News Article

The Biden administration has unveiled new funding for the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, United Power, and CORE Electric Cooperative to advance renewable energy and improve air quality. The support, from the USDA’s Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, is part of the Inflation Reduction Act’s initiatives.  Tri-State will use its funding to implement its electric resource plan, adding 255 MW of owned renewable energy, 1,380 MW from power purchase agreements, and 210 MW of battery storage, while phasing out its remaining coal plants by 2031.

The funding announced includes nearly $200 million for the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) to reduce emissions from residential and commercial building sectors and increase energy and resource efficiency within the Denver Metropolitan Area, and over $129 million for the Colorado Energy Office to invest in methane emissions monitoring and reporting, support the decarbonization of large commercial buildings, and collaborate with local governments to increase their capacity to engage with climate-focused work.

The funding includes nine grants from DOT’s Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program and the Low or No Emission Grant Program. DOT’s Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program helps states replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment to construct bus-related facilities and modify low or no-emission vehicles and facilities. The Low or No Emission Grant Program provides funding to state and local governments for the purchase of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including the acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities.