Members Invited to Celebrate Cooperative Contribution

United Power is an electric distribution cooperative. That means it is wholly owned by the members it serves and is designed to meet community needs. Co-ops exist across a multitude of markets and industries, including food and agriculture, finance and banking, consumer retail, insurance, healthcare, and more. Distribution co-ops, like United Power, were formed more than 85 years ago when farmers and business owners in rural areas of the country recognized the need and benefit of electricity and found a way to provide it. Today, there are more than 900 such cooperatives providing power to nearly 75% of the country’s landmass and contributing more than 40% of the nation’s electric grid. 

October is National Co-op Month, and members are invited to join in celebrating the contributions of cooperatives in our lives. Co-ops are different from their for-profit counterparts by a commitment to empowering local communities and encouraging a spirit of service. 

United Power serves some of the fastest growing cities not just in Colorado but in the country. The cooperative is an innovative energy partner helping meet the growing needs of these transforming communities. It also helps coordinate economic development, supports local nonprofits aiding residents, and sponsors programs that enhance each community. Many employees live, work, play, and serve locally. Their faces are recognizable on local chamber of commerce and nonprofit boards or at fairs, festivals, and other community events.

United Power puts money back into the community every year through scholarships, youth development, sponsorships, and more. The cooperative awarded more than $35,000 in scholarships to local high school students in the spring and four additional scholarships worth $7,500 to students enrolled in a dedicated lineworker program in December. Six students were selected to represent the co-op on youth leadership trips to Washington, D.C. and Steamboat Springs, where peers elected one of them to return as an ambassador next summer. This summer, United Power was once again the Adams County Fair’s presenting sponsor, in addition to supporting community celebrations and events in Fort Lupton, Frederick, Mead, Keenesburg, Gilpin County, and more. 

While United Power’s first priority is ensuring the safe and reliable distribution of electricity to its residential, commercial, and industrial members, the cooperative is more than just your neighborhood energy provider. It is powered locally by local people, supporting the growth, development, and prosperity of the communities they — and you — call home. 

Brighton, CO – United Power is pleased to announce the hiring of Jared Nelson as its Vice President of Energy Resource Planning. He will join the cooperative on Sept. 22.

“Jared will be a valuable asset in a critical operational area of our cooperative,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and Chief Executive Officer. “As United Power continues to navigate our power supply transition, the cooperative requires knowledgeable and capable talent to secure the right resources while keeping costs as low as possible. Jared’s many years of experience in the utility industry will help us to maximize our investments on behalf of United Power members.”

Jared earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (BSCHE) from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Southern College. Most recently, he served as Director of Energy Supply and Market Modeling for Xcel Energy in Denver. His electric utility work experience includes resource planning, power plant engineering, and power purchase agreement (PPA) origination. 

“United Power’s future is dependent on careful planning and foresight to meet the cooperative’s growing energy needs,” said Jon Aust, Senior Vice President and Chief Energy Resource Officer. “Jared will be an excellent addition to our team as we work to meet the needs of this fast-growing cooperative. He will play an integral role as we continue to build on United Power’s strategy of developing and integrating local resources.

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There has been a lot of talk recently about “saving” certain forms of electric generation, stopping other types, and investing significant resources in technologies that are not ready for prime time. There have also been announcements about building thousands of miles of new transmission line.

When it comes to choices in generation, “all of the above” really needs to be “ALL of the above” if we are going to support electrification across the West and certainly for United Power. 

We recognize that diversity of resources is key to effectively running the cooperative, and we are taking action to ensure a safe, reliable, and affordable electric supply.

United Power partnered with Kindle Energy to open Mountain Peak Power in July. It is the newest and most efficient natural gas plant in Colorado. The 162 MW facility in Weld County provides critical electric capacity and is conveniently located near one of our substations that also has an 11 MW battery energy storage system. This project is a great example of our hyper-localization strategy and highlights the vision we laid out in Our Cooperative Roadmap. The plant was permitted in 10 months and constructed in 10 months. The same project today would take at least four years to obtain the needed equipment at 50% greater cost. 

We are also in the final stages of negotiations for an additional 200 MW of solar, bolstered by 150 MW of battery storage, to replace other expiring thermal generation contracts. These will come online in 2027. The solar facility will be among the largest in Colorado, increasing the carbon-free generation resources in our portfolio to nearly 64% and representing a continued reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since leaving our former wholesale power supplier in May 2024. 

