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02/01/2022 - 10:02 AM
Title January Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP Saturday | January 1, 2022 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Date: 4/29/2022 United Power filed a non-conditional Notice of Intent to Withdraw from our power supplier in compliance with a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling. This changes our previously announced Tri-State exit date of Jan. 1, 2024 to May 1, 2024. At United Power we continue with our sole focus of bringing power to our members at the greatest value. During the past several years we have attempted to work with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, our power supplier, toward this end. Unfortunately, our G&T has been unwilling to make any changes in the pursuit of this goal, saddling United Power with some of the highest cost, carbon intensive power in the State of Colorado. We have been unsuccessful in negotiating a revised contract with our G&T that would have allowed us to lower costs, expand member options, bring lower carbon generation and provide for a new future. Therefore, as of December 14, 2021 we have formally filed at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) our intent to withdraw from Tri-State effective January 1, 2024. The Board of Directors is strongly in the support of this action. During my nine months as your President and Chief Executive Officer, I have presented our power supplier with numerous offers of settlement that would have continued our membership relationship while also allowing us to procure lower cost, cleaner power options. Despite many meetings and requests, the G&T has been mute on our offers and instead reacted through the legal system. I have agreed on at least two occasions to mediation with no response. Instead of working with us in the pursuit of lower-cost, cleaner options, Tri-State has resisted these developments. Tri-State recently purchased additional coal generation, is limiting our members’ ability to add more carbon free generation and is penalizing additional storage on our system. Tri- State also offers non-members preferable transmission rates over those of us who have invested in their system for decades. United Power has been a leader in the deployment of innovative new technologies and in the integration of renewable energy resources. Currently United Power has 84 megawatts of renewable generation on its system including 46 megawatts of utility scale solar, Colorado’s largest battery storage project, and more than 6,800 rooftop systems. Tri-State’s policies include penalties if a utility exceeds 5% of generation other than from the G&T. United Power represents nearly 20% of the G&T’s annual revenue and is more than twice the size of the next largest cooperative. United Power joins Delta Montrose Electric Association and Kit Carson who have exited the G&T in the last five years. At least six other cooperatives are currently considering a potential exit. United Power will be seeking alternative power supply and the use of transmission as outlined by FERC as part of Open Access Transmission Tariffs. Prior to January 1, 2024, United Power will work with other power suppliers and prepare for the transition from our G&T. We do not take this decision lightly. Please feel free to reach out to me and other members of the United Power staff with any questions.03/11/2022 - 02:29 PM
Title Join Us Online or In-Person for the 2022 Annual Meeting /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/04_18_2018_AnnualMeeting79.png?h=45932144&itok=OsZd0myY Friday | March 11, 2022 Card Teaser For the past two years, United Power has hosted its Annual Meeting virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health and safety of members and employees. The 2022 Annual Meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format on April 13, meaning members may also participate online via a livestream hosted on the cooperative’s website. First In-Person Annual Meeting Since 2019 For the past two years, United Power has hosted its Annual Meeting virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health and safety of members and employees. As public health restrictions ease, the cooperative will offer members an opportunity to gather in person and hear from co-op leadership for the first time since 2019. The 2022 Annual Meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format on April 13, meaning members may also participate online via a livestream hosted on the cooperative’s website. All members are invited to attend the Annual Meeting to hear from United Power leadership about the exciting ways the cooperative has continued to serve members throughout the previous year. Despite navigating ongoing public safety restrictions from the pandemic, the cooperative managed contract negotiations with its wholesale power supplier while also improving system reliability and continuing to provide the same level of service its members have come to expect. Participating members will receive an attendance gift, and an opportunity to win one of several door prizes. Voting in the annual director election also provides United Power members the unique ability to voice their thoughts on the cooperative’s future. Each year, your votes determine who serves on the United Power Board of Directors. Your participation in the election is critical to helping the cooperative better serve you. Five candidates are running for election to the Board of Directors. This year, one seat in the East, South, and West Districts is up for election. The director candidates are Steven “Steve” Douglas, Naptali A. Lucks, and Elizabeth “Beth” A. Martin in the East District; Keith Alquist in the South District; and Ursula J. Morgan in the West District. Candidate Statements The cooperative mails out director ballots in mid-March and encourages all members to vote and return their ballots prior