During its regular work session held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) met with La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) CEO Chris Hansen and LPEA board president Nicole Pitcher, discussing various projects in Archuleta County, including upgrading an existing 69kv line to a 115kv line from along U.S. 160 from Yellowjacket Pass to the Piedra River.
The meeting between the BoCC and LPEA followed discussion the BoCC had during its Oct. 21 work season in regard to a letter of condemnation filed against Archuleta County residents.
For more information on that, see the article, “County discusses petition in condemnation filed by LPEA” in the Nov. 13 issue of The SUN.
During that meeting, Commissioner John Ranson expressed that he wanted to meet “face-to-face” with Hansen.
During the Dec. 9 work session, Hansen explained that questions about LPEA’s investment in Archuleta County were asked the last time he met with the BoCC and what future plans would look like.
Hansen explained that, after multiple analyses, he’s pleased to be able to report “some really positive steps forward on each of those fronts.”
Hansen went on to state that, “first of all, Archuleta County is a priority area of investment for us,” explaining that Archuleta County makes up approximately 25 percent of LPEA’s members.
He added that, over the past year and next year, more than 25 percent of all LPEA investments are being made in Archuleta County.
Hansen noted the new Trujillo substation planned to be installed next spring is a “sizeable” $7 million investment into the county that will provide additional capacity.
He also noted that another substation would eventually be needed for the proposed Pagosa West development.
Hansen explained that currently there are 25 megawatts available with the infrastructure currently serving the county, and that the new Trujillo substation will double that, providing 50 megawatts to the area.
He also noted that if another substation for the Pagosa West development goes in, that would increase the available power to the area to 80 megawatts.
Hansen then explained that the other “priority area” is around the upgrade of a 69kv line to 115kv from the Bayfield area to Pagosa Springs area, creating multiple loops to increase reliability of service in Archuleta County.
He also noted that LPEA currently only has one 115kv line, which it will own as of April 1, 2026, and the one being upgraded will provide a second 115kv line.
“And that is really why we think it’s so important to upgrade the existing lower voltage line to this higher voltage. That gives us the ability to serve all of the Pagosa Springs area with high-voltage service even if one of those lines were to be damaged,” Hansen said.
He mentioned that maintaining higher reliability and safety within the system is why LPEA wants to do the upgrade.
“So, that’s why we started this process of doing transmission upgrades,” Hansen said.
In this upgrade phase, there are 25 different landowners with easements that LPEA is working with, Hansen explained. Of those 25, 15 have completed negotiations and eight have initial offers, with the remaining two in the last and final offer stage, Hansen stated.
“We have worked for over a year with these landowners,” he said, restating why the project is important. “Well, again, higher reliability in Archuleta County depends on upgrading this line.”
Hansen stated LPEA always tries to start the negotiation process early, “and try very hard to get to a mutually agreeable conclusion to that negotiation.”
He noted that the “absolute last resort” is to go through a legal process with a court determination.
“We try to avoid that if we possibly can,” he said, noting that LPEA would “always prefer to have a settlement reached.”
Pitcher also commented on LPEA’s transition in separating from a 50 year contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
“That’s already shown to be a very economically wise decision,” Pitcher said, explaining that Tri-State is raising its rates this year.
Pitcher stated that LPEA is able to keep its rates stable while rates around the country are rising, calling LPEA a “very well-run organization” that is “making very strategic decisions about the future.”
She added, “We are now going to be the manifesters of our own destiny.”
Ranson explained that he had questions on the case with a petition in condemnation filed against Archuleta County residents Jack and Rosemary Barrett, who are the owners of one of the properties associated with the voltage line upgrade project.
“I’ve had concerns with the lack of communication over the past year with these guys,” Ranson said, explaining that he thought that a better alternative was found, suggesting that LPEA should move the line across the highway off of the Barretts’ property where there are no residential buildings.
Ranson indicated that LPEA had expressed that moving the line across the highway would cost around $400,000 and would have to be paid by the Barretts.
“But in the past year there really hasn’t been any cooperation with these guys,” he said.
Ranson explained that he is helping the Barretts through this process, which has been going on for more than a year, because they are his constituents “and I’m elected to protect the people in Archuleta County.”
He added, “I think the communication back and forth has been not good with these folks.”
Hansen replied, stating that he would “respectfully disagree that [LPEA has not] been in good communication,” claiming that he has a large set of documentation with back-and-forth communication with the Barretts.
“I think we have tried very earnestly to negotiate this with the landowner,” he added.
