Groundbreaking Pilot to Leverage Energy from Oil and Gas Wells to Generate Dispatchable Power

Denver and Brighton, Colo. – Transitional Energy, a geothermal development company, joined Brighton-based United Power to announce that they have signed a Letter of Intent to develop a dispatchable energy pilot program. The program will focus on geothermal resources from oil and gas operations located in the electric cooperative’s service territory.

United Power provides electric service to multiple oil and gas operations in Colorado’s DJ Oil Basin. Transitional Energy’s program will use geothermal energy to generate dispatchable baseload electric power. The program may be used with both operational and abandoned wells to capture and convert what would otherwise be waste geothermal energy to electricity.

Many oil and gas operators use traditional electric service to power drilling rigs and other well pad equipment. Through this partnership, United Power and Transitional Energy will be able to provide a unique solution that can convert oil and gas operations using traditional electric service to facilities powered by up to 100% geothermal resources. Owner-operators of wells in the United Power service territory would work directly with Transitional Energy to utilize the technology to offset their energy purchases while reducing their greenhouse gas footprint.

Transitional Energy was founded in Colorado and is partially funded by a grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Taking advantage of the team’s oil and gas expertise as well as emerging advancements in Organic Rankine Cycle technology for heat recovery, Transitional Energy will tap into the geothermal potential of thousands of wellbores within the DJ Basin. Reuse of existing wells and infrastructure is a capital-efficient way to use the heat beneath our feet. This pilot program compliments the many innovative energy investments United Power has made in renewable energy projects in its territory.

“United Power is excited to work on this innovative pilot project,” stated Dean Hubbuck, United Power’s Chief Energy Resources Officer. “Utilizing clean, economical geothermal energy to provide local power that can be dispatched when needed is a critical component of our growing energy portfolio. Geothermal energy represents a huge untapped renewable resource that can reduce our reliance on power from other traditional sources.”

About Transitional Energy

Transitional Energy is a geothermal development company based in Denver. The company is majority women owned and Native led. With deep expertise in subsurface engineering, facilities engineering and geology, Transitional Energy is passionate about a clean energy future and utilizing existing oil and gas wells and infrastructure to generate geothermal energy. Learn more at www.transitionalenergy.us.

About the United Power

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, dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. 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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Marshall Fire Reveals Urban Fire Threat; March 6 Seminar to Cover Fire Safety & Preparedness

Historic wildfires have devastated large parts of Colorado and its neighboring states over the past few years. However, the Marshall Fire in late December opened our eyes to the reality that wildfires are not simply a threat for our mountain communities. Given the right conditions, wildfires can spring up anywhere and quickly become uncontrollable.

The Marshall Fire erupted in eastern Boulder County before claiming nearly 1,000 homes and businesses in Boulder, Superior and Louisville, just miles from Denver and even closer to United Power members living in Coal Creek Canyon and Carbon Valley.

United Power has made significant investments in system improvements and upgrades to mitigate the potential for fires off its power lines, particularly in its own mountain communities. With multiple strong wind storms in December, including the storm that fueled the Marshall Fire, those system improvements have more than shown their value to members in both reliability and safety. The cooperative has also provided additional resources members can use to help mitigate the threat of wildfires on their own property, such as how to create “defensible space,” referring to the strategic removal of vegetation that could create a bridge for fire to pass over.

In March, the Firestone Free Thinkers 4-H Club, in partnership with United Power, is hosting a free one-hour fire safety and disaster preparedness training, presented by the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District and the Carbon Valley Emergency Management Agency. The training will discuss how to pack a “go kit” in case of an emergency, how to create defensible space, the difference between evacuations and shelter-in-place and hazards in Carbon Valley.

Fire Safety & Disaster Preparedness Training

FREE 1-HOUR EVENT. NO RSVP REQUIRED. 

Where:
United Power Carbon Valley Service Center
9586 E I-25 Frontage Rd, Longmont

When:
March 6, 2022 @ 3:00 p.m.

Contact:
CV Emergency Management, 720-526-6594
www.fffd.us/227/emergency-management

As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills. To help you make more informed decisions, we tackle some common energy efficiency myths in this column.

Reducing Energy Use is Too Expensive

A common and enduring myth about energy efficiency is cost. The stigma associated with it assumes it’s too expensive and not worth it. While costly energy efficiency upgrades are possible, many immediate steps you can take are simple behavioral and habitual changes. These include turning off lights in unused rooms, unplugging or shutting down unused electronics, closing doors to empty rooms while heating/cooling systems are running, limiting use of vents in the kitchen or bathroom and remembering to close your curtains in the summer – and conversely open them in the winter – to keep sunlight from affecting the temperature inside your home.