The cooperative pioneered the use of distributed batteries with 115 MW spread across our system at nine substations, ranging in size up to 33 MW. Our engineering team has developed a unique way to automatically manage how we charge and deploy stored energy. These batteries are not only utilized to store energy but also provide critical contingency reserves that save United Power approximately $300,000 per month. 

Recently, United Power joined forces with three other public power utilities — CORE Electric Cooperative, Platte River Power Authority, and Colorado Springs Utilities — to explore creating a regional transmission project, nicknamed Lariat Loop, that will better serve their member-customers. This collaboration aims to reduce electric transmission congestion, enhance system reliability, and expand access to renewable energy sources, all while supporting the State of Colorado’s ambitions carbon reduction goals. 

Our members are directly involved in the “all of the above” electricity strategy. There are nearly 13,000 solar rooftops in our service territory. We will have a new distributed energy resource management system available in January that will allow additional interaction with our members’ resources such as thermostats and electric vehicles. We are rapidly moving to expand our distribution system operations plan, allowing resources from our larger members, such as oil and gas, to be bid into the Southwest Power Pool market coming in April 2026. 

The bottom line is quite simple. While we support expanding transmission and investing in future technologies, and applaud efforts to bring a wide range of generation to the West, we must be realistic about what can be done today to support our growing member base. United Power lives the “all of the above” mantra every day. We buy wind. We buy solar. We buy natural gas. We buy hydropower. And yes, at times we even buy coal. Our focus remains on providing the most reliable and responsible resources we can in our commitment to you, our members.

As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns. I enjoy hearing from you and appreciate your continued support.

Trees are often the favorite aspect of a landscape, and everyone appreciates the beauty, value, and shade that a tree provides. Overgrown trees and vegetation under overhead power lines or near poles and other utility equipment threaten reliability and safety and increases wildfire risk. That is why United Power invests time and resources into regular tree trimming and removal operations in utility rights-of-way.

What Are Utility Rights-of-Way?

Utility rights-of-way areas designate access for utilities and must be kept clear so that crews are able to access equipment for maintenance and repair. United Power maintains a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side of utility equipment within the right-of-way and trims or removes vegetation growing under power lines.

Utility rights-of-way may cross a member’s property and United Power is obligated to keep these areas clear of any vegetation blocking equipment and potentially causing a threat to safety or reliability. Vegetation around electrical equipment that cannot be trimmed safely may need to be removed entirely, especially if it could damage or compromise equipment.

Why Does United Power Trim or Remove Trees?

• Prevent outages. Trees that grow too closely to power lines or that become damaged during storms pose a risk to United Power equipment and could result in an outage.
• Access equipment. Crews need to access equipment quickly and easily for maintenance or for outage restoration. Overgrowth can cause delays and prolong outages.
• Mitigate wildfire risks. “Hazard trees” and other excess vegetation that could potentially contact utility equipment increases the risk of wildfires. United Power dedicates significant resources to reducing the threat of fires and keeping the community safe.

How and When Does United Power Trim or Remove Trees?

• United Power uses experienced tree trimming contractors to remove vegetation near high-voltage electric equipment.
• Artificial intelligence programs help the cooperative create vegetation management plans and track projects.
• Densely forested parts of the territory and areas where overgrowth is more prevalent are prioritized in vegetation management cycles.
• Crews will trim around equipment when it is safe to do so, but they may have to remove any vegetation that could compromise equipment when trimming is not sufficient.
• Members are contacted in advance when tree trimming projects are planned in their area.

United Power urges members to contact the cooperative when they recognize trees that are growing into power lines or when overgrowth is encroaching on electrical equipment. Members should also observe the 10-Foot Rule when implementing home beautification projects around equipment located on their property. Learn more about United Power’s vegetation management and fire mitigation plan on the co-op’s website.

Brighton, CO – Four of Colorado’s leading public power and distribution cooperative utilities — Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities), CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE), Platte River Power Authority and United Power — are joining forces to explore an innovative transmission solution that will better serve their member-customers. This collaboration aims to reduce electric transmission congestion, enhance system reliability and expand access to renewable energy sources, all while supporting the State of Colorado’s ambitious carbon reduction goals.

