United Power’s offices will be closed on Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. Members may access account information and make payments online through SmartHub web portal or mobile app. Our operations team remains on-call 24/7 in the event of an outage or emergency. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, May 30.

We express our gratitude to all military personnel for their supreme sacrifices on this Memorial Day.

Brighton, CO – United Power proudly announces its scholarship recipients for 2023. Each year, the cooperative awards more than $20,000 in scholarships to outstanding students in its service territory. The United Power Scholarship Committee selected 20 high school seniors based on grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and a written essay. Applications are made available by December each year. 

2023 scholarship recipients: 

• Kaden Rademacher, Mead High School, United Power Colorado College Scholarship, $2,000
• Gavin Walker, Prairie View High School, United Power Colorado College Scholarship, $2,000
• Lauren Brown, Frederick High School, United Power Youth Leadership Scholarship, $1,500
• Hayley Howell, Frederick High School, Basin Electric Power Cooperative Scholarship, $1,000
• Gwendolyn Hanks, Frederick High School, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Scholarship, $1,000
• Otis Kindvall, Frederick High School, Lois Lesser Education Scholarship, $1,000
• Dylan Leonard, Brighton High School, Bill Berens Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
• Jolene Her, Prairie View High School, United Power Community College Scholarship, $1,000

Additionally, United Power dedicates a book scholarship to each high school within its service territory, provided students from those schools submit applications. This year, United Power distributed 12 of these $1,000 scholarships, including four “at-large” selections. 

Dedicated book scholarships for 2023 were awarded to Brooklyn Yates, Brighton High School; Megan Derby, Eagle Ridge Academy; Cullen Aasmund-Williams, Frederick High School; Trisha Hammen, Fort Lupton High School; Gabriel Pemberton, Mead High School; Margaret Anne McEldowney, Prairie View High School; Jaden Atencio, Riverdale Ridge High School; Zayne Blair, Cherokee Trail High School; Grace Finnegan, Holy Family High School; Andrew Sawyer, Stargate Academy; Austin Hane, Northglenn High School; and Bailey Chess, Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins High School. 

More information about United Power’s 2023 scholarship recipients can be found in the May/June issue of the United Newsline.  

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 cooperatives in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops, reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

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Retirement of $4.5 Million on its way to Members Beginning in Late May

United Power is more than your local electric utility and you are more than a consumer. You have probably heard there are benefits to cooperative membership. The decisions we make are not to satisfy investors or generate profits, but to serve our members and our communities, ensuring our system is well maintained and delivers reliable power. It is just part of what makes cooperative membership different. 

Another member benefit that sets us apart is the retirement of capital credits. This year, our members will be part of United Power’s 17th consecutive retirement. If you are unfamiliar with this process, capital credits represent your investment in the co-op.

Becoming a Member

The moment you start receiving electric service from United Power, you become a member and an owner of the cooperative. As a member, you have unique privileges, one of which is economic participation. A portion of each electric bill you pay goes toward the cooperative’s operation and infrastructure, which represents your ownership stake. 

Members may also vote annually in the Director Elections or run for a seat on the Board to make their voices heard. By actively engaging and participating with the cooperative, you will always have a voice in our operation. 

Allocation of Capital Credits

Every spring, United Power looks at the prior year and any funds remaining after all expenses have been paid are allocated to members based on the prior year’s electric consumption — generally the more power you use, the larger your allocation will be. 
The allocation is not a check, but a bookkeeping of your ownership in the cooperative, i.e., the amount of money you invested into the electric system based on your electric consumption the past year. The funds are tracked, but not accessible in the form of cash until they are retired. You are notified of your allocation amount on your bill in May or June each year. 

Retirement of Capital Credits

Annually, the Board of Directors assesses the financial condition of the cooperative and determines what amount of capital credits are eligible for retirement. If the Board decides a retirement is feasible, the money is paid out, or “retired,” from each member’s account. The Board approved a $4.5 million retirement this year. Those retirements will be distributed beginning in late May. 

Anyone who had service in 2021 or earlier will be eligible to receive a refund. Refunds more than $50 will arrive as a check, and members who receive a refund less than $50 will see it reflected on their billing statement as a credit. Look for this credit on your bill in May or June. 

“There isn’t a more tangible benefit of cooperative membership than receiving money back on your investment in the utility itself,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Your investment not only makes you an owner, but helps ensure the resiliency of our system, the reliability of your power, and the affordability of our rates. It is a tangible representation of your value as both a member and an owner.” 

Capital credit retirements have returned a steady stream of money back to members in recent years. During the last 17 years, the cooperative has been able to retire millions of dollars back to its members. 

Want to learn more about capital credits? Frequently asked questions can be found at www.unitedpower.com or you can call a member services representative at 303-637-1300. 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

• If you move, please be sure to leave your new address with us so we can continue to refund any capital credits you are eligible to receive in the future. 

• Upon death, the deceased member’s capital credit account is available for estate retirement. The representative of the estate should contact United Power to settle the capital credit account. 

Douglas Wins East District Seat; Three Incumbents Re-elected

Brighton, CO – United Power hosted its 2023 Annual Meeting on April 12. Members were invited to attend the meeting in person at Riverdale Regional Park in Brighton or watch live on the cooperative’s website. Approximately 500 members and guests participated in this year’s meeting, which included a video recap highlighting accomplishments over the last year, an annual financial report, a presentation on the future of the cooperative, and the certification of the 2023 Director Election.