to the deadline. This year, members can participate in the director election electronically through their online account. Voting online is a fast and secure way to submit your ballots and avoid delays in mail handling. Online and mail-in ballots must be received by noon on April 12, or members can vote in person on April 13 at the meeting. Although directors live in specific geographical districts, they represent all members and are therefore elected on an “at-large” basis. Please cast a vote for a director in each district regardless of where you live. Attending the Meeting The in-person meeting will be held at the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds on April 13. Registration opens at 4:30 p.m. and balloting closes at the beginning the official business meeting at 6:30 p.m. The virtual stream will begin at 6:30 p.m. To view the livestream, go to www.unitedpower.com/annual-meeting.07/01/2025 - 08:39 AM
Title July Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq Tuesday | July 1, 2025 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Engaging with our communities is the best part of working for a cooperative. Whether it is answering a direct question from one of our members, supporting local fairs and festivals, or receiving input from our key accounts at quarterly meetings, the insight you provide helps us understand and respond to member needs. Listening to your needs is a critical component of how we operate. Since I joined United Power in early 2021, we have seen amazing and continued growth. Loads have increased by more than 31% and our projected peak this summer is nearly 700 MW (for context, 1 MW is enough to power 700–1,000 average-sized homes). We have also added nearly 20,000 new meters, which is the size of an average cooperative in the United States. Annually, we add as many members as some smaller U.S. cooperatives have in total. Ensuring we have sufficient power supply to serve growing loads now and for years to come meant we needed to expand our portfolio of power projects. Our power comes from a variety of technologies, ranging from hydropower and natural gas to solar and battery storage, bringing reliability and resilience to our distribution system and our members. And, of course, many members have added their own solar and storage resources and drive electric vehicles (EV). United Power’s service territory has among the highest penetration of residential solar in the nation and more than 8,000 EVs. The cooperative is fortunate to have a growing and well-diversified membership base nearly evenly split between oil and gas, commercial and industrial, and residential and small commercial. This allows for a balanced load factor on our system, resulting in high utilization of the electricity we provide for members. Recently, we have had conversations with our oil and gas members to understand their needs and how we can support them as they strive to meet state regulations. Electrification of the oil and gas industry provides a cleaner way of producing their products and a more efficient use of resources, as is true of many parts of society. Closely coordinating with these members means we can leverage our reduced-carbon generating resources in alignment with their needs. Data centers are also expanding their footprint in our territory. While some utilities are challenged by the influx of these energy-intensive operations, we encourage these potential members to work with us in a coordinated fashion that aligns with the concept of “growth pays,” as well as our move to expanding our distribution system operator plans. It is especially important that we hear from our members directly about our $262 million grant through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. One of the cornerstones of the program has been developing our Community Benefit Plan (CBP). We are asking for your input on how our CBP initiatives can help local communities. Our first outreach was at Brighton Summerfest in early June, where dozens of members “voted” for their top three (out of seven) projects to be implemented as part of the CBP. There will be additional opportunities throughout the summer to participate, including multiple days at the Adams County Fair. Members may also let us know their favorite projects on the co-op website. We want to hear from you! It is a privilege to work with the tremendous people here at United Power, supported by an active and engaged Board of Directors, as we enact Our Cooperative Roadmap. Engaging with our members makes us strong. As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns or if you would like to discuss the CBP or New ERA grant program. I enjoy hearing from you and appreciate your continued support. Have a safe and enjoyable summer.07/01/2024 - 03:11 PM
July Message from Mark A. Gabriel Monday | July 1, 2024 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >07/13/2023 - 01:55 PM
July Message from Mark. A. Gabriel Thursday | July 13, 2023 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >07/13/2021 - 11:20 AM
July/August Message from Mark A. Gabriel Monday | July 5, 2021 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >07/16/2020 - 02:14 PM
