Thank you, Jessica Matlock 

Jessica Matlock recently resigned from her position as CEO of La Plata Electric Association. During the turbulent past five years, she steered LPEA, our electric co-op, into a new direction seeking independence from Tri-State. Jessica is a skilled manager, and she knows the intricacies of the new energy economy, all of which she shared with LPEA staff and the board creating effective teamwork.

Over the past 15 years, the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado (SASCO) and the San Juan Citizens Alliance (SJCA) supported by many activists have encouraged and campaigned for our electric co-op to embrace a future dependent on renewable energy sources away from Tri-State’s heavy reliance on coal. By leaving Tri-State, LPEA would also be leaving behind an onerous 50-year contract limiting our co-op to 5% local generation.

LPEA’s board members gave Jessica Matlock the opportunity to establish a new direction to implement our community’s desires for an environmentally and financially sound future, and it is now up to the board to exit Tri-State. Leaving Tri-State will not only benefit environmental concerns but also leaves the majority of $69 million in our local economy year after year instead of sending it to Tri-State’s Front Range offices.

Again, sincere thanks to Jessica Matlock for her leadership and best wishes for her future.

–Werner Heiber, Durango