Intermountain Rural Electric Association

Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) is a nonprofit electric distribution cooperative, one of more than nine-hundred established in the 1930s, to bring electricity to parts of the country not served by municipal or investor-owned utilities. IREA is organized as a corporation under Colorado law, but unlike many corporations, the Association’s customers own IREA and elect the board of directors. The board makes decisions regarding the general policies of IREA and directs the Chief Executive Officer to implement those policies. 

IREA today has more than 140,000 customers within a service territory covering approximately 5,000 square miles in central Colorado. The Association is by far the largest of Colorado’s twenty-three electric distribution cooperatives. The Association purchases power wholesale from the Western Area Power Administration and Public Service Company of Colorado, d/b/a Xcel Energy. IREA also invested in Comanche 3, a supercritical pulverized coal plant built and operated by Xcel Energy.

Political Advocacy

Our mission is always squarely in front of us: to provide the best possible service. As such, IREA’s government affairs team works elected officials to implement policies that lead to reliable service and support lower electric rates.

We invite you, our customers, to let your voice be heard. Please join us today by signing up to receive legislative action alerts and get the tools to connect to your elected official on energy issues that matter to you. Also, visit our Legislative Issues page during the Colorado legislature’s annual session (January through early May) for information on issues that can affect your service and electric rates.