Setting Thermostat Higher Heats Home Faster

No matter what temperature you set your thermostat, your furnace will work equally as hard and fast to meet that goal. The only difference achieved by setting the temperature to a higher degree is that the system will work for a longer period of time, therefore using more energy. The same applies to air conditioners when set to a lower temperature than necessary. Although blasting your heater or air conditioning does not heat or cool your home more quickly, adjusting your thermostat up or down a few degrees, depending on the season, can help you save energy.

Closing Vents in Unused Rooms Saves Energy

Shutting vents in empty or unused rooms may seem logical to save energy. Heating or cooling an empty space does appear to waste energy. However, your system cannot detect closed vents and will continue trying to push air to them. When the air cannot escape, it reverses and can cause damage to your system. Instead of closing vents, practice closing doors to rooms that are not in use. When doors are open, it allows the hot or cold air from inside the room to escape and the air from outside the room to enter, which can force your system to work harder to maintain thermostat settings. Closed doors prevent air from entering or exiting so the system can properly heat or cool the room and maintain it more easily.

Using energy more efficiently isn’t as difficult as you may believe. Small behavioral changes make a big difference. To review more ways to save, check out our website at www.unitedpower.com/energy-tips or contact an Energy Management Specialist at 303-637-1300.

How to Monitor Your Energy Usage

United Power members looking for ways to use energy more efficiently this year and save on their energy bills can utilize free resources available exclusively to the cooperative’s members.

View Usage With Power Portal

Power Portal was launched as an ancillary feature of the cooperative’s online account tool for members to view advanced data on their energy use over the course of days, weeks, months and more. The software breaks your energy usage down into 15-minute segments to provide you with a detailed picture of what activities or habits are controlling your energy usage. Members can even use the tool to evaluate on- and off-peak energy usage.

Armed with the ability to diagnose behaviors that lead to excess energy usage, members can begin taking real steps toward using energy more efficiently. Members can even use this tool to gauge the effectiveness of energy efficient updates to their home.

For more information, go to the Power Portal page. 

Demand Calculator

Adding or upgrading an appliance in your home? United Power recently debuted its new demand calculator, which allows members to toggle different appliances on and off to see what demand they could require in your home. To use the calculator or learn more about the demand rate, go to the Understanding Demand page.

Disclaimer Date: 4/25/2022
In compliance with a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruling, United Power will file an unconditional, binding notice to leave our power supplier in the next few months. This will change our previously announced exit date of Jan. 1, 2024. In the same ruling, FERC reaffirmed that a two-year notice period was appropriate. Once determined, the final exit date will be communicated to our members.

100,000 Meter Milestone, Wholesale Power Announcement Highlight 2021

Year after year, United Power works toward an unmatched excellence in the level of service it provides for its members, the support it demonstrates in its communities and its exceedingly high standard for delivering continuously reliable power. Endless unpredictability over the past two years, caused by the ongoing pandemic and unproductive negotiations with its wholesale power supplier, has not inhibited the cooperative from pursuing these goals. Instead, its leadership has elevated its expectations, building on all United Power has accomplished over the past year.

Crossing A Meter Milestone

United Power experienced record levels of growth throughout its service territory in 2021, resulting in it surging past a significant meter milestone this past summer. The cooperative energized its 100,000th meter connection in Commerce City’s fast-growing Reunion community in June, becoming just the second Colorado cooperative – and 31st nationwide – to surpass the meter milestone and highlighting a period of sustained growth for the cooperative that failed to slow even during the pandemic. It joins CORE Electric Cooperative, formerly Intermountain REA, as the only other cooperative serving more than 100,000 meters in Colorado.

Leadership Shift at the Top

The cooperative welcomed Mark A. Gabriel as its new President and Chief Executive Officer in March after a months-long nationwide search. A 25-year veteran in the electric utility business, Gabriel transitioned immediately to lead ongoing contract negotiations with Tri-State and to help position United Power for future success as a cooperative and industry leader in the changing energy landscape. Prior to joining United Power, Gabriel served eight years as CEO of the Western Area Power Administration.

“I am extremely honored to have been selected to lead such an amazing organization as we approach a transformational time in the electricity business,” Gabriel said. “United Power is uniquely positioned to be engaged in the decarbonization of the grid and to take advantage of the introduction of new technologies as we move to a cleaner energy future.”

Reunited & Ready

United Power was able to resume normal activities this past summer after more than a year of altering its practices for the health and safety of members and employees. The Brighton office location was opened to members again in June. While office locations were closed, the cooperative also installed several payment kiosks around its service territory to allow members to continue accessing convenient payment centers.

