Otis Singleton
Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. (MPE) is a member-owned electric utility cooperative that was established in 1946 in Walden, Colorado. MPE has been providing electricity to hard-to-reach areas in mountainous regions, including parts of Grand, Larimer, Routt, and Summit counties. The Dinorwig Power Station, also known as Electric Mountain, is another example of electricity transfer in mountainous regions. This power station is located in Snowdonia National Park in Wales and utilizes pumped-storage hydroelectric technology to provide rapid response energy and frequency control. To preserve the natural beauty of the park, the power station is located deep inside a mountain, with cables buried underground to transmit electricity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Dinorwig Power Station/Electric Mountain/Mynydd Gwefru |
| Location | Inside the mountain Elidir Fawr, in Snowdonia national park in Gwynedd, north Wales |
| Type | Pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme |
| Maximum Power Supply | 1,728 MW (2,317,000 hp) |
| Storage Capacity | 9.1 GWh (33 TJ) |
| Construction | 12 million tonnes of rock were moved to create tunnels and a large cavern |
| Connection to Grid | 400 kV cables buried for 10 kilometres |
| Generator/Motor Details | Six 300 MW GEC generator/motors with Francis-type reversible turbines |
| Generator Type | Vertical-shaft, salient-pole, air-cooled units with 12 electromagnetic poles weighing 10 tonnes each |
| Generator Voltage and Speed | 18 kV terminal voltage and 500 rpm synchronous speed |
| Response Time | A single 450-tonne generator can go from standstill to full load in 75 seconds |
| Operator | First Hydro Company |
| Tourism | Promoted as a tourist attraction with 132,000 visitors in 2015; tours ceased in 2021 and the visitor centre was demolished in 2023 |
| Mountain Parks Electric | Established in 1946 in Walden, Colorado; serves over 18,400 members across approximately 4,000 square miles of Rocky Mountain terrain |
| Mountain View Electric Association | Offers a digital tool called SmartHub to track energy usage and manage accounts |
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What You'll Learn
Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. (MPE) is a member-owned utility cooperative
MPE's mission is to deliver safe, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy and services to enhance the lives of its members and communities. It aims to be the energy provider of choice, supporting the communities it serves while also realizing the full potential of the grid. To achieve this, MPE is committed to providing its customers with state-of-the-art technology and personalized service at affordable rates. The cooperative has built a reputation for integrity, accountability, innovation, and community commitment.
MPE has participated in pilot programs focused on increasing consumer-members' efficiency and lowering power costs. The cooperative has also received a $100 million grant from New ERA, which is associated with a Community Benefits Plan. Additionally, MPE is actively involved in community events, such as the Member Appreciation Event, and educational initiatives, including an electric vehicle demonstration for a Consumer Auto Repair class at Middle Park High School.
MPE's history can be traced back to the 1950s when NPREA, its predecessor, purchased several area power companies, including Granby's Mountain Utilities Corporation. In 1953, NPREA moved its headquarters from Walden to Granby and changed its name to Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) to reflect its main service territory: North Park and Middle Park. During this time, MPE employed an 11-person line crew and an office staff of seven to service 3,860 meters.
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MPE's history and creation
The Dinorwig Power Station, known locally as Electric Mountain or Mynydd Gwefru, is a pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme near Dinorwig, Llanberis, in Snowdonia National Park, North Wales. The scheme was built when the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation in England and Wales. Dinorwig was designed to provide peak capacity, very rapid response, energy storage, and frequency control.
The Dinorwig slate quarry, which had ceased operations six years prior, was converted into an underground power station in 1975. The project was awarded the largest civil engineering works contract given by the UK government at the time. The engineering consortium, Alfred McAlpine/Brand/Zschokke, oversaw the excavation of 16 km of underground tunnels deep below Elidir Mountain. The construction required the removal of 12 million tons of slate and the use of 1 million tons of concrete, 200,000 tons of cement, and 4,500 tons of steel. Around 2000 workers were employed, with the majority of the labour force drawn from the local area. The power station was fully commissioned in 1983 and opened by Prince Charles in May 1984.
The Electric Mountain visitor centre offered tours of the power station, attracting 132,000 visitors in 2015. However, in 2021, it was announced that the tours and visitor centre would cease operations, with plans for the centre's demolition in 2023.
The Mountain Electric Cooperative, on the other hand, was formed in 1941 by a group of farmers and small-town residents in Johnson County, Tennessee. They aimed to provide electric service to their local rural area, which was not served by the existing East Tennessee Light & Power Co. (ETL&P). The cooperative grew over the years, purchasing smaller power companies and expanding its service area. By 1949, Mountain Electric served 4,812 members and provided electricity to Johnson and Carter Counties in Tennessee, as well as Avery County, North Carolina. Today, the cooperative continues to serve its members, with approximately 36,600 members and a service area population of roughly 45,000.
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MPE's mission and vision
Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) is dedicated to delivering safe, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy solutions to enhance the lives of its members and communities. MPE's mission is to provide energy and services that are not just efficient and affordable but also prioritize the well-being of the people and places they serve.
MPE's vision is to be the preferred energy provider, supporting its communities and unlocking the full potential of the grid. They aim to be more than just an energy supplier; they strive to be a partner in the development and prosperity of the regions they serve.
To achieve this, MPE is committed to safe and sustainable practices. They recognize the importance of reliable energy access for all, ensuring that their operations are carried out with the utmost regard for safety. Additionally, MPE understands the need for cost-effective solutions, making their services accessible and beneficial to their members.
MPE's dedication to its mission and vision is evident in their history. MPE was established in response to the lack of access to electricity in rural areas. Investor-owned power companies were unwilling to extend power lines into these regions due to perceived unprofitability. However, through the determination of residents and the creation of consumer-owned electric cooperatives, MPE came into being.
Today, MPE continues to empower communities by delivering energy that betters lives. Their commitment to safety and sustainability ensures that they are not just meeting the energy needs of the present but also contributing to a brighter and more sustainable future for their members and the environment.
Guided by their mission and vision, MPE strives to be a leader in responsible energy provision, putting the needs of their communities first and ensuring that their services are delivered with the highest standards of safety, reliability, and sustainability.
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MPE's community work
Mountain Parks Electric (MPE) is committed to supporting the communities it serves. Since 1999, MPE has disbursed over $1 million to locals in need through its Operation Round Up program. MPE has also actively participated in pilot programs aimed at enhancing consumer-members' efficiency and reducing power costs.
MPE's mission is to deliver safe, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy and services to improve the lives of its members and communities. The company strives to be the energy provider of choice and to support the communities it serves while realizing the full potential of the grid.
MPE has a reputation for integrity, accountability, innovation, and community commitment. They join forces with over 700 other national cooperatives under the Touchstone Energy® partnership to uphold high service standards and cooperative principles.
In 2025, MPE received a $100 million grant from New ERA, which will be used to further its community work and benefit plan. This grant demonstrates MPE's dedication to investing in its community and ensuring access to safe and reliable energy for all its members.
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Life before electricity
Rural life before electricity was particularly grueling, with long hours of labour required to complete basic tasks. Farm families and their hired hands, along with horses and windmills, provided the power for daily chores. Milking cows, for instance, was done by hand and could take up to two hours for 20 cows, a process that had to be repeated twice a day. Water was pumped from wells and hauled to the house or barn, and wood for heating and cooking had to be cut and split manually.
Food preservation was also a constant task, with meat being smoked and vegetables being canned to ensure a supply during the winter months. "Refrigerators" of the time were iceboxes, which used blocks of ice harvested from frozen lakes to keep food cold. Only a small amount of food could be stored in these iceboxes, so cellars were also used to keep food cool.
Daily activities were adjusted to accommodate the lack of electric lighting. In the absence of electric washing machines, gasoline motors were occasionally used to power washing machines, but cleaning the house was mostly done by hand with tools like brooms, rug beaters, and scrub brushes. Clothing was dried outside, but in the winter, the cold temperatures could freeze the clothes before they were dry.
The absence of electric entertainment meant that the kitchen table was the heart of the home, with a kerosene lamp at its centre. Families gathered there to eat, read, do schoolwork, mend clothing, and entertain neighbours. Life before electricity was undoubtedly more challenging, requiring more physical labour and presenting limitations on the storage and preservation of food, as well as the performance of daily tasks.
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Frequently asked questions
Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. (MPE) is a member-owned electric utility cooperative established in 1946 in Walden, Colorado. It has been headquartered in Granby since 1953 and has a service center in Walden.
Mountain Parks Electric delivers safe, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy and services to better the lives of its members and communities.
You can use SmartHub to track your energy usage, manage your account, and find ways to efficiently beat the heat.
