United Power's Story

United Power was originally founded as Union Rural Electric. The cooperative was incorporated in October of 1938 through the efforts of 26 original founders. Dubbed Union Rural Electric by the original founders, the name came to describe the “united” efforts of dozens of farmers from Adams, Boulder, Gilpin, Jefferson and Weld counties. Roughly a year after the cooperative was incorporated, construction began on 300 miles of distribution line that would serve 750 customers. Power first surged through the newly erected lines on January 29, 1940.

In April of 1990, the cooperative name was changed to United Power, Inc., a visible sign of a new, more powerful entity emerging in the electric industry. By November of the same year, United Power had added over 6,000 new customers with the acquisition of the Platte Valley Division. The Platte Valley Division encompassed the cities of Fort Lupton, Hudson, Keenesburg and the surrounding rural lands. The 1993 acquisition of customers in the city of Brighton fueled a second surge of growth, adding an additional 6,000 meters. In June 2021, the cooperative became just the 31st co-op nationwide to surpass the 100,000 meter milestone.