A gradual return to normal activities also meant the return of community functions and events. From summer fairs and festivals to holiday parades, United Power was a pivotal partner in helping make many of them possible. The cooperative is a proud sponsor of community events throughout its service territory.

Supporting Members & Causes They Care About

Cooperative leadership approved a support fund to provide relief to members struggling with the pandemic in 2020 called the Co-op Cares Fund. As pandemic concerns continued for many United Power members, the Board allocated another $250,000 to the fund for 2021. Throughout the year, approximately $212,000 in assistance was applied to 1,300 member accounts through Co-op Cares.

United Power also renewed its Member Choice Grant program in 2021. These grants allowed members to nominate local nonprofits to receive funds from the cooperative, ensuring our continued support for causes you care about. Six $1,000 grants were distributed to nonprofit organizations that received nominations from members throughout the year.

No Rate Increase for 2022

Rates are the single greatest concern for United Power members. Proactive efforts to reduce spending and control costs as a direct result of the pandemic allowed the cooperative to avoid a rate increase for members in 2021. Continued cost-control measures, coupled with significant meter and load growth throughout the service territory this past year, allowed United Power to announce in December there would be no residential or business rate increases for the second consecutive year in 2022. The lack of a rate increase should provide a little relief to members who continue to feel the effects of the ongoing pandemic.

Intent to Leave Wholesale Power Supplier

United Power’s ongoing negotiations with its wholesale power supplier reached a defining point at the end of 2021. After more than three years of unsuccessful attempts to modify its all-requirements contract, the cooperative officially filed its intent to leave, effective January 1, 2024. As a member of the wholesale power supplier, United Power was saddled with some of the highest cost, carbon-intensive power in Colorado. The cooperative pursued contract alterations that would allow it to lower costs and expand member options, which its wholesale supplier was unresponsive to. Exiting the contract will allow United Power to deploy more renewable resources on its grid or source more renewable options from new suppliers and provide more competitive rates for its members.

Date: 4/29/2022
United Power filed a non-conditional Notice of Intent to Withdraw from our power supplier in compliance with a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling. This changes our previously announced Tri-State exit date of Jan. 1, 2024 to May 1, 2024.

Charles Darwin put things into perspective when he noted, “it is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”

The electric industry is the perfect example of creating and managing change. It brought light, heat and motive power to communities, replacing oil lamps, wood stoves and steam trollies. Electricity freed us from drudgery, allowed education to expand and made previously uninhabitable places livable. In the generations since Thomas Edison, this amazing industry has been continuously reinvented, and today we are at yet another juncture.

As United Power members and residents of communities we serve, you are taking much of your electric consumption into your own hands. Smart thermostats are taking over, solar installations continue to increase and more than 4,000 electric vehicles now ply our roads. Even refrigerators have smart technology built in. The network of intelligent electricity is expanding, and we are looking at new ways to ensure the continued strength of viability of our networks.

We continue to improve the reliability and resilience of our system, thanks in large part to the support of our Board of Directors who have allowed the staff at United Power to make investments on your behalf. From vegetation management to covered cable, we continue to improve our system.

The coming move to new power suppliers is yet another step in the ongoing change and evolution for United Power. We are seeking to provide lower cost and lower carbon power, keep dollars in our communities and embrace the changes we are seeing across the electric enterprise. At the heart of this change is a more diverse generation portfolio, taking advantage of local power supplies and managing the system in a different fashion.

I am very pleased that a number of our members have reached out with specific questions – and I take pride in personally answering each and every one. The majority of questions about our decision were affirming and positive. Others expressed specific concerns about rates during the 24-month transition period and some had worries or cautions regarding reliability, pointing to the situation in Texas this past February as well as ongoing problems in California. United Power has no planned rate increases forthcoming, and the unfortunate events in Texas highlighted the clear need for winterization of power plants and the state’s lack of interconnectivity to other states and markets. And in California, public policy has been allowed to push ahead of physics.

While members can find detailed FAQs on our decision on the Power Supply page, I can assure you the change we are making focuses on economics, reliability, environmental responsibility and critical operating decisions. Constraints on low- or no-carbon generation, for example, flies in the face of our members’ own actions, as well as the state’s mandates. Patiently waiting for power plant closures stretching decades neither yields savings for our members nor represents the change we are seeing in the electric industry.

At United Power, we are working to manage the change and continue being responsive to your needs every day. Whether it is providing information on solar energy, offering leases for EV chargers or working with developers on new energy efficient neighborhoods, we are focused on your needs today and into the future.

The staff at United Power is committed to supporting our rapidly growing membership. Please feel free to reach out to me with your questions, comments and concerns as we continue powering lives, powering change, powering the future – the Cooperative way.