This is the time of year when we have the opportunity to look back as well as forward, and reflect on changes we have made or will make.

At United Power, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of our members, the requirements imposed on the utility, and the increasing demand for electricity from society in general. The cooperative’s growth necessitated many changes and, following Our Cooperative Roadmap, the amazing women and men in the organization have stepped up in a myriad ways.

I generally think of United Power’s evolution in three broad categories — the changes necessary due to our well-founded decision to leave our former power supplier, the changes required to meet state and federal mandates, and those driven by our growth. The majority of the changes are in the latter two categories. We topped 117,000 electric meters in early December and face the state mandate to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels). This is a particular challenge for United Power due to the continued growth in our service territory. 

Our job is to keep the lights on for the communities we serve. To do so, we added a wide range of generating resources to our mix. We hit a record peak of 680 MW this past summer, serving the load with a broad combination of resources including gas, solar, storage, hydro, and wind, which works to offset risk.

Looking back on 2025, we reached several major milestones:

• We opened Mountain Peak Power, a state-of-the-art natural gas plant, which will also be able to burn hydrogen when that becomes commercially available. The plant significantly changed — and lowered — our risk profile, while adding robustness and flexibility. Most importantly, it allows us to hedge natural gas during cold winter and hot summer months instead of relying on market purchases that can spike at those times.
• We signed a contract for 200 MW of solar backed by 200 MW of storage that will come on line in 2027 to replace expiring contracts. United Power already has more than 119 MW of batteries distributed across nine substations being deployed in new and different ways.
• We received finality about the exit fee from our former power supplier when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission confirmed that United Power would receive an additional $124 million of prepaid transmission credit plus interest back over the next 40 years.

I am equally excited about what lies ahead for United Power in 2026:

• United Power will join the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) on April 1. Utilities that agreed to join the expansion of this regional transmission organization will be able to buy and sell power from the market, which will expand access to more renewables needed to meet Colorado’s clean energy requirements.
• We are implementing a new distributed energy resource management system during the first quarter of the year as we begin the next phase toward becoming a distribution system operator. This change will allow better member interactions and increase the options for load control and management. Through the SPP, we will be able to bundle grid edge resources to sell into the market. 

I would be remiss if I did not address the recent rate increase, which we recognize has been painful for many in our community. We have tried to avoid increases during my five-year tenure. While our cost of energy has gone down, power delivery costs and supply chain expenses along with insurance and property taxes continue to increase. We will be developing a 3-5 year rate strategy that smooths the pattern of future increases, and will survey members during first quarter of this year about the strategy. I urge you to let your voices be heard.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any comments or questions.

No one likes rate increases. Full stop.

By the same token, maintaining a financially healthy cooperative is a critical part of United Power’s mission. Our staff — and your Board of Directors — work diligently to make sure rates are matched closely with the utility’s operating costs. It is those growing costs that require the Jan. 1 rate increase.

The supply chain for many products, including those we use at the cooperative, have still not recovered from the pandemic, even before tariffs began impacting costs. Power poles are up 25-40% since 2020, transformers have doubled in price, copper wire is up 50%, and construction labor has increased by nearly 40%. Uncertainty in power generation, and which resources will be in favor from one administration to the next, is making generators and power providers hesitant to commit to long-term pricing. And, to further complicate the issue, more large power generating stations are coming offline, forcing capacity prices upward. It is more difficult for companies to commit to pricing when tariffs are in flux and off-shore/near-shore manufacturers that make many of the products utilities use are not sure if they will be able to sell products in the U.S.

United Power has worked to build a portfolio of hyper-localized projects to manage our wholesale power costs, believing that is the most logical and efficient solution in an uncertain financial environment. We have one of the largest distributed battery systems in the nation and recently opened the newest, most efficient gas plant in the country. We continue to contract for low-cost solar energy. In October, we committed to an additional 200 megawatts of solar coupled with 150 megawatts of battery storage, and we look forward to a power market coming to Colorado in April.

We are also committed to helping our members better manage their usage and bills through a variety of programs. We have dramatically reduced our peak energy hours, the time of day when our wholesale energy costs are at their highest, allowing members to shift demand and save on bills. The peak window has shortened from 2-10 p.m. to 5-9 p.m., a more rational window that makes it easier for members to navigate. Rates before and after the new peak are approximately 6.7 cents. An analysis of 2024 aggregated usage data shows that many residential and commercial members could benefit by moving to a time of use rate. Click here for detailed information about the 2026 rate change. Members can also reach out to an energy management specialist for help analyzing their energy usage and selecting the best rate to save on costs. Additionally, tools to help improve your energy efficiency are available here.

The story is the same across Colorado and the rest of the country. Virtually every utility (electric, gas, and water) is facing the challenge of holding down costs as long as possible. United Power has only had one year of rate increases (2024) during my nearly five years as CEO. The Board intentionally held back on raising rates during COVID, understanding the impact on an already challenged local economy. We do not take the matter of raising rates lightly, and we commit to managing your investments well.

As your cooperative and a key member of the communities we serve, United Power works every day to keep the lights on and power flowing in the most reliable and cost competitive way possible. We realize even small increases are challenging for many of our members and stand ready to help people manage their energy wisely.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any comments or questions. It is my honor to serve as your President and CEO and to lead this team of amazing people.

Employees Volunteered at Eight Local Organizations in October

United Power celebrated National Co-op Month in October with the return of its popular Days of Service campaign for the second consecutive year. The cooperative collaborated with local nonprofits on eight service projects designed to provide volunteer opportunities for employees to spend a day giving back. 