Voting in the Director Election was conducted via mail-in and electronic balloting. The cooperative introduced electronic balloting in 2022 to provide members with a fast, secure, and convenient way to submit ballots and avoid delays in mail handling. Nearly 7,000 member ballots were cast in the election. Mountain District incumbent, Tamra “Tami” Waltemath, ran unopposed and will retain her seat with 5,918 votes. James Vigesaa received 1,960 votes winning the seat in the South District. Jamie Klein, Ken Kreutzer, and Katherine “Kathy” Mills received 1,271, 1,876, and 1,455 votes, respectively. In the West District, Virginia “Ginny” A. Buczek retained her seat after receiving 4,003 votes in this year’s election. Thomas “Tom” Hogan received 2,510 votes. Steven “Steve” Douglas received 3,614 votes to win the East District seat. Robert “Rob” Masden received 2,994 votes. 

Beth Martin, United Power’s Board Chairman, and Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO, summarized the cooperative’s performance in 2022 with a video presentation. Last year, United Power reaffirmed its decision to exit its wholesale power contract in an effort pursue a more flexible, affordable, and reliable power supply. Over the course of the year, the cooperative achieved record-breaking reliability, and introduced its members to Our Cooperative Roadmap, an ever evolving plan outlining the co-op’s vision for maintaining its strength in a rapidly changing electric industry. 

“No matter what the future holds, providing reliable electric service will always be at the core of our business,” said Martin. “We made great strides in 2022 – strengthening our system, improving reliability, and protecting our communities.” 

Wildfire danger is an element of risk United Power takes seriously, with a continuously updated fire mitigation plan designed to protect our members and communities. In 2022, the cooperative removed vegetation encroaching on approximately 40 miles of line; applied a fire retardant to more than 400 poles; and added red flag warning procedures, which are activated when suitable wildfire conditions are present.

United Power also continued to evaluate opportunities to expand its electric vehicle (EV) offerings for members in 2022. The cooperative energized its third fast charger, rolled out its United EV pilot program, and launched its EV wiring rebate. 

Member Choice grants, which allow members to nominate local nonprofits to receive grant dollars from the cooperative, were renewed for a third year in 2022. Six organizations were selected from dozens of nominations to receive a total of $12,000 through the program. 

“Underlying all of these accomplishments is a dedicated team of United Power employees working to ensure they meet your needs,” said Gabriel. “Over 180 cooperative employees show up every day ready to put you first. They keep our systems secure and strong, take pride in working safely, and make sure that our members’ needs are met.”

Keith Alquist, United Power’s Board Treasurer, presented the cooperative’s financials and reported another strong year. The finance team continues to receive compliments from auditors for their professionalism, completeness, and accuracy in preparing financial statements at year-end and on a monthly basis.

Gabriel concluded the business meeting with a presentation about the future of the electric industry. He highlighted the many ways the cooperative has already begun to proactively address the changing utility environment – from driving economic prosperity for its communities through tax revenue and job creation to how it is meeting the crucial needs of large business members. He also discussed local generation and self-generation as well as the technologies that work in conjunction with a robust electrical system that benefit the cooperative, its communities, and the members. 

“A distribution utility like United Power stands at the crossroads of a changing energy industry and needs to transition from a simple distribution operator to managing a system that is agnostic to inputs and flexible enough to handle both centralized power and local generation,” he said.

Videos and information presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting, including the cooperative’s 2022 Annual Report, are available here. 

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 cooperatives in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops, reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

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Deadline to Vote in Director Election Approaching

Brighton, CO – United Power members are invited to attend the cooperative’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Members on April 12. Balloting in this year’s Director Election will close on April 11 for mail and electronic votes. Ballot boxes at United Power offices close at noon on April 12. The last opportunity to vote is in person on April 12 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. before the annual meeting begins. Members will also have the option to watch the meeting via livestream on the cooperative’s website. 

Participating members will hear from cooperative leadership about the ways United Power continued to serve them over the prior year, including updates on power supply decisions, an overview on the co-op’s record-setting year in reliability, and a recap on the cooperative’s strong financial position. Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer, will also present on the future of the electric industry and the emergence of a shared energy economy, as well as how United Power is already embracing these changes. Members who are present at the meeting will receive an attendance gift and be entered to win one of several door prizes. Director Election results will be announced at the conclusion of the annual meeting. 

Voting in the annual Director Election allows members to have a voice in the cooperative’s future. Four positions on United Power’s Board are up for election this year – one seat in the Mountain, South, West, and East Districts. The director candidates are Tamra “Tami” Waltemath in the Mountain District; Jamie Klein, Ken Kreutzer, Katherine “Kathy” Mills, and James Vigesaa in the South District; Virginia “Ginny” A. Buczek and Thomas “Tom” Hogan in the West District; and Steven “Steve” Douglas and Robert “Rob” Masden in the East District. Candidate statements are available online. 

Balloting in this year’s election opened on March 13. Online and mail ballots must be received by 11:59 a.m. on April 11 or they can be dropped in a ballot box at one of United Power’s office locations by noon on April 12. Members may vote in person at the annual meeting. Directors represent all members and are therefore elected on an “at-large” basis. This means members may cast a vote for a director in each district. Directors serve in geographic districts to ensure United Power’s Board adequately represents members throughout the service territory and provides accessibility to cooperative leadership.

The 2023 Annual Meeting of Members will be held at the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds, 9755 Henderson Rd. in Brighton. Registration for the meeting opens at 4:30 p.m. and balloting closes at the beginning of the official business meeting at 6:30 p.m. The virtual stream will begin at 6:30 p.m. at www.unitedpower.com/annual-meeting. 

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 cooperatives in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops, reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

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