Project Also Provides Alternate Energy Option for Emergency Management

Brighton, CO - United Power, partnering with the Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management, placed a 625-kw diesel generator on the Gilpin County School District campus. The generator was installed as a safety enhancement to serve both the school and community members in the mountain territory.

“United Power is excited to partner with Gilpin County on this key project for community members adjacent to the school district campus,” stated Dean Hubbuck, United Power’s Chief Energy Resource Officer. “Completing the project prior to the winter season should provide security and peace of mind to the residents in the area and provide a much-needed resource in the event of an extended power interruption.”

In the event of power outage, Gilpin County is required to notify parents and send students home because the school district doesn’t have a back-up power option. The installation of the generator alleviates concerns for school administration officials and parents of students. Additionally, the generator can provide a longer window of service with abbreviated services at the school, allowing Emergency Management to activate the site as an emergency warming center during an extended power outage in the area.

United Power upgraded existing infrastructure to ensure the generator can provide power to the entire school campus, including school buildings, gym facilities, the bus barn, water storage and delivery systems, pumping stations and the Eagles’ Nest Daycare Center. The generator operates on Tier 4 Diesel, with is an ultra-clean, low sulfur fuel and incorporates advanced emission reduction technologies, which exceeds state requirements for emission levels.

The cooperative will hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new generator on Friday, November 5 at 10 a.m. Members of the public are invited to attend and learn more about this addition and the enhanced safety benefits it will offer to the residents. Please click here to RSVP. 

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 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, dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options and reforming the traditional Generation and Transmission (G&T) business model. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

United Power is an Essential Partner in Local Communities

Cooperatives are more than a local business. Not only do they provide the same products and services as their for-profit counterparts, they also go beyond the business, placing great emphasis on community involvement and the flourishing of its members. Without the members we serve, there would be no United Power. We’re invested in making each and every one of our communities the best version of itself and empowering our members to be a part of that vision.

This October, United Power invites our members to join us in honoring National Co-op Month, a celebration of the commitment cooperatives have for their communities and members. There are more than 64,000 cooperatives stretching across almost every industry that touches our daily lives, and more than 800 of them are local electric co-ops. Electric co-ops provide power to nearly 60% of the country’s landmass, maintain more than 40% of its distribution grid — approximately 3 million miles of line — and serve more than 40 million members across 2,500 counties in 47 states.

Birthed out of the hard work of our members more than 80 years ago, electric cooperatives were established to deliver power to parts of the country larger investor-owned utilities had no interest in serving. When co-ops were formed to deliver power to these rural communities, they also made a commitment to serve and strengthen the communities within their service territory through investment in the economy, supporting local nonprofits and developing future leaders.

United Power works closely with its communities to support them directly and indirectly. It maintains close relationships with locally owned and operated businesses. Employees serve on the boards of local nonprofits, chambers of commerce, economic development councils and more.

The cooperative’s commitment to its communities and members was on full display over the past 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. From temporary suspension of disconnects to contributing $550,000 to the Co-op Cares Fund to provide direct support to members affected throughout the pandemic, United Power put its words into demonstrable action. It established the Member Choice Grants program to help the cooperative direct support to areas members care about and Operation Round-Up, a voluntary member-funded organization supported by the cooperative, went above and beyond to provide additional assistance to area nonprofits where it was needed.

United Power also continued to provide thousands of dollars in scholarships to area seniors pursuing a post-secondary education and sponsored dozens of virtual community events while in-person events were not possible. When community events did return this summer, the cooperative played a vital role in making them happen, including fairs, festivals and local movie nights and celebrations.

While some electric cooperatives remain small and rural, others have outgrown their rural roots. As communities have grown from rural farming communities to suburban commuter communities or even urban centers, so has United Power’s commitment to those communities. No matter where you live or how you use electricity, you can count on United Power to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy and to make serving you its priority.

United Power Recognizes Energy Efficiency Day on October 5

On October 5, United Power is joining more than 800 other organizations to celebrate National Energy Efficiency Day, a day to remember easy ways we can reduce our energy use and save money.

Energy efficiency simply means using less energy to perform the same tasks or eliminating energy waste. Being energy efficient protects our pocketbooks and the environment by lowering demand for energy and, by extension, greenhouse gas emissions.

If you’re a homeowner trying to manage your electric usage on a budget, energy efficiency may seem more fantasy than reality. Energy efficiency is often seen as an expensive and unobtainable goal for many homeowners, but it doesn’t have to be. Trimming your electric usage is as quick and simple as making a few modest behavior changes and a little investment in cost-efficient technology.

Here are some of the most common ways United Power members can ditch high energy bills and become more efficient in their daily energy usage. For some of our members who may want to go a step further in the journey toward energy efficiency, the article below demonstrates why an electric vehicle may be right for you.

