United EV Provides At-Home Charging-as-a-Service for Co-op Members

Brighton, CO – United Power has launched United EV, a new charging-as-a-service pilot program designed to provide cost-effective, at-home charging solutions for cooperative members with electric vehicles (EVs). United EV will help lower the up-front ownership and installation costs of wall-mounted, at-home EV chargers, to reduce the costs of charging and help the cooperative effectively manage electric demand on the grid. The program will initially be limited to 50 qualifying residential members. 

Members enrolled in United EV will receive several benefits for a $19 monthly fee. The program is a complete service package that includes installation and set-up of a wall-mounted ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 charger, maintenance and repairs for the duration of the enrollment period, rebates for make-ready wiring, and several rate and charging options to take advantage of the lowest available energy costs. The service fee will be conveniently applied to electric billing statements each month. 

“There’s been rapid growth in electric vehicle sales and ownership within the United Power service territory,” said Joel Danforth, United Power’s Energy Programs Director. “Our comprehensive EV strategy began with the deployment of rapid chargers along major corridors throughout our territory where there were gaps in charging infrastructure. We’re now turning our attention toward reducing the upfront cost, risk, and burden of home charging to make electric vehicle ownership more affordable and accessible.” 

To further address the cost of updating home electrical wiring, United EV participants qualify for rebate dollars toward the installation of make-ready wiring and outlet installation in their homes. United Power’s make-ready wiring rebate covers 50% of the installation cost up to $1,000 for program participants. United Power members not enrolled in the United EV program are eligible to receive a rebate up to $500.

For more information on United EV or the cooperative’s other electric vehicle initiatives, including available rebates and its rapid charging network, visit www.unitedpower.com/ev or reach out to the Energy Programs team at 303-637-1233.

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 and 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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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. 
 

United Power was able to send students to Washington, D.C. this year as part of the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour for the first time since 2019. Shared concerns among state electric cooperatives regarding health and safety surrounding the pandemic resulted in the cancellation of both the 2020 and 2021 tours.  

The return of this year’s tour means cooperatives from across the country will sponsor approximately 1,300 high school students for a week in the nation’s capital. While they are in Washington, students will have an opportunity to meet and interact with elected officials representing the state of Colorado, tour historical landmarks and monuments, and learn the value of the cooperatives they represent.  

Each year, United Power selects ambitious high school students to represent it at the Youth Tour. This year, United Power sponsored two local students – Elizabeth Clement, Stargate Charter School, and Noah Kildow, Brighton High School. 

Before departing for Washington, Colorado students toured the state capitol in Denver and met with Gov. Jared Polis, participated in a high-voltage safety demonstration at United Power’s headquarters in Brighton, and heard brief presentations from employees about the various career paths available through the cooperative. 

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has been a tradition among cooperatives since the late 1950s. Its origins date back to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s 1957 annual meeting in Chicago, where keynote speaker and future president Lyndon B. Johnson suggested sending youth to the capital to see “what the flag stands for and represents.” A small group of 34 students from Iowa formed the first tour in 1958. To date, nearly 50,000 students have participated in the program. 

Applications to represent United Power during next year’s Youth Tour will be available in early December. Follow us on social media for updates on all of our youth programs.

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.