Thanks to Members Like You, United Power is 100,000 Meters Strong

United Power invites members to join in celebrating this meter milestone with the cooperative and with each other at our 100,000 Meter Open House celebration at the Carbon Valley Service Center on August 28. The event will provide members with an opportunity to learn more about the cooperative and see how its newest facility and office location are effectively serving members on the west side of the service territory.

United Power 100,000 Meter Celebration
Saturday, Aug. 28
Open House |  9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Carbon Valley Service Center - 9586 E I-25 Frontage Road, Longmont

Event Features: 

• Touch-a-Truck, Safety Demos & Safety Booths. Get a close look at United Power's line trucks and learn more about United Power programs. 
• Batter Storage Tours, Free Food & Prizes. Tour Colorado's largest battery storage installation. Enjoy free refreshments and enter prize drawings. 
• Food Drive to Fill the Bucket. Support the Carbon Valley Help Center by bringing a non-perishable food item or cash donation. 

Behind Every Meter is a Co-op Member

United Power Just the 31st Cooperative Nationally to Reach 100,000 Meters

United Power in June became one of just a handful of electric cooperatives nationwide to surpass 100,000 meters. The achievement highlights a period of sustained growth for the Brighton-based co-op that began in the early 2000s and continued even this past year despite a historic pandemic. United Power had anticipated reaching the meter mark in 2021 but did so much earlier than expected due to an increase in growth early this year.

By surpassing 100,000 meters, United Power becomes just the second Colorado electric cooperative to reach the mark, joining Intermountain Rural Electric Association, headquartered southwest of Denver in Sedalia.

“It is truly a historic accomplishment to reach this meter milestone,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “United Power has long had a reputation for excellence among its cooperative peers, and it now joins a select few who serve more than 100,000 meters. Our size and reputation will amplify our voice in helping shape the future of the electric industry.”

Like all electric cooperatives, United Power was established to serve a largely rural population in an area that was considered too inconvenient or unprofitable for large electric utilities. Today, there are more than 800 electric cooperatives serving members throughout the country. Many have remained small because of the sparsely populated areas they are serving, but others, like United Power, have found themselves in rapidly growing areas close to large metropolitans.

Few cities are experiencing the growth surge that began in Denver several years ago. While much of the cooperative’s service territory is still rural, it now also serves some of the fastest growing communities in the country as more people are relocating to the Denver area. Maintaining control of the area has not always been easy. United Power had to survive an aggressive buyout attempt from the Public Service Company of Colorado — now Xcel Energy — which no longer saw the cooperative’s service territory as either unprofitable or inconvenient.

United Power was established by a group of farmers in and around Brighton in 1938 with only a couple hundred original members. It took the cooperative nearly 40 years to surpass 10,000 meters. When United Power reached an agreement with Public Service Company to forgo the buyout in the mid-1980s, growth had come to the area, but not like it would in the years to follow. By 2004, it had reached 50,000 meters, and a decade later in 2015 surpassed 75,000. During its largest growth year in 2004, the cooperative gained approximately 5,000 new meters, more than it gained during a twenty year stretch from 1950-1970 combined.

The cooperative has already experienced record growth again this year, and is on pace to add several thousand more meters to its system before the end of the year. The continued growth has United Power now setting its sights on the next meter mark.

“We are adding new meters at an unprecedented rate,” said Gabriel. “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 and every one of our members.”

United Power invites members to join in celebrating this meter milestone with the cooperative and with each other at our 100,000 Meter Open House celebration at the Carbon Valley Service Center on August 28. The events will provide members with an opportunity to learn more about the cooperative and see how its newest facility and office location are effectively serving members on the west side of the service territory.

United Power has partnered with the Carbon Valley Help Center and encourages event attendees to bring a canned food item or cash donations to assist the Help Center in meeting the needs of others in the area.

Join us!

United Power 100,000 Meter Open House Celebration
Saturday, August 28

For more than a year, United Power has had to alter business practices so that it could continue serving members safely and effectively. While linemen continued responding to outages and conducting maintenance to improve reliability, other practices had to change to accommodate members and employees throughout the pandemic.

In June, the cooperative was able to resume normal activities as state officials began easing public health requirements for businesses and public spaces.

Brighton Office Reopens

United Power welcomed employees back when its office location in Brighton re-opened to members on June 1. The cooperative preemptively closed its office locations in March 2020 as the pandemic began and employees transitioned to remote work.

To help members continue to access convenient payment centers, several payment kiosks were installed around the cooperative’s service territory, including its office locations in Carbon Valley and Brighton. A kiosk had previously been installed at the Coal Creek office and another was added in Fort Lupton at the Bank of Colorado Operation Center. The four payment kiosks will remain available for members who would like to continue using them.

In Your Community

For the first time in more than a year, in-person community events have returned, and United Power will play a crucial role in helping make many of them a reality. Not only that, but you’ll see the cooperative present at several upcoming events throughout the summer and fall. Be sure to stop by the cooperative’s booths to say hello. Our employees are ready to see our members’ friendly faces.

Employee Vaccination Clinic

Scheduling a vaccination appointment was a difficult task this spring. With employees returning to the office, United Power hosted a free and voluntary clinic for employees — and their families — who were interested in receiving the vaccine but had been unable to schedule an appointment. It’s one more way the cooperative is ensuring its employees can return to work and interact with members safely.

Carbon Valley Open House

All members are invited to United Power’s Carbon Valley Service Center on August 28 to celebrate the co-op surpassing 100,000 meters. The cooperative will also finally have an opportunity to unveil its newest office location to members in attendance during the celebration.

As United Power and the communities it serves continue the transition out of COVID protocols, the cooperative looks forward to seeing its members again.