Title June Derecho Strikes Cooperative /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/JulyAug2020_NL_Derecho.jpg?itok=tkEG7qZs Thursday | July 16, 2020 Card Teaser Derechos are fast-moving bands of thunderstorms featuring hurricane- or even tornado-like winds. June’s storm was Colorado’s first derecho and also one of the strongest on record. Despite Colorado’s proclivity for spring storms, an unusually calm season may have caught many members off guard. In early June, a stretch of severe storms and strong winds blew through Colorado, leaving thousands without power. When large storm systems come through the state, United Power usually has enough forewarning to prepare its crews. With June’s windstorm, known as a “derecho,” the cooperative had little to no advanced notice. Derechos are fast-moving bands of thunderstorms featuring hurricane- or even tornado-like winds. A storm system qualifies as a derecho when it sustains wind gusts of at least 58 miles per hour over a path measuring 250 miles or more. June’s derecho was Colorado’s first and also one of the strongest on record. Before dispersing over South Dakota, the storm had left a 600-mile stretch of damage. Wind gusts, reaching 78 miles per hour at Denver International Airport and 110 in the mountains, were the strongest for a day since 2004. Derechos cover a lot of ground over a relatively small period of time due to their rapid movement. The result is a storm that hits hard, leaves behind significant damage and is over quickly. “It was clear a storm was moving in, and we were prepared for that,” said Ken Christensen, United Power foreman. “Then the storm was on us one minute and gone the next. It was over as quickly as it happened. It was difficult to imagine it doing that much damage.” The earliest storm-related outages were triggered near Thornton when high winds blew a light pole into a stretch of line powering several homes in the area. As the storm moved through the territory, it found weak tree limbs and other unsecured – or weakly secured – objects to blow into power lines. The most extensive damage occurred east of the Platte River. North of Fort Lupton, a sheet metal shed took out power to a large industrial site and several homes. In Brighton, a trampoline was tossed into lines nearly 50 feet above the ground and strong winds toppled a beloved evergreen near Historic City Hall, traditionally decorated to celebrate Christmas. “With all the downed tree limbs, it can take us longer to diagnose the cause of an outage because we have to cut our way in to find it,” said Jason Roberts, journeyman lineman. “Then, after that, we have to actually make the repairs to restore power.” Extensive damage was particularly problematic in Brighton, where several members were without power for an extended period of time. Linemen from the Carbon Valley and Coal Creek offices were dispatched to the eastern territory to assist with restoring power to more than 10,000 members who had lost power during the storm and in its aftermath. “Thunderstorms and windstorms aren’t uncommon for this time of year,” said Mike Robinson, a safety specialist at United Power and former lineman. “But as far as windstorms go, this was the worst we’ve seen in several years.” While storms and strong winds temporarily impeded progress throughout the weekend and into Monday, linemen were able to complete most repairs and restore remaining members early Monday. More than 40 linemen from United Power and its contractor, Ward Electric, responded to outages following the storm and throughout the weekend to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. During the restoration process, more storm-related damage was found. Nearly 40 poles were snapped either by wind or objects the wind had picked up and tossed into poles and line. Many linemen worked extended hours throughout the night. “I’m sure we got lots of calls from members wanting to know when their power was going to be turned back on,” said Roberts. “But we also encountered several members who wanted to help, either by bringing us food and water or coming out with saws and axes to help us clear debris. We appreciate their patience and assistance.”10/26/2022 - 12:38 PM
Title Late Fall Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Board/11_Board_Nov2021.jpg?itok=W2r3JXhl Wednesday | October 26, 2022 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. It has been an eventful and exciting late summer and early fall. United Power was able to mitigate the financial impact of record peaks with the help of demand response and load control tools, such as our Smart Rewards thermostat program and our managed electric vehicle charging program, United EV. At a time of the year when weather can create challenging situations for electric grids, our system held up well. The investments we made in our distribution network on our members’ behalf, combined with our active wildfire mitigation programs, resulted in few operating issues. We run one of the best networks in Colorado – and probably the country – thanks to the great staff and alignment with Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap), which emphasizes a continual optimization of our distribution system. Another key pillar in our Roadmap is providing flexible, affordable, and sustainable power. United Power is one step closer to obtaining lower cost, cleaner power for our members thanks to a recent ruling from an administrative law judge at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the cooperative’s exit fee from our current wholesale power supply contract. While this is just part of the process, it is a major step in the right direction. Our decision to depart from our current supplier is based in economics. United Power members pay over market price for their power and transmission while living with a choke collar that caps our ability to generate local power at 5%. We are penalized for being more efficient and deploying innovative energy solutions, like battery storage. We are even prevented from adding resources within our footprint, meaning our communities do not receive the financial benefit of companies wanting to invest in renewables close to home. It is important to remember the decision to seek FERC oversight was our power supplier’s alone. United Power did not support the decision for a number of critical reasons, chief among them the loss of local control to set rates, combine cooperative needs, and jointly manage costs. In contrast, one of the greatest strengths we have as a cooperative is local control through your elected Board of Directors. This ties to another critical pillar in our Roadmap – empowering and engaging our members and