United Power Holds First-Ever Virtual Annual Meeting Amid COVID-19 Concerns

2020 Virtual Annual Meeting Videos & Content

Brighton, CO – In response to growing concerns over the rapid spread of COVID-19 and for the health and safety of its members, United Power offered an alternate option to its traditional Annual Meeting format this year. The result was the co-op’s first-ever virtual “telephone town hall” style Annual Meeting held April 15, 2020.

The Annual Meeting, which had been previously scheduled at the Riverdale Regional Park, had a record participation of 569 members who pre-registered for the over-the-phone event. The virtual format offered United Power an optimal platform to educate members about the co-op’s activity over the past year and thank them for their hand in its success.

Since an in-person meeting could not be hosted, voting in this year’s director election was conducted via mail-in ballot only. Incumbents in United Power’s South and West Districts each won reelection in contested races. David E. Rose, South District, received 2,335 votes to retain his seat on the board. Stan Martin also received 1,833 votes in the South District. Greg Campbell and Phil Noble received 1,244 and 926 votes, respectively. In the West District, Virginia “Ginny” A. Buczek retained her seat after receiving 4,499 votes. James P. Menghi received 1,774 votes. Tamra K. Waltemath, Mountain District, and James Vigesaa, East District, who ran unopposed in this year’s election, received 5,770 and 5,741 votes.

The cooperative focused on innovations and improvements this past year that centered on driving member satisfaction through increased reliability and pursuing more affordable power. Upgrades to the cooperative’s system, including the installation of an industry-leading “smart grid,” reduced outage times and placed the cooperative among the top 10 percent of utilities nationwide in reliability. Meanwhile, the cooperative has made headlines for ongoing negotiations with its wholesale power provider, Tri State Generation & Transmission, that would allow it to pursue more affordable energy options.

“One of our biggest challenges is the affordability of our power supply,” said United Power Board Chairman James Vigesaa. “We’re trying to obtain the most affordable power for our members by looking at all our options, including our wholesale power costs and what other opportunities exist to offer a better value to our members.”

One project that did highlight another strong year for the cooperative was staffing the Carbon Valley Service Center, located just off I-25 near Firestone in the western part of its service territory. Crews began the transition over to the new facility in early 2019 and were quickly able to prove the facility’s worth during March’s bomb cyclone weather event.

“We’ve got what I consider a world-class dispatch center over there,” said Chief Executive Officer Bryant Robbins. “If we hadn’t had those things in place, the members we got back on in two hours might have taken three days.”

Even in this time of uncertainty, United Power continues to put its members first, looking for the best way to provide the same reliable power its members have come to expect.

“The most important thing to all of us, board members and employees, is that our focus needs to be on that member out there at the end of the line,” said Vigesaa. “Everything we do needs to enhance the safety, affordability and reliability for that member.”

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.

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Article originally published on April 10, 2020

United Power Board of Directors Allocates $250,000 to Co-op Cares Fund to Support Members Economically Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Brighton, CO – United Power’s Board of Directors approved a special allocation of $250,000 in unclaimed capital credits to be used to help offset electric bills for members impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Co-op Cares Fund is designed to assist members who have been directly impacted by COVID-19 – particularly those who have been affected by illness and job losses.

United Power knows that many families have been impacted by this ongoing situation and we are working hard to support the membership. United Power, like many other utilities in Colorado, temporarily suspended disconnects and late fees on all residential and small commercial accounts during this health emergency. [Disconnections for non-payment resumed in July]

“The Co-op Cares Fund complements the many other ways United Power is helping our members weather this situation,” stated Bryant Robbins, CEO. “As a member-owned cooperative, we are always looking for ways to support our members during tough times, and this situation has impacted our members in so many diverse ways.”

While no residential or small-commercial utility services were disconnected from March through June, United Power members are still expected to pay their bill when they are able. In addition to the Co-op Cares Fund, United Power has various programs to help members keep their accounts current including extended payment arrangements, budget billing and other assistance programs. The current temporary suspension of disconnects merely postpones an eventual utility shut off once the suspension is lifted. United Power encourages members to contact us before that happens so we can connect you with the best programs for your needs.

“United Power has several ways to help with members when they are having difficulty paying their electric bills,” stated Robbins. “All we are asking our members to do is pick up the phone and call us if you are having difficulty paying your bill. We can’t help you if we don’t know you are struggling.”

The Co-op Cares Fund will be available for assistance through the end of 2020, or when the fund is depleted. United Power members who are impacted by the current health emergency or any other situation can apply for the Co-op Cares Fund, login to your online account and complete an application.

The application can be found under Contact Us > Report an Issue/Inquiry > Submit Other Issue > Inquiry Type: Application – Coop Cares Fund.

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United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.

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United Power’s Complaint Against Wholesale Power Supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Can Proceed Following Ruling by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Brighton, CO – A ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Friday was a mixed bag for Tri-State Generation and Transmission, but a potential win for United Power and its members. The ruling stated that a complaint filed by United Power at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) can proceed. The complaint, filed in November of 2019, asks the PUC to help determine “reasonable and non-discriminatory exit charges” for United Power to leave its contract with Tri-State. In addition, FERC concluded that Tri-State has been FERC regulated since September 3, 2019 when Tri-State added their first non-utility member. However, the ruling also stated, should the Colorado PUC or its courts find the addition of this non-utility member a violation of State law, FERC could reconsider this ruling.

“United Power has been very methodical in our approach to determining our course forward in regard to wholesale power,” stated Dean Hubbuck, Chief Energy Resource Officer. “We are weighing the cost and mix of power we receive from Tri-State with other options in the energy marketplace, and we need the PUC to provide an accurate and fair exit charge so we can make good decisions for our Cooperative’s future on behalf of our membership.”

United Power is Tri-State’s largest wholesale power purchaser, comprising approximately 16% of their total energy sales. Under the current Tri-State contract, United Power has struggled to exercise more control over their costs of wholesale power, and the limits in place for the integration of more renewable energy resources. In filing the complaint with the PUC, United Power is hoping to finally determine an accurate and reasonable cost to exit their power contract, should they choose to do so.

“From the beginning, United Power has tried to partner with Tri-State by providing several suggested paths for these discussions to continue in a productive manner. However, we have not been able to agree on a method suitable to both parties,” stated Bryant Robbins, CEO. “Simply put, United Power wants to lower costs to our members and integrate more local renewable resources into our power mix. One option to achieve this goal is through exiting our contract with Tri-State. We hope a ruling by the PUC will help us clarify the costs and provide an exit pricing methodology that is both clear and fair to our membership and the membership of Tri-State.”

Considering the FERC ruling, on March 23, 2020, United Power filed a request for a status conference with the PUC and plans to move forward in obtaining the information requested.

“As a cooperative we have a duty to advocate on behalf of our local membership,” stated Robbins. “We will continue to work through the PUC to get an accurate and fair exit price so we can better understand our path forward.”

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.

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