Safe Ways to Pay Your Bills

United Power reopened its Brighton office to members beginning June 1. For members who have not been vaccinated or are uncomfortable coming into United Power’s office to make payments, the cooperative offers a variety of safe alternatives:

• Online/Mobile: A quick and easy way to view your account and make payments from your home or remotely using the United Power app. Online accounts can also be used to report outages.
• Auto Pay: A hassle-free way to ensure payments are made on time every month. Sign up using your online account.
• Payment Kiosks: United Power has four kiosk locations: Brighton, Carbon Valley, Fort Lupton and Coal Creek. Members only need an account number and form of payment. Cash/credit are applied immediately to your account.
• Pay By Phone: Payment can be made 24 hours/day by calling 866-999-4485.
• Pay Now: Allows members to make quick, one-time payments without needing a login or password. You’ll just need an account number and form of payment.
• Pay As You Go: A new payment method for members allows you to pay for power before you use it.

For more information about payment options, go to www.unitedpower.com/payments.

My first four months as United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer have been a whirlwind of activity and opportunity.

These are exciting times to be a part of the cooperative community and the electric utility business. From humble beginnings, rural electric cooperatives have transformed the energy enterprise serving members around the country. In June, United Power became one of the privileged few cooperatives that have surpassed 100,000 meters. Early in my career at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), I could only dream about the tools we have today. These advancements represent the culmination of decades of technological progress and changing social consciousness.

I came to United Power after eight years as Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Western Area Power Association (WAPA), where I was responsible for one of the largest grids in the US, bringing power to nearly 40 million Americans from 57 dams across the West. Prior to WAPA, I was a consultant and senior officer at EPRI. The growth and progress I have witnessed throughout my time in the industry, and the value it adds to our lives, continues to inspire me.

Technology has shifted the way our members use energy and increased its impact on their lives. More than 6,000 households on our lines have added solar systems to their rooftops and nearly 3,000 members are now driving an electric vehicle – myself included. Many more families are using smart devices in their homes — like Nest, Alexa and Google Home — to power their lives more efficiently. The changing patterns in energy usage and growing dependence on this resource are driving our industry’s future. Our relationship with members must change to meet these growing needs.

United Power must balance our members’ growing dependence on energy with a path toward environmental responsibility and long-term sustainability. This means pursuing energy alternatives that are clean, cost effective and beneficial. The affordability of renewable options, such as utility scale wind and solar, is driving down the costs of traditional options like natural gas as competition among resources increases. We have seen rapid expansion of battery storage projects as the technology becomes more viable and more affordable. United Power was among the early adopters of battery storage, and we are examining how we can take further advantage of this growing option for members.

There are many ongoing conversations about cyber security challenges, power supply, renewable energy and regional transmission organizations (and markets in general) happening in Colorado and across the country. I am proud to lead a team of professionals who are aware of the opportunities available to us and the challenges we must overcome. Their hard work and dedication have made United Power one of the leading distribution cooperatives in the nation. Our reputation gives us a voice on the national stage and allows us to be a driving force in the industry.

As members and our only stakeholders, your voice helps shape our strategies. We are here to understand and meet your needs. Cooperatives have the flexibility to make strategic changes and are nimble enough to make them in a timely manner. Whether you live on a large farm, own a home in a suburban neighborhood or operate a local business, we exist as an extension of our communities and are here to serve our members.

Those who came before me built a reputation for excellence here at United Power, and I look forward to building upon it. I want every member to feel empowered to reach out to me and our staff with questions, comments or concerns at any time. I welcome the opportunity to meet you where you are, so please do not hesitate to email me.

Have a safe and healthy summer.

Email Mark A. Gabriel

United Power members who have enrolled to receive text message notifications from the cooperative about their account may have received a text this afternoon. This message was to alert members about a change in now notifications are delivered.  

Text messaging is an important method for us to communicate with. From billing alerts to service updates, text messaging is an effective way for us to help keep you updated on your service and news regarding United Power. 

We wanted to let you know of a small change to our text messaging. When you receive a text message from United Power it has previously come from a short code. Starting today, text messages from the cooperative will come from a new toll-free number, 844-980-3030. We're making this change to help ensure we continue to communicate with you effectively through text. 

This change will not affect your service or communication from us in any way. If you have questions, please contact a member services representative at 303-637-1300. 

To change your notification preferences, login to your SmartHub account and select Manage Contacts from the Notifications menu. From there you can add, edit or delete voice, email and text notifications. 

Co-op Expects to Reach 100,000 Meter Milestone Before End of Summer

United Power recently topped 99,000 meter connections thanks to record-setting growth in April. The cooperative connected more than 550 new meters throughout the month, accelerating its path toward 100,000 meters. Leadership within the cooperative now project reaching that number before the end of the summer.

“If growth continues at the rate we have experienced so far this year, we are in tremendous shape to reach 100,000 meters very soon,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Reaching the mark is a significant achievement for the cooperative.”

There are more than 800 electric cooperatives nationally. United Power would become just the 31st co-op to reach the 100,000 meter milestone. It would also join Intermountain REA as the only other Colorado co-op to reach the milestone.

Year over year, United Power has ranked among the fastest growing cooperatives nationwide, due to consistent development in the area it serves, which includes several fast-growing suburban communities. Growth continued even as United Power braced for a slow down amid the pandemic. Instead, another strong year enabled United Power to keep rates the same as it entered 2021.

United Power is planning a special member celebration for surpassing 100,000 meters later this summer. Watch our social media for updates about upcoming events and contests.

“I am grateful to arrive in time to recognize and celebrate this accomplishment with the cooperative,” said Gabriel. “We cannot wait to celebrate it with our members, too.”