U.S. Department of Energy selects Tri-State for $26.8 million in federal funding to increase power grid resilience and reliability across four western states

• Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program funding will accelerate optimization of energy efficiency, renewable energy consumption and grid resilience between Tri-State and its cooperative members.
• More than 230 disadvantaged communities across four states would be served by integrating over 200 megawatts of controllable load using a distributed energy resource management system over the next five years. 
• Tri-State grant advances to final negotiations with the U.S. DOE.

(October 18, 2023—Westminster, Colo.) The U.S. Department of Energy today selected Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association to receive $26.8 million to enhance the U.S. power grid’s ability to deliver reliable, affordable and cleaner energy in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. The funds will advance the Cooperative Energy Ecosystem, a project for distributed energy resource management collaboration between the not-for-profit wholesale power supply cooperative and its member distribution cooperatives and public power districts.

With support from the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, Tri-State will work with its members to implement a Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) that will improve the electric grid’s efficiency, capacity, flexibility and reliability while integrating renewable resources and managing energy loads.

“With our members, we can accelerate our vision of the cooperative energy ecosystem, which optimizes the unique connection between generation and transmission cooperatives and their members to directly benefit the rural communities we serve together,” said Reg Rudolph, Tri-State’s Chief Energy Innovations Officer. “We were excited that the U.S. Department of Energy shares our vision and selected Tri-State to continue to the negotiation phase of the grant.”  

The $26.8 million in federal funding will be matched by Tri-State, leveraging more than $53 million in investments to optimize the electric grid, including support in rural communities for home weatherization, electrification and energy efficiency rebates, commercial and industrial energy efficiency improvements, community solar projects and electric vehicle charging. Importantly, the benefits target low income and energy-burdened rural communities while supporting Tri-State’s goals for emissions reductions.

For more information, see Tri-State’s Cooperative Energy Ecosystem Project (PDF).

The GRIP Program seeks to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change. Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, the GRIP program leverages federal and private investments to ensure that communities across the nation have a reliable grid that's prepared for extreme weather while also delivering affordable, clean energy and creating robust local opportunities for economic investment and jobs. To learn more, visit the Grid Deployment Office’s website.

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About Tri-State
Tri-State is a power supply cooperative of 45 members, operating on a not-for-profit basis, including 42 utility electric distribution cooperative and public power district members in four states. Together with our member/owners, we deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 square miles of the West. For more information about Tri-State, visit www.tristate.coop.

Contact:
Lee Boughey, 303-254-3555, lboughey@tristategt.org

Certain information contained in this press statement are forward-looking statements including statements concerning Tri-State’s plans, future events, and other information that is not historical information. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described from time to time in Tri-State’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Tri-State’s expectations and beliefs are expressed in good faith, and Tri-State believes there is a reasonable basis for them. However, Tri-State cannot assure you that management’s expectations and beliefs will be achieved. There are a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein.