When Dad travels, very little is left to chance.

If you’ve read my blog on planning for a winter outage, you may remember that my Dad is one of the most organized human beings on Earth – the sort of person who makes Batman look absent-minded and impulsive. Since I regularly spout off more puns than Robin the Boy Wonder, the two of us make a pretty good team.

And when I was a kid, nothing allowed Dad’s talents to shine more brightly than the annual family summer vacation.

Whether it was a short jaunt to the mountains or a multi-state Westward Ho! drive, the process was the same. Dad would talk with the family and research locations. Budgets would be meticulously planned, maps consulted, budgets estimated. My sisters and I would each get a job to handle – treasurer, navigator, etc. – which not only kept everything on track, but let us know we were contributing to the expedition. (It also REALLY cut down on “Are We There Yet?” questions.)  

The results were always fantastic. Because we’d gathered so much information in advance, we could relax and enjoy the trip. We knew where we were going and how we were going to get there. And if surprises happened, we didn’t have to fly (OK, drive) by the seat of our pants.

That’s a great way to make an energy journey, too.

On March 4, our wholesale energy provider Platte River Power Authority will hold a focus group discussion about its Integrated Resource Plan, or IRP, with four options to consider. Once completed, this plan will be the “road map” that Platte River uses to determine where its energy (and thus our energy) will come from over the next few years. That’s especially important these days, since Longmont has a goal to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030 while still keeping its electricity affordable and reliable.

We and Platte River have taken a big step in that direction already, with the community set to hit 50% non-carbon energy next year. But there’s a long road ahead – and just like that family vacation, more information makes a better trip.

So if you live here or have a business here, come join the conversation from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 4 at the 17^th Avenue Place Event Center (478 17^th Ave.).  You can RSVP online or by calling 970-229-5657.

Together, we can make this a journey to remember.

Right, Dad?