Summer at the Powerhouse Tours Rawhide Energy Station
Lucy Estergard | July 31, 2026 | Back to Powerhouse Post
Summer at the Powerhouse is designed to connect students with industry professionals through hands-on experiences that showcase different career paths and real-world operations.
The Summer at the Powerhouse series continued with a tour of Rawhide Energy Station, giving students and staff a behind-the-scenes look at how electricity is generated and delivered across Northern Colorado. Rawhide is operated by Platte River Power Authority, the community-owned utility that provides power to Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and Estes Park.
During the tour, students learned how Platte River Power Authority is working toward its goal of providing a 100% noncarbon energy mix by 2030. One of the biggest steps in that transition is retiring Rawhide Unit 1, the station’s coal-fired generating unit, while continuing to expand renewable energy sources like wind and solar. The tour took visitors through the Rawhide station and gave insight to how much work and equipment is used to keep the lights on.
The group also learned about the work that goes into balancing reliability with sustainability. As more renewable energy is added to the grid, new technologies and careful planning are helping ensure the region continues to receive dependable power while reducing carbon emissions. The tour offered a closer look at the future of energy in Northern Colorado and the people working to make that transition possible.