10 Energy Efficient Tips

1. Make the Switch to LEDs. There’s been a strong push for the switch to LEDs for years, and for good reason. LEDs last up to 25x longer and consume 90 percent less energy.
2. Seal Those Leaks. Have you ever left a window cracked in the winter and realized how quickly the cold air can cool your home? Little leaks can be equivalent to leaving a 3 ft x 3 ft window open.
3. Install a Smart Thermostat. While an initially high investment, a smart thermostat will pay for itself over time by learning your routine and adjusting accordingly. You can even control it remotely. Members can also enroll in United Power’s Smart Rewards program to save even more. More info at Smart Rewards.
4. Heat & Cool Efficiency. Heating and cooling accounts for almost half your energy use. Don’t waste money on an empty home. Raising or lowering the temp on your thermostat also won’t compromise comfort.
5. Use a Ceiling Fan. Using a ceiling fan in combination with proper cooling will allow you to raise your thermostat by as much as 4 degrees without losing any comfort.
6. Maintain Your HVAC System. A dirty furnace has to work harder to move air. Don’t forget to change air filters during both heating and cooling seasons to keep energy costs low.
7. Look for the ENERGY STAR® Label. The label means this appliance is certified energy efficient. United Power also offers rebates on ENERGY STAR® refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines.
8. Turn Off Electronics. Electronics on “standby” contribute to “vampire loads,” which is when a device draws energy even with it appears to be off. Turn off all idle electronics that aren’t in use.
9. The Sun is Key. In the winter, open curtains during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home. In the summer, excess sunlight will make your A/C work harder, so keep those curtains closed.
10. Don’t Peak in the Oven. Opening the oven door while cooking or baking can cause the internal temperature to drop by as much as 25 degrees making it work harder to return to the right temperature and also affecting cooking times of your dinner or dessert.

Open House Celebrated Co-op Surpassing 100,000 Meters in June

Brighton, CO – United Power joined a small group of elite cooperatives in June when it surpassed 100,000 meters served off its lines. It became just the second Colorado co-op, and 31st nationally, to cross the meter milestone. To commemorate the achievement, the co-op hosted an Open House Celebration for members at its Carbon Valley Service Center, located off the I-25 Frontage Road just west of Firestone and Frederick, on August 28.

Several hundred members attended the Open House Celebration, which featured a variety of family-friendly activities, educational opportunities and prize giveaways. It was the first in-person member event the cooperative has hosted since the pandemic began in March 2020. The come-and-go structure of the event enabled members to maintain social distancing by discouraging crowds and allowing attendees to walk through at their own leisure. Breakfast and refreshments were also provided as attendees made their way through the exhibits.

“It is important that we as a cooperative get back to our roots of engaging and interacting with our members,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This was the perfect platform to showcase our newest facility and celebrate our historic meter accomplishment with our members while also accounting for their health and safety.”

United Power packed its garage with interactive exhibits to give members a hands-on experience with everything from electrical safety to electric vehicle ownership. The cooperative’s well-known safety demonstration team kicked things off near the event entrance before a series of large equipment and bucket trucks funneled attendees toward an EV demonstration at the garage’s northeast doors. Northern Colorado Clean Cities provided several EVs available for short test drives with attendees. Outside, attendees were offered a brief informational presentation about the cooperative’s battery storage facility followed by a tour. Originally energized in 2019, the battery storage facility remains the largest in Colorado.

Inside the Carbon Valley Service Center, the community room was transformed into a series of educational booths where attendees could enter to win prizes, learn more about member-exclusive programs and engage with United Power experts on things like energy efficiency. Attendees could also present questions and win prizes from the cooperative’s board of directors.

“We are so excited and thankful to be able to celebrate 100,000 meters with our members in person,” said Ursula Morgan, United Power’s Board Chairman. “After more than a year away, we could not have been happier to see and interact with them again, especially for such a big occasion. Without our members, there is no cooperative. There is no United Power.”

United Power members who attended the event were eligible to win one of ten $100 bill credit prizes, announced following the event’s conclusion. Members also donated canned and packaged food for to the Carbon Valley Help Center, which provides food and clothing to those in need in and around the Carbon Valley area.

Earlier this summer, United Power honored its 100,000 meter family, John and Hailey Takacs and their son Drake, at their new home in Commerce City’s fast-growing Reunion community. Cooperative board members and cooperative leadership, along with Commerce City Mayor Ben Huseman and Tri Pointe homes representative Mariel Schlander, presented the Takacs’ with a prize package containing home essentials, such as a variety of tools and home equipment, including an electric lawn mower.

“We are adding meters at an unprecedented rate,” Gabriel said. “But more importantly, we are adding members. Each new meter represents a new family on our lines or a new business helping shape the economy of the communities we serve. Our members make us stronger, and they make our communities stronger. As your cooperative, it is our privilege to be able to serve each one of our members.”

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 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. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

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