These projects emphasize the co-op’s commitment to the communities it serves and recognize the importance of nonprofits that are meeting the needs of members. This year, more than 90 employees participated. 

“Our employees share the cooperative’s commitment to care for the local community,” said Julie Stewart, United Power’s Community Outreach Specialist. “They understand how important these organizations, and the services they provide, are to local families, and they were excited to volunteer.”

Some of the projects included building a fence and cleaning on-site areas at Happiness Through Horses; trail maintenance and winter prep at the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies; prepping spaces for upcoming projects at the Pennock Center; and packing food for distribution at the Adams County Food Bank, Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank, Pastor’s Pantry, and the Weld Food Bank’s mobile pantry. United Power employees also donated hygiene products throughout the month and helped pack kits for Sparkling Kindness. 

“I am very thankful that I could participate and help an organization in our service territory,” said one employee after helping distribute food to local families at the Weld Food Bank. “These opportunities set us apart from other electric utilities and show how much we truly care about our members.”

These organizations are a continual reminder that the cooperative serves thriving communities thanks to our members’ spirits of service and commitment to giving back. Local residents recognized an important need in their community and found a way to meet it with the help of like-minded friends and neighbors. It resembles the way electric cooperatives were formed nearly 90 years ago when local farmers came together to establish a local power company, owned by the members it serves. 

NOTICE OF CHANGE IN THE RATE TARIFFS OF UNITED POWER, INC.

DATE OF NOTICE:  Nov. 7, 2025

United Power Inc.’s elected board of directors has approved changes to United Power’s rate tariff schedules for energy usage, including increases to both demand and fixed charges, to become effective on or after Jan. 1, 2026, as described on each applicable rate tariff posted on www.unitedpower.com. Additionally, the on-peak window for residential and commercial time of use rates will change from the current window of 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. to a shorter window of 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. These adjustments are necessary for all rate classes due to increased wholesale power and transmission costs, increased costs due to tariffs and continued inflationary pressures on the supply chain, and to keep United Power in compliance with its indenture, note purchase agreements, and financial goals. There will also be a new rate class labeled Municipal Owned Lighting Service (MOL).

The present and proposed tariff provisions are available for examination at the Coal Creek Branch Office, located at 5 Gross Dam Road, Golden, CO; the headquarters office located at 500 Cooperative Way, Brighton, CO; the Carbon Valley Branch Office at 9586 E. I-25 Frontage Road, Longmont, CO; and on the cooperative’s website at www.unitedpower.com.

Anyone who desires to file either an informal complaint or a formal complaint with United Power must do so in writing as required by United Power’s Rules and Regulations, accessible online at www.unitedpower.com/bylaws-rates-tariffs.

UNITED POWER, INC.

By: Mark A. Gabriel, President and Chief Executive Officer

MORE INFORMATION: United Power 2026 Rate Change Information

These days it is easy for national headlines and political turmoil to distract us from the prime directive of electric cooperatives like United Power, which is to safely keep the lights on in the most cost effective and sustainable way possible.

Every day and night the women and men of United Power are clearly focused on our mission. There is an old saying, loosely adopted by the U.S. Postal Service, from the translation of Herodotus’ Histories that says, “It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.” This is more appropriately the mantra of the people at United Power who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year in some of the most challenging weather conditions to ensure the lights stay on.

We have a tremendous team — from the dispatchers working around the clock to the crews who build the system to the engineers planning the system to the member services representatives answering your questions. Every one of our 200+ employees does their part. They are dedicated to your cooperative with the support of our visionary Board of Directors who spend countless hours guiding the execution of Our Cooperative Roadmap.

Federal funding cancellations affecting projects are indeed disappointing — and confusing as the entire industry faces challenges brought on by significant increases in electric demand. Our actions are focused on physics, not politics, and we will continue to make sure we have a diverse portfolio of hyper-localized resources, coupled with power from a variety of transmission-delivered electricity. 

We recently contracted for the Fortress Project, a 200 megawatt (MW) solar project supported by 150 MW of battery storage. Combined with our existing 119 MW of batteries, United Power leads the way in the West.

Data centers receive a lot of blame for increasing energy costs, but that is only a fraction of the pressure on rates. While there is a narrative that data centers support the artificial intelligence invading our lives, many of us believe requiring these companies to invest in upgrades and support of renewable energy mandates will actually help lower rates. United Power’s LIT (location, investment, and timing) process requires developers of large projects to pay for the costs of infrastructure. This process, once further utilized and refined, is expected to be a model for other utilities.

There are other realities we are facing. The inflationary pressures on equipment are dramatic. We see this in our everyday lives at the grocery store but certainly in the materials we need to purchase to keep the lights on. Over the past several years the cost of things as simple as a basic work truck have gone up more than 30%, steel and aluminum have increased significantly due to tariffs, and health care costs continue to climb beyond the rate of inflation. 

At United Power we have moved ahead on a new asset management system that will allow us to focus on replacing equipment at the right time, manage inventory more efficiently, and understand problems before they spread widely. Additionally, the partnership with all of you, our members, as we move toward becoming a distribution system operator (DSO) means we will be able to aggregate local generation in support of the market when it comes in April 2026.

We do have some additional challenges that must be addressed. The lack of transmission — which is exacerbated by local utilities trying to control the lines for their own benefit — is one of the critical issues we are attacking. Meeting the state’s 2030 emissions requirements is harder because of this situation, but I am confident in the great team at United Power and their ability to find a solution.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any comments or questions. It is my honor to serve as your President and CEO and to lead this team of amazing people.