FERC accepts Tri-State’s contract termination payment filing
(June 12, 2020 – Westminster, Colo.) – Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission accepted Tri-State’s contract termination payment filing and referred it to FERC’s hearing and settlement judge procedures.
Tri-State’s Chief Executive Officer Duane Highley made the following comments on FERC’s order:
“FERC’s acceptance of Tri-State’s contract termination payment filing is a decidedly
positive outcome and an important step forward for Tri-State’s members, each of which now has a voice and will be treated equally on wholesale contract and rate matters.
“We believe this issue is now properly before the appropriate regulatory commission.
FERC will make a decision that is just and reasonable for all of our members, including
those seeking to terminate their contracts. Our next step is to participate in FERC’s
settlement and hearing process. “Importantly, FERC rejected arguments that it did not have jurisdiction on contract
termination payments.
“Tri-State’s contract termination payment methodology was developed by a Contract
Committee of Tri-State’s utility membership, and then approved by Tri-State’s Board of Directors, in April 2020. The methodology determines a fair price for a member to
terminate its wholesale power contract with Tri-State without shifting costs from that
member or to that member.”
As a FERC-regulated utility, Tri-State is required to file the methodology for approval. Separately, on June 9, FERC approved the Delta-Montrose Electric Association withdrawal docket, which allows the cooperative to exit Tri-State, as planned, on June 30, 2020.
About Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
Tri-State is a not-for-profit cooperative of 46 members, including three non-utility members and 43 member electric distribution cooperatives and public power districts in four states that together deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 square miles of the West (current count continues to include DMEA).
For more information, visit http://www.tristate.coop .