ARPA Year in Review

BUSINESS OPERATIONS – March 2024

ARPA’s Year in Review 2023. At its February meeting, the ARPA board took a look back into 2023, which was a very successful year for the Authority. Financially, its cash position increased significantly with net revenues slightly over $4 million. In addition, ARPA welcomed 2 new board members from Trinidad, Frank Shew, a member of Trinidad City Council, and Linda Vigil the Utilities Administrator for the City. Operationally, ARPA moved forward with its distribution planning study for its members. The study will develop engineering plans for infrastructure improvements for its members’ distribution systems. It will include developing a list of priority projects to enhance the resiliency of the electric systems as well as proposed upgrades for substations and microgrid development. The Authority also confirmed its commitment to providing reliable energy resources to its members by investing in its wind turbines and implementing maintenance upgrades for its generating sets in both Trinidad and Holly.

2024 and Beyond. The Board is reviewing the potential for solar developments in Trinidad, Lamar, and La Junta; a potential microgrid development in Springfield; and the potential to acquire infrastructure funding from the federal and state grid resiliency and grid hardening programs.

TextPower for Improved Customer Service. The ARPA board approved moving forward with a proposal from TextPower that will greatly enhance its members’ ability to communicate with their customers. TextPower is a software program that allows utilities to send text messages to their customers automatically or manually, using web-based applications. The texting will allow the utilities to better serve their customers by providing alerts regarding outages, restoration of service, and bill and payment reminders. The Board voted to fund this program as a service, at no direct cost to the members.

ARPA Scholarship Program. The Arkansas River Power Authority Board of Directors established a College Scholarship Program in the year 2000. The Program is administered through our member municipalities of Holly, La Junta, Lamar, Las Animas, Springfield and Trinidad. A $1,400 scholarship is awarded to one high school senior in each member municipality and is funded equally between ARPA and the member municipality. Application forms, scholarship requirements, and eligibility criteria are available either through the counseling offices of the member high schools or at the local office of the electric utility. To be eligible, a student must reside with a family that receives electric service from one of the ARPA member municipalities.

Summary of January 2024 Financial and Operating Statements. In the month of January, revenue from power sales were 5.4% better than budget and cost of goods sold (COGS) 4.8% over budget. Net Revenue for the month was $413,832. Member Energy sales were 6.7% better than budget and 3.7% more than January 2023.

Next ARPA Meeting. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the ARPA Board of Directors is Thursday, May 30, 2024. The meeting will be held in La Junta at the Otero College Student Center, 2001 San Juan. The meeting notice and agenda will be posted on ARPA’s website (arpapower.org) under Public Notices and will also be posted in a designated location in each of the member cities at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

ARPA board meetings are open to the public.

#   #   #