communities. Your Board members come from your towns and understand the values and concerns of each community’s residents. They provide direct oversight of the cooperative and hold the power to establish rates, but they ultimately answer to members as representatives of their communities. I have recently been honored to present on the topic of changes within the electric industry at local chambers of commerce and regional energy conferences. I would be pleased to address any similar organizations about the future of the industry and anticipated changes to it. If you are involved in a local organization wishing to hear about our initiatives, just send an email and someone will reach out to set up a presentation. Finally, October was Cybersecurity Awareness Month. United Power remains vigilant to threats our system faces as we strive to achieve and maintain business agility and resiliency through information and operational technology, which is our fourth and final Roadmap pillar. We cannot let our guard down, given there are those who wish to do harm to the electric grid. As always, please feel free to reach out to me with your questions and concerns. It is an honor and privilege to serve you and the great staff at United Power.07/07/2022 - 10:12 AM
Title Late Summer Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Board/07_Board_July2021.jpg?itok=vga4Sgqp Thursday | July 7, 2022 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Incumbency in business has a rich history of companies that failed to plan for the future, even as the facts before them told a different story. It is why planning at United Power resulted in Our Cooperative Roadmap, preparing to continue to support our members with a reliable, resilient, and affordable distribution system. Most of us can remember a time when almost every community had a Blockbuster video store. At its height, there were 9,000 brick and mortar Blockbuster stores. Then, along came Netflix, with a by-mail rental model. Seeing the future of an increasing digital society, Netflix shifted its strategy to online entertainment and moved a step further by creating its own content. Blockbuster’s response to the evolving Netflix model was to eliminate late fees on its DVD and VCR tape rentals. One company thrived and the other is no longer in business. In the electric utility world, a similar transition is taking place with more of our members adding solar rooftops (nearly 9,000 thus far), home battery storage (110), electric vehicles (5,200), and dozens of other technologies from Alexa to smart thermostats. More than 700 members have added net metering to date in 2022. This is why United Power embraces technologies and is evolving to become a Distribution System Operator (DSO), which will help facilitate the revolution happening across our member base. Becoming a DSO will allow us to work with our members in controlling power and costs. It is why our team of energy experts is available to answer questions in an unbiased and neutral manner, and it is why we continue developing programs that help you manage your energy costs. I recently had the opportunity to visit with several of our largest members to listen and understand the critical changes they are facing; how their corporate goals now involve environment, social, and governance requirements; and the criticality of reliable power to keep their businesses operating. Their goals align perfectly with those of United Power as we are “Transforming the Future.” A big part of acting on the changes in the business is our decision to find a new power supply – one that is more cost effective, less carbon intensive, and keeps dollars in our communities. We held our Power Supply Forum on June 7 where we engaged our members in a conversation about the change which will take effect May 1, 2024. Also, as of June 1, we officially became a member of the Southwest Power Pool, which provides energy market services in Colorado and will allow us to eventually use the collective power as a DSO to better manage the cost of power. In today’s economic environment we are all concerned with the rising cost of everything. As your cooperative, United Power will continue to find ways to lower costs while meeting member needs. We are there for you in offering energy efficiency audits, recommendations on weatherization, advice on adding solar or storage, as well as piloting programs for in-home electric vehicle charging and battery storage. Please contact us for any of your home or business needs. At United Power, we are working hard to be prepared for the changing demands of our members. We have a great tradition of excellence, and I want every member to feel empowered to reach out to me and the United Power staff at any time. I welcome the opportunity to meet you where you are; do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns. Have a safe and healthy summer.05/04/2020 - 03:43 PM
Title Lawsuit Alleges Tri-State G&T Conspired to Mislead Cooperatives /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Touchstone_Energy_PowerLines_143.jpg?itok=TSmWi5we Monday | May 4, 2020 Card Teaser United Power lawsuit outlines impact of the fraudulent actions of its power supplier. Lawsuit Alleges Tri-State Generation and Transmission Conspired to Mislead Cooperative Members United Power Lawsuit Outlines Impact of Fraudulent Actions of Power Supplier Brighton, CO – United Power today filed a lawsuit in Adams County District Court alleging that their power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission recruited three non-utility entities as part of a conspiracy to defraud United Power and try to hold it (and possibly other cooperative members) captive in expensive and restrictive power contracts. Court documents outline how the years-long scheme intentionally misled members and ultimately caused financial harm to United Power and the almost 95,000 meters it serves. Named along with Tri-State in the lawsuit