Incumbency in business has a rich history of companies that failed to plan for the future, even as the facts before them told a different story. It is why planning at United Power resulted in Our Cooperative Roadmap, preparing to continue to support our members with a reliable, resilient, and affordable distribution system.

Most of us can remember a time when almost every community had a Blockbuster video store. At its height, there were 9,000 brick and mortar Blockbuster stores. Then, along came Netflix, with a by-mail rental model. Seeing the future of an increasing digital society, Netflix shifted its strategy to online entertainment and moved a step further by creating its own content. Blockbuster’s response to the evolving Netflix model was to eliminate late fees on its DVD and VCR tape rentals. One company thrived and the other is no longer in business.

In the electric utility world, a similar transition is taking place with more of our members adding solar rooftops (nearly 9,000 thus far), home battery storage (110), electric vehicles (5,200), and dozens of other technologies from Alexa to smart thermostats. More than 700 members have added net metering to date in 2022. This is why United Power embraces technologies and is evolving to become a Distribution System Operator (DSO), which will help facilitate the revolution happening across our member base. Becoming a DSO will allow us to work with our members in controlling power and costs. It is why our team of energy experts is available to answer questions in an unbiased and neutral manner, and it is why we continue developing programs that help you manage your energy costs.

I recently had the opportunity to visit with several of our largest members to listen and understand the critical changes they are facing; how their corporate goals now involve environment, social, and governance requirements; and the criticality of reliable power to keep their businesses operating. Their goals align perfectly with those of United Power as we are “Transforming the Future.”

A big part of acting on the changes in the business is our decision to find a new power supply – one that is more cost effective, less carbon intensive, and keeps dollars in our communities. We held our Power Supply Forum on June 7 where we engaged our members in a conversation about the change which will take effect May 1, 2024. Also, as of June 1, we officially became a member of the Southwest Power Pool, which provides energy market services in Colorado and will allow us to eventually use the collective power as a DSO to better manage the cost of power.

In today’s economic environment we are all concerned with the rising cost of everything. As your cooperative, United Power will continue to find ways to lower costs while meeting member needs. We are there for you in offering energy efficiency audits, recommendations on weatherization, advice on adding solar or storage, as well as piloting programs for in-home electric vehicle charging and battery storage. Please contact us for any of your home or business needs. At United Power, we are working hard to be prepared for the changing demands of our members.

We have a great tradition of excellence, and I want every member to feel empowered to reach out to me and the United Power staff at any time. I welcome the opportunity to meet you where you are; do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Have a safe and healthy summer.

Red Flag Warning Procedure in Effect This Summer

To address the growing fire risk in Colorado, United Power has put in place new operating procedures. One of the latest precautions the cooperative has implemented is a Red Flag fire prevention procedure. The National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning when warm temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds are expected. When combined, these conditions produce an increased risk of fire danger. This alert is issued as a weather advisory and is often mentioned during the weather segment on local news. 

When a Red Flag Warning impacts United Power’s service area, the cooperative will adjust system settings and operating procedures to immediately stop the flow of power if any interference is detected. What this means is if a tree or foreign object contacts a power line, a substation device will open automatically and remain de-energized until a United Power crew has patrolled the power line. If no cause is found and no hazard has been reported, system operators will close the device and restore power. Crews will then patrol the line a second time. Inspecting energized lines may identify an issue and prevent another outage. 

These extra safety measures rely on our crews to complete labor-intensive inspections rather than remotely connecting to automated field devices, which may increase the duration of outages. United Power is committed to providing safe, reliable electric service to members, and recognizes extended outages are inconvenient. If an outage occurs during a Red Flag Warning, crews will work quickly and safely to restore power. 

United Power reminds members to report any power issues and outages. In many cases, member information can help our crews narrow their focus and identify the cause of an outage. 

Members who experience an outage or observe anything that seems out of the ordinary concerning power lines or electrical equipment should do the following:

• Stay clear of downed trees, downed power lines, or damaged equipment.
• Report outages by calling 303-637-1350 or online.
• Monitor our live outage map on our Outage Center.

More information about United Power’s fire mitigation plan and vegetation management efforts are available here.
 

Five Directors Earn Gold Certificate; Two Earn CCD

United Power’s Board of Directors is committed to continuing education opportunities that enable them to govern the cooperative more effectively and stay informed about industry changes. In the past few months, several directors have completed or renewed director certifications through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The cooperative’s two newest directors, Stephen Whiteside and Brad Case, received their Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) certificates late last year, and Dave Rose earned his Director Gold certification. Directors Tim Erickson, James Vigesaa, Ginny Buczek, and Elizabeth Martin have also recently renewed their Director Gold certificates.

NRECA’s three-step Director Education Program is designed to teach essential skills and knowledge through a series of educational courses. The first step in the process is the CCD, which helps prepare directors to fulfill their fiduciary duty as elected officials on behalf of their membership. Once the program has been completed, directors can proceed to the Board Leadership Certificate (BLC). Directors who have completed both the CCD and BLC, plus an additional three BLC credits, are eligible to earn Director Gold certification. To maintain Director Gold certification, directors must earn at least three credits from approved continuing education courses within a two-year period.

All of United Power’s directors are committed to achieving the highest levels of certification and professional training for the benefit of the cooperative and the members they represent. As of February, all eleven directors have completed at least the CCD certification and nine directors have received Director Gold certification.