Transmission lines are the backbone of the electric grid, carrying power from generation facilities to local utilities and substations. Transmission congestion along Colorado’s Front Range has become a growing challenge that limits flexibility. Together, these four utilities serve more than 1.5 million Coloradans, including some of the state’s fastest-growing communities.

“We expect our growth to continue, so addressing transmission congestion is critical,” said Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO of United Power. “United Power serves an area that is growing quickly, attracting large residential developments and new businesses alike. A more reliable transmission route would help to stabilize costs and increase reliability for current and future members in the cooperative’s service territory.”

A new transmission solution could also benefit the utilities by allowing them to better access generation and share transmission resources, helping to meet Colorado’s clean energy goals.

“We are committed to decarbonizing our portfolio for our four owner communities while supporting our neighbor utilities as we all make this energy transition,” says Jason Frisbie, CEO of Platte River Power Authority. “All options are on the table to help improve reliability and reduce costs, including opportunities to enhance transmission capabilities as we move into an organized market.”

In a complementary move to help manage costs and maintain reliability, Springs Utilities, Platte River Power Authority and United Power will join the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Regional Transmission Organization on April 1, 2026. CORE is also evaluating market participation, including the SPP. 
“What’s great about public power entities is their willingness to collaborate to find the best solutions for their customers. We’re focused on strategies that help manage costs, maintain our industry-leading reliability and reduce carbon emissions. This partnership is a proactive step toward a more resilient energy future for Colorado Springs,” says Travas Deal, Springs Utilities CEO.

“This is a positive first step in exploring alternative ways for our four utilities to support growth and resiliency across our service territories,” stated Pam Feuerstein, CORE CEO. “Additional transmission would enable CORE to continue providing affordable and reliable power to our members, now and into the future.”

The four utilities have agreed to continue to evaluate future transmission options that can best support each utility’s needs while advancing shared goals for reliability, affordability and sustainability. 

About Colorado Springs Utilities

Colorado Springs Utilities is one of the largest community-owned, not-for-profit, four-service utilities in the nation. For more than 100 years, we have provided Colorado Springs with safe, reliable and competitively priced electric, natural gas, water and wastewater services. 

About CORE Electric Cooperative 

CORE is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative providing power to over 180,000 services inside a 5,000-square-mile area along Colorado's Front Range. Its headquarters is in Sedalia, and district offices are in Bennett, Pine Junction, and Woodland Park. Learn more at www.CORE.coop.  

About Platte River Power Authority

Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) is a not-for-profit, community-owned public power generation and transmission utility that provides safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado, for delivery to their distribution utility customers. In addition to providing a public health and safety service to the owner communities, Platte River is working toward a 100% noncarbon energy future through a Resource Diversification Policy approved by its board of directors in 2018. For more information, visit prpa.org.

About United Power

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, serving more than 115,000 meters. Its 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
 

Brighton, CO — United Power is pleased to announce the promotion of Jonathan Aust to the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Energy Resource Officer, replacing Dean Hubbuck who is retiring in August. Aust joined the cooperative earlier this year as the co-op’s Vice President of Energy Resource Planning.

“We are fortunate to have someone with the professional background and high level of expertise that Jonathan brings to this position,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO. “His more than 20 years of experience in the energy industry has already been an asset to the cooperative while working with our power supply team the past few months, learning the details of United Power’s many power purchase agreements.”

Prior to joining United Power, Aust served as Vice President of Power Operations for the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). In that role he led a team of more than 80 employees to support power operations responsible for covering a seven-state region and two balancing authorities, delivering power to energy providers across the footprint. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Information Technology for SCADA/EMS, or supervisory control and data acquisition and energy management system, supporting WAPA’s control centers across a 15-state area.

Aust has served in leadership for a variety of key industry committees, including several representing the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). He was honored in 2022 with WECC’s Outstanding Contributor Award.

“As we expand our many power contracts and continue to diversify our resources, we need a leader like Jon in this key role,” stated Gabriel. “His ability to lead a team, coupled with his extensive knowledge of the industry, will help continue to build a new portfolio of power that reflects the cooperative’s focus on diverse power sources and integration of local generation.”

About United Power

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, serving more than 115,000 meters. Its 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

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