power contract so we could take control of our energy future. It gave us the flexibility to build a more local, more resilient, and lower emission power supply over time. I’m running because I believe we can do both. We can protect the winters and landscapes we love while keeping power reliable and affordable for the people who call this place home.

Rural coops are the lifeblood of rural communities. They are often a reflection of their community’s values. I am proud to be a member of La Plata Electric Association because they listened to the needs of their members, took years to create a plan to meet those needs, and recently execute the vision for energy independence and carbon emission reduction while keeping rates affordable and energy local.

The coop is at the front line of power supply choice and grid resiliency. The coop member can affect change by whom they vote to represent them. Renewable and alternative power purchasing decisions, green house gas reduction goals, upgrades to circuits and transmission lines and local power with local control of your electricity are all important issues. These decision impact community resiliency options such as roof top solar, community solar and battery energy storage.

From mountain snow to river flow and all things gravity, I’m happiest outside.

I ski and snowboard, which is pretty much mandatory in the Pitcher family. In the spring, I’m whitewater kayaking and river surfing, and lately I’ve been getting into mountain biking when it gets warmer.

Fall might be my favorite, though. There’s nothing better than backpacking when the air turns crisp, with warm days and cool evenings.

But honestly, these days, you’re just as likely to find me at the park teaching my daughter how to ride her bike, or at the hot springs helping her learn to swim.

Join Nicole for a canvass on the following dates:

• April 18
• April 25
• May 2
• May 5

Email Leda at leda@powactionfund to sign up

I am running for the La Plata Electric Association Board to utilize my 20 years of rural utility and clean energy experience to give back to my community.

Rural electric cooperatives are one of the most quietly powerful models out there. We are not owned by distant shareholders. We are owned by the people we serve. That means every decision we make is grounded in the needs of our community, not quarterly profits. This gives us the ability to think long term, to balance affordability, reliability, and emissions in a way that actually reflects what our members care about.

I’m especially proud to be part of LPEA because of where we live. Southwest Colorado is an energy rich region. We have abundant sunshine, access to natural gas, opportunities for small scale hydro, and real potential for geothermal. We are not limited to a single path.

As a cooperative, we have the flexibility to build a more diverse and locally grounded power supply that reflects that landscape. That means more resilience when conditions change, more local investment, and more control over our future. At the end of the day, it is about staying connected to this place. The cooperative model gives us a real chance to power our homes and businesses in a way that is shaped by the land we live in and the people who call it home.

Rural coops cover over 50% of the landmass in the US, which means they provide critical power to communities that are most vulnerable to natural disaster like wildfire and high winds. Coops are nonprofit organizations so, they focus on affordability and long-term community benefits rather than profit translating to investments in local energy based on what resource is available in that community.

With my dog, Summit, chasing wildflowers and alpine lakes high above treeline.

Join Jenn for a canvass on the following dates:

• April 20
• April 21
• April 22
• April 27

Email Leda at leda@powactionfund to sign up