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.

My old boss used to have a saying, “Predicting rain is one thing, building the ark is another.” I am proud to say that your cooperative, with support from the Board of Directors, developed and is following Our Cooperative Roadmap — the ark for success now and into the future. This journey will continue the evolution of the electric business as we work to meet the needs of you, our members, wherever you are. 

There continues to be a lot of talk about the energy transition — how the future will look, the challenges of changing power suppliers, and the issues with more people and businesses seeking alternative generation sources. Many of these conversations in the industry revolve around concerns for reliability, resilience, and of course affordability, three watchwords for all of us operating your cooperative.

A distribution cooperative like United Power stands at the crossroads of a changing energy industry. It 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. Very few central power stations are being built today, more fossil fuel generation facilities are closing, and transmission projects lag needs. A distribution system operator (DSO) will be counted on to manage a more complex, yet interlocked, system. This will empower you as members and monetize investments in a shared energy economy.

We are focused on staying closely tied to the economic drivers of the communities we serve to bring tax dollars, revenue, and well-paying job opportunities. We must be good stewards of our resources and build on the solid partnerships with our local businesses. I am proud to say that these partnerships are the cornerstone of the cooperative business model. 

Providing high quality and reliable service is crucial because businesses matter. We are restructuring some staff to focus on business and community partnerships — our key accounts. This will allow us to be more responsive, anticipate needs in areas such as power quality, and leverage available grant dollars and tax incentives. Another benefit in controlling our power supply will allow us to craft rates that work for these members.

As a member-owned cooperative, the concept of “meeting you where you are,” aligns with our goal of delivering mutual value. It has the added benefit of keeping investments in the communities we serve while ensuring the reliability and resiliency required in today’s environment. The quiet transition to localized grids, combined with the advancements in management tools and software, returns to continue the electricity enterprises’ original intent of bringing light, motive power, and comfort to the communities being served.

Our Cooperative Roadmap makes sure we are invested in the technological changes our members are navigating in our industry. More members want to self-generate or make energy efficient upgrades to their homes. Others are investing in technologies that will change the way we interface with members. United Power must continue supporting technologies that reduce costs for all members. Programs such as United EV, Smart Rewards for thermostats, energy efficiency rebates, and solar interconnections give members control over how they use power. We are here to support members who want to produce their own power and provide financial incentives that align with our goals of affordability and system control. These programs are aimed at sharing savings with our members when they participate in programs that can reduce our costs.

What does this mean in practice? United Power provides the people and tools to help members make decisions about their own energy use, power generation, use of technologies, and safe integration of batteries and solar panels. It means we are continuously scanning the horizon to make sure our distribution system is ready for tomorrow and safe for today.

We are not just predicting the rain of change but building the ark to ensure we sail into this bright new future.

DENVER, COLO. APRIL 11, 2023 – On Monday, April 10, 2023, Sen. Chris Hansen (D-Denver) and Sen. Cleave Simpson (R-Alamosa) read a resolution at the Capitol to establish Colorado Electrical Lineworker Appreciation Day. The day will be observed on April 18 each year to honor and recognize the crucial role that lineworkers play in providing safe and reliable electricity to communities throughout Colorado.

The resolution, recognizing lineworkers as the first responders for utilities, received unanimous bipartisan support from the Colorado Senate.

Sen. Hansen expressed gratitude for lineworkers, stating that as Colorado works toward a clean energy transition, lineworkers are essential to maintaining a reliable electric grid. The State Senate also recognizes the need to continue the support of private and public programs that train a sufficient number of electrical lineworkers.

CREA Executive Director Kent Singer reflects on the resolution saying, “Electric lineworkers are the unsung heroes of our modern society. Everything we rely on for a comfortable life, from food and shelter to computers, televisions and cellphones, is dependent on a functioning electric grid. Electric lineworkers are the ones who keep that grid in service at all times of the day and night and through every weather condition imaginable. We owe all of them a huge debt of gratitude.”

The resolution was supported by a coalition of energy industry groups, including the Colorado Rural Electric Association, Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities, Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy. Lineworkers and representatives from Colorado’s electric cooperatives and Black Hills Energy attended the resolution reading at the Capitol.

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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