Southwest Power Stories

Watt's Up: April 2026 Recap

In this month's newsletter recap, host Monica Vick covers what members need to know heading into May, including a quick tribute to the energy transition on April 1, celebrating National Lineworker Appreciation Month, highlighting our first wildfire resilience sponsorship, and a full calendar of upcoming events and deadlines. Stay connected at lpea.coop.

Power Up: Prioritizing Safety Ahead of Wildfire Season

Wildfire in southwest Colorado is a year-round reality. With warmer winters, drier forests, and wind events that can turn a single spark into a catastrophe, LPEA is rethinking what it means to run a reliable grid. In this episode of Southwest Power Stories, host Monica Vick takes you inside the cooperative's wildfire mitigation strategy. You'll hear how a machine learning platform called Firescape is mapping risk hour by hour, why reclosers get reconfigured when fire danger spikes, what a Public Safety Power Shutoff actually looks like from inside the dispatch center, and how vegetation management crews are climbing trees ninety percent of the workday to keep the lines clear. You'll also meet LPEA's 2026 sponsorship partner, Wildfire Adapted Partnership, and learn how neighborhood ambassadors and a chipper rebate program are helping homeowners adapt to the ever-warming climate. Featuring LPEA CEO Chris Hansen, Senior Director of Engineering Ryne Waggoner, Director of Distribution Toby Allred, Relief Dispatcher Rachel Killinen, and Wildfire Adapted Partnership Executive Director Ashley Downing. Learn more about Firescape here: https://www.firescape.ai/ Apply for a chipper rebate here: https://www.wildfireadapted.org/chipper-rebate Discover more about LPEA's Vegetation Management plan here: https://lpea.coop/vegmgmt Sign up for our Watt's Up newsletter here: https://lpea.coop/newsletter

Watt's Up: March 2026 Recap

In this month's newsletter recap, host Monica Vick covers what members need to know heading into April, including the cooperative's historic transition to energy independence on April 1, the CommunityPowerX regional energy forum on April 23 at the Durango Arts Center, Board of Directors elections updates, town halls in Durango and Pagosa Springs, internship opportunities, a downed power line safety reminder, and a full calendar of upcoming events and deadlines. Stay connected at lpea.coop.

Power Up: A New Era for LPEA

On April 1, 2026, La Plata Electric ends decades of buying nearly all its wholesale power from a single supplier and goes back to it's roots by stepping into a regional energy market for the first time. In this episode, we follow CEO Chris Hansen as he travels through the service territory, meeting members over coffee to discuss what this transition means for rates, reliability, and the co-op's energy future. From joining Southwest Power Pool to exploring battery energy storage, this is the story of a cooperative taking control of its own destiny.

Round Up: Celebrating 30 Years with Our First Recipient, Manna Soup Kitchen

In this episode, LPEA CEO Chris Hansen visits Manna, one of the Roundup Foundation's very first grant recipients, to mark 30 years of giving. Executive Director Marissa Hunt shares how Manna has evolved from a traditional soup kitchen into a comprehensive food security hub, offering daily meals, a food market, case management, and a culinary job training program. It's a firsthand look at what happens when small contributions add up to real community change. Hosted by Monica Vick, from La Plata Electric.