This coal-heavy rural co-op utility is buying its first solar plants

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a major rural cooperative utility in the U.S., is acquiring its first large-scale solar power plants as part of its shift away from coal. The cooperative, which serves 1 million customers across Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Nebraska, aims to deliver 50% renewable electricity by the end of 2025. This move includes purchasing the Axial Basin Solar and Dolores Canyon Solar projects in Colorado, along with signing new power purchase agreements. Tri-State’s efforts are bolstered by the Inflation Reduction Act, positioning it as a leader in rural cooperative decarbonization.

The cooperative announced last week it will buy the forthcoming Axial Basin Solar, a 145-megawatt project in Moffat County, Colorado, and Dolores Canyon Solar, a 110-​megawatt project in Dolores County, Colorado. Both projects are still under construction, but they are slated to deliver power by late next year. Tri-State also signed three new power purchase agreements from solar plants that will come online by the end of this year.