CIEA’s members are independent power producers (IPP) who have been an integral part of Colorado’s energy industry for more than twenty-five years. There are more than seventy-five independent power projects in Colorado that supply electricity for consumers throughout the region.

COST SAVINGS TO CONSUMERS

CIEA members are saving Colorado ratepayers money by leading the way toward lower cost electricity. They have heavily influenced technology and power plant construction methods. This has helped to lower the cost of building and operating new electric generation facilities in Colorado. CIEA members have successfully bid into RFPs conducted for power generation in Colorado over the past twenty years. Consumers will benefit as these reduced costs influence the price of electricity delivered to them in the future.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO COLORADO

Independent power projects in Colorado have attracted investments to the state of over $3 billion. The independent power industry employs more than 1,500 people in Colorado with a total payroll exceeding $40 million. Independent power projects in several areas of Colorado have become the single largest property tax paying entities in their communities.

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES OF INDEPENDENT POWER

Many of the independent power projects utilize renewables and proven technologies that are cleaner than many plants currently operated by public utilities. In addition, many IPP plants are more efficient than the older public utility plants through co-generation and other high efficiency technologies.

RELIABILITY OF INDEPENDENT POWER

CIEA member plants have been operating reliably in Colorado for more than twenty years. They have contributed to the dependability of the regional electric system. In many instances these plants have been available to consumers even when utility power plants were out of service due to severe weather or equipment failures.

CIEA members are ready to meet the challenge of providing more power to consumers at lower cost. Independent power sources are an indispensable part of Colorado’s energy future. IPPs can provide exactly what consumers want: lower costs, reliability and environmentally friendly operations.