CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of United Power's 2022 Adams County Fair Ticket Package Giveaway!

Lauren Cordova, Commerce City
Terry Hall, Hudson
Tammy Archuleta, Henderson
Erik Swanson, Thornton

Thank you to everyone who entered this year. We hope to see you all at the fair.

#FaireverFun #UnitedPowerPride

NOTICE OF CHANGE IN THE RULES AND REGULATIONS TARIFFS OF UNITED POWER, INC.
Date of Notice:  July 12, 2022

You are hereby notified that UNITED POWER, INC. (United Power) proposes to make several modifications to update and reflect current business practices in the Rules and Regulations. These updates are to become effective on or after August 12, 2022.   Staff has reviewed the current Rules and Regulations tariffs. Business units across the organization were involved in the review. The following main areas have been identified as needing revisions or updating: (1) Updating “Customer” to “Member” to recognize our end-users properly; (2) Updating “United” to “United Power” for consistency throughout the entire document; (3) Formatting and grammatical updates for ease of use, consistency, and clarity; and (4) Updates for Current Business Practices to reflect technological changes, system changes, and efficiencies.

The present and proposed Rules and Regulations tariffs are available for examination at the Coal Creek Branch Office, located at 5 Gross Dam Road, Golden, Colorado; the Brighton headquarters office located at 500 Cooperative Way, Brighton Colorado; and the Carbon Valley Service Center located at 9586 E. I-25 Frontage Road, Longmont, Colorado.

Anyone who desires to comment about the proposed changes shall file either an informal complaint or a formal complaint with United Power at 500 Cooperative Way, Brighton, Colorado 80603 at least 10 days before the proposed effective date. 

An informal complaint shall be in writing and shall contain such facts and other information to adequately state the reason(s) for the complaint.  An informal complaint shall be considered by United Power, in regard to the proposed changes to the Rules and Regulations tariffs but will not require that a hearing be held.

Anyone who desires a hearing must file a specific and formal complaint to the proposed changes and a request for hearing at least 10 days before the proposed effective date.  A formal complaint shall be in writing in the form prescribed by United Power’s Regulations Governing Consumer Complaints and Related Matters. Upon request, a copy of said regulations is available from United Power.  

United Power may hold a hearing to determine what changes will be authorized, regardless of complaints.  If proper formal complaints and request for hearings are timely filed, the Board shall schedule a hearing.  The changes ultimately authorized may or may not be the same as those proposed and may include changes different than those Rules and Regulations tariffs proposed or currently in effect.  Anyone who desires to receive notice of hearings, if any, shall make a written request therefor to United Power, at the above address at least 10 days before the proposed effective date.

UNITED POWER, INC.

By: Mark A. Gabriel, President and Chief Executive Officer

Electric cooperatives rely on crucial materials to maintain the safety, reliability, and resiliency of their electric system. Supply chain delays are creating new challenges for most industries, but it’s been particularly difficult for electric utilities facing weeks-long delays on parts and materials necessary to ensure a properly functioning system. 

“We’re experiencing six- to eight-week delays on standard maintenance materials, like mounts and brackets,” said Curtis Subia, United Power’s Vice President of Asset Management and Supply Chain. “It may be tempting to waive off something as small as a bracket if other materials are available, but without these brackets, projects come to a standstill. Even small pieces are absolutely essential to safely building our infrastructure.”

With uncertainty surrounding how long supply chain issues may persist, United Power purchased a new piece of equipment that will help the cooperative bypass delays and fabricate whole parts in-house without having to wait for backorders to be filled. A mechanized plasma cutter (pictured right) can precisely cut pieces out of sheet metal in just minutes. The pieces it produces are often ready for immediate use in the field. 

“We could either wait weeks for orders to be delivered or we could figure out a timely way to make them ourselves,” said Subia. “We can’t shut down projects because the supply chain can’t keep up with demand, so we had to come up with a solution.” 

United Power mechanics suggested the plasma cutter as an alternative. They have been fabricating parts for years when something is unavailable or if they need a custom piece. However, manual fabrication is slow, lacks precision, and is dangerous. The plasma cutter can be preprogrammed with almost any design and ready to use in just a few minutes. Once a design has been stored, the software can recall it again at any time. It’s a safer option for the mechanics and frees up their time to be spent on other projects. 

“It can do things the human hand can’t do,” said Kevin Isham, a mechanic at United Power. “It can cut a piece over and over with precision and perfection in half the time it would take one of us to create a single piece. Having it makes our jobs quicker and safer.”

There’s no sign supply chain issues are coming to an end anytime soon. The plasma cutter represents another innovative solution United Power has adopted to meet the needs of the cooperative and its members in challenging circumstances.