Colorado Country Life

SIEA and Tri-State helped fund the installation of two AI-enabled cameras that are already changing the way wildfires are detected and tracked. 

SIEA’s Lead Engineering Technician says he’s never thought about doing something else or working anywhere else in his 20-plus years with the cooperative. Now he’s retired!

San Isabel Electric does a lot to prevent wildfires, but even if we do everything right, one fire could mean bankruptcy. Read this story to learn how co-ops are working together to face the risks of un-capped litigation and how you can help.

Using the wrong size extension could have catastrophic consequences. Choosing the right size and length of cord will protect you and your stuff from fires. 

The makeover of the old caboose in downtown Walsenburg is symbolic of a work ethic commonly found in southern Coloradoans. 

The lineworker and firefighter professions come with intense, chronic psychological pressure. It takes a unique person and character to succeed in either job and an even more special person to do both. San Isabel Electric is privileged to have thee men balancing full time lineworker careers with serving as volunteer firefighters.

Changes are coming to SIEA electric bills in 2026. Increased costs are driving up prices of everyday items everywhere. But for SIEA, there’s more to it than that. Learn about what’s driving the 2026 rate change and what we’re doing to minimize the impact on our member-owners. 

With new energy efficient upgrades in place, Walsenburg’s new Senior Center will be spending less on electric bills and more on programs that matter. 

San Isabel Electric currently offers two optional TOD rates that offer nearly half-price electricity during off-peak hours when demand on the grid is the lowest.

Thanks to protective equipment and specialized techniques, removing a towering 100-foot hazardous tree is less than a half a day of work for San Isabel Electric’s professional line clearance crew. 

Two SIEA members with decades of nuclear experience in both military and civilian settings offer local insight into how safety is the backbone of nuclear energy.

Why does an electric cooperative have a line clearance crew tasked with trimming trees? What does tree trimming have to do with keeping the power on and members safe? Do you think you know the answer?

SIEA’s power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, is preparing to retire it’s last Colorado coal plant and has more solar power among the nation’s generation and transmission cooperatives, with more renewable projects planned. In this edition of the Energy Gap, we discuss how Tri-State is bridging the gap from coal to cleaner alternatives without sacrificing reliability. 

Every consumer who buys electricity from SIEA is a member and owner of the cooperative. At the annual meeting, members just like you are elected to serve on the board of directors to make decisions about rates, renewables, and other ways the cooperative operates.

When Darryl Stewart was hired more than 10 years ago, he was tasked with reducing the frequency and length of power outages. Today, SIEA member-owners experience 60% less time without electricity compared to a decade ago. 

We drive by them without noticing they’re there. When taking pictures, most people try to keep them out of the frame. But electric utility poles are the backbone of the electric grid and our community. 

In this edition of the Energy Gap, we explore nuclear energy’s role in electricity generation — including reliability, cost, safety, and its impact on the environment.

San Isabel Electric’s new Budget Billing Program can make electric bills more predictable and even out payments. 

Every year, San Isabel Electric sends capital credit checks, or refund checks back to you. The checks represent your share of leftover money that wasn’t used for running the business. These checks may continue to be mailed many years after credits are earned. So, it’s important we always have your current mailing address.

Only a small number of SIEA members experienced brief outages during the November 2024 record snowfall. Learn about what the co-op is doing differently since the last record storm. 

Oatmeal helped SIEA employees and board members team up for a record-breaking effort to fight hunger.