Hansen then acknowledged two alternatives that Ranson referred to: to relocate the line to the other side of the highway, or to relocate the line on a different end of the Barretts’ property that would also cross into an adjacent property with a different owner.
Hansen explained that an engineering analysis determined that moving the line across the highway would cost around $300,000.
He then commented on the other option, explaining that his understanding is that the owner of the adjacent property was not interested in having the power line moved onto their property.
“If that has changed, we’re happy to take another look at it,” he said.
Hansen then commented on the cost implication of moving the line across the highway, explaining that it would be the “responsibility of the property owner that wants the change.”
He also noted that the easement associated with the property goes back to 1953 and that if a change is needed because of the desire of the property owner, “that is the responsibility of the member.”
“We don’t socialize that cost across all of the membership,” he said.
Hansen went on to explain that the other alternative of moving the line through a different portion of the Barretts’ property, also crossing a neighbor’s property, would not pose an additional cost.
He added LPEA is willing to consider that if the other property owner is interested.
“If we go across the highway, there will be significant cost associated with that alternative route,” Hansen said.
Pitcher asked for clarification on what exactly was being asked of the property owners and if that included asking for movement of a structure.
“Absolutely not,” Hansen replied.
Ranson asked Jack Barrett if his neighbor is willing to have the line cross over their property, to which Jack Barrett stated that the neighbor is not willing.
Jack Barrett also stated that the increased voltage will take away from the appearance of his property, and that “the communication hasn’t been like Chris Hansen has described.”
He added, “It’s not the pretty picture that was painted by Chris this morning.”
Ranson indicated that the property owner across the highway is willing to look at that option.
The BoCC allowed for public comment on the matter, with Commissioner Warren Brown explaining that public comment is not usually allowed at work sessions, but that “a number of folks have gone through trouble to be here.”
The first commenter stated he is a friend of the Barretts and expressed concerns over the health effects of a high-voltage power line, suggesting the line should be moved across the highway.
One commenter asked what kind of profits LPEA makes, to which Hansen replied, “We are a nonprofit corporation. All of our profits are returned to our members.”
The commenter responded that means “we the people have to pay for that” and, even though the line was built in 1953, “things can be changed all the time.”
He suggested LPEA should figure it out and absorb the cost.
Hope Scheppleman commented stating that she is a candidate for congress, to which Brown interjected stating that no campaigning is allowed.
Scheppleman then continued her comment, stating Jack Barrett is a veteran and that she wants “to make sure our veterans are taken care of,” suggesting that LPEA could pay for the cost to move the line across the highway.
Another commenter stated she is a La Plata County resident, expressing that LPEA has not exhausted all options.
She also mentioned that LPEA invests time and resources into projects such as electric school buses and various community electrification programs, claiming “those are not core responsibilities.”
She stated that LPEA could pull funds from those types of programs to pay for moving the line across the highway.
She added, “I think we have a lot of decisions that are made by our board and our LPEA CEO that are influenced more by broader ambitions” and suggested that several of them have privately held affiliations outside of LPEA and that they have “those things in mind as opposed to actually what’s really good for La Plata County and Archuleta County.”
The last commenter stated he is a resident of Cortez and supported the suggestion of LPEA covering the cost to move the line across the highway, and that he has seen it done in other similar projects.
Pitcher clarified again, “We’re not asking anyone to leave their home.”
Pitcher explained that currently there is only one line running into Archuleta County and that if it is taken out, there is no other power for the Pagosa Springs area.
Pitcher also encouraged everyone to take ownership.
“[LPEA] is us, it’s we the people,” she said, explaining that LPEA is a cooperative.
“When you say it’s taking money out of Chris Hansen’s pocket, no; it’s taking money out of every member’s pocket to pay for these,” she said.
Pitcher also stated that LPEA is not a corporation that’s responding to shareholders, but that “we’re a cooperative that’s listening to our members.”
Ranson commented that he agrees that LPEA is “we the people,” but, “the board of LPEA made a $209 million decision without our vote.”
Ranson indicated that all that’s being asked is for the LPEA board and/or CEO to pay for the line to be moved across the highway.
“I can’t buy the fact that, well, all the others shouldn’t pay for it,” he said. “This is the right thing to do and move it across the highway. I just think it’s the right thing to do.”
Commissioner Veronica Medina indicated that she agrees with Ranson and that the LPEA board “should reconsider and help support a veteran that has already served his country and to do the right thing for all of us.”
clayton@pagosasun.com
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