Announced this week, David Hornbacher, city of Longmont’s executive director of electric services was named as the 13th board chair for the Platte River Power Authority, or PRPA.
Hornbacher began his career in Longmont, “many decades ago,” he said. Following one opportunity after another, he found himself working for the city of Aspen before discovering a position had opened up in Longmont in 2019.
The city of Aspen has a similar goal as Longmont of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030 and Hornbacher made that project his cornerstone achievement.
“I thouroughly enjoyed being a part of this community … I was very excited when a position opened up at the city of Longmont … to work diligently towards the same goal,” Hornbacher said. “I’m excited to have a second opportunity to work on such a consequential value as achieving the renewable energy, reducing our carbon footprint, while keeping our reliability and our rates intact.”
The PRPA board is made up of two representatives from the four owner communities that make up the PRPA. Those cities include Longmont, Estes Park, Loveland and Fort Collins.
Traditionally the representatives are the head of the utility division in each city and its mayor, which is true for Longmont.
After serving on the PRPA board for a year, Hornbacher was named vice chair in 2020 with a quick appointment to chair in 2021.
Hornbacher has approached his place on the PRPA board with a healthy respect for others, recognizing that he is only one voice among many who are working toward the same goals.
When asked why he thinks he has risen to be chair so quickly he said, “I think it is because I come from a place of listening first, to really understand and then bring forth my ideas and opinions. I often look to bring together the diversity of opinions of others.”
Hornbacher succeeds outgoing Board Chair Wade Troxell, who served in the position for five years. Troxell is term-limited as mayor of Fort Collins which prevents him from serving the board longer, states a press release issued by PRPA on Friday.
“I am honored and humbled to have been selected to chair the Platte River Board of Directors and want to thank Wade for his service and leadership,” said Hornbacher. “We continue to lead the state and the region in the path toward a new energy future and it’s more important than ever that we collaborate with community leaders and the public to achieve our goals.”
PRPA is the energy provider for Longmont and surrounding areas. Without them, Longmont would not be able to acheive its energy goals in 2030. Hornbacher recognizes this and feels he has a strong responsibility to keep the board and organization on track to meet these goals especially as PRPA begins work on its strategic plan, set to be released in July, he said.
Hornbacher said Longmont’s voice has always had a seat at the table. As he fills this new role on the board, “we continue with that and continue to see my dedication to our community’s goals … and that we really are cohesive and that we can work well and effective as board members in our direction … to reach all these goals.”
“We talk about the 2030 goal and it is something that requires, not just Pratt River and not just the city of Longmont electric department, but it also means that we as a community have ways to participate and to help succeed in reaching that goal,” Hornbacher said.