are three non-utility entities – MIECO, Inc., Olson’s Greenhouses of Colorado, LLC, and Ellgen Ranch Company - whom Tri-State convinced to orchestrate the scheme designed to prevent the Colorado PUC from deciding a fair exit charge for United Power. “We have only recently been made aware of these unacceptable transgressions at Tri-State. On behalf of the board and staff of United Power, I can only say that I am dismayed and disappointed by the actions of Tri-State’s staff and these non-utility entities who worked together to intentionally mislead United Power and any other members who were acting in good faith during this time,” stated Bryant Robbins, Acting CEO. “We have been transparent and ethical in our dealings, and we think it’s important that Tri-State and these other entities answer for their unethical behavior.” Documents filed in District Court outline the years-long scheme to fraudulently direct the actions of United Power and other members to accept certain bylaw changes with the hidden agenda of allowing the admission of the three non-utility entities, in direct conflict with both State law and Tri-State’s own bylaws. United Power supported these bylaw changes with the belief that such changes would allow it to pursue a more flexible power supply arrangement with Tri-State. However, Tri-State suspended the use of the newly created class of membership immediately after utilizing the amended bylaw to allow these non-utility entities to join the membership under false pretenses. The suit contends that Tri-State directed the scheme that used the non-utility entities in an effort to secure FERC oversight and effectively eliminate the ability of the Colorado PUC to resolve matters such as exit fees and other potential disputes. “United Power worked within the framework of the cooperative business model, intent on securing a solution that would support our sister cooperatives and provide some financial relief for our members while allowing us to stay within the Tri-State family,” stated Robbins. “Unfortunately, Tri-State was working behind the scenes with ulterior motives taking measures that would essentially handcuff United Power to the current restrictive contract.” Two cooperatives have already left or are in the process of leaving the Westminster-based generation cooperative – New Mexico-based Kit Carson in 2016 and Delta-Montrose Electric Association pending final approval to leave in 2020 – both cited similar concerns with power supply flexibility and pricing in their exits. United Power had been working to secure a fair and just exit charge from Tri-State, but ultimately filed a case with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission when they were unable to make progress in negotiations with Tri-State. Since that time, Tri-State has continued to resist negotiations, all the while working behind the scenes to defraud the membership through a secret initiative intended to eventually prevent United Power from exiting Tri-State. “We strongly believe the evidence supports why it has become very difficult to trust the intentions of our power supplier,” stated Robbins. “In filing this case, we hope that Tri-State and the three non-utility entities will have to answer for their ongoing deception.” United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop. ###05/06/2021 - 10:02 AM
Leadership Testifies in Support of Regional Transmission Legislation Thursday | May 6, 2021 The West is on the precipice of great change in electric generation and transmission. Read more >01/23/2019 - 12:40 PM
Title Leading the Way in Renewable Power /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Oct2018_NL_Solar.png?itok=Au4aIPJq Monday | October 1, 2018 Card Teaser From energizing Colorado’s first community solar field to implementing an innovative methane recapture project, United Power has been at the forefront of providing renewable energy options to our members. From energizing Colorado’s first community solar field to implementing an innovative methane recapture project, United Power has been at the forefront of providing renewable energy options to our members. Today, our renewable generation projects produce enough energy to power more than 14,000 homes annually. Thanks to the continued development of our renewable programs and support from our dedicated members, the cooperative has become a statewide and national leader in renewable integration. In a recent survey, United Power ranked among the top utilities in solar accumulation in the country. Each year, the Smart Electric Power Association (SEPA) surveys data gathered from more than 440 utilities around the country and releases a report showing how they stack up against each other. The data provides a snapshot of how cooperatives like United Power compare to each other, as well as larger investor-owned utilities. With four energized utility scale solar farms and nearly 3,000 rooftop systems active in our territory, United Power ranked 44th in solar capacity and 48th in accumulated solar energy against all utilities across the country in 2017. Only Xcel Energy (Public Service Co.) edged out the cooperative in the state. Among cooperatives nationwide, United Power fared even better. In 2017, we ranked 2nd in connected solar and finished the year 5th in cumulative solar installations. Over the years, we’ve continued to grow and develop our renewable programs, leading the way among all 43 cooperatives in Tri-State Generation & Transmission’s four-state region. United Power recognizes the future of electrical generation will be an “all of the above” strategy of investing in a variety of generation sources, and responding to the wants and needs of our membership. Earlier this year, the cooperative announced plans to purchase two Tesla Battery Storage Systems in partnership with SoCore Energy, which will help us lower wholesale demand costs and potentially bring more renewable generation onto the system.