After several years operating a storefront in Fort Lupton, United Power is closing its office located on Dexter Street in the Fort Lupton Safeway shopping center. All United Power lobbies have been closed to the public since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the Fort Lupton office will not reopen. When conditions allow and offices reopen to the public, members who wish to conduct business in person will be able to visit our Brighton office, located just nine miles from Fort Lupton. The cooperative is also planning to open a self-serve payment kiosk in Fort Lupton to ensure members still have a local payment station that accepts cash, check, and card.

“The way our members want to conduct business with us is evolving. Before the pandemic, we were noticing a decline in the number of members visiting us in person. The pandemic stopped all in-person services, and our members quickly adapted to using remote tools to manage their accounts,” said Francis Ashu, Member Services Director. “Now more of our members are consistently interacting with us over the phone or online and leveraging self-serve payment options instead of visiting our front counters. Through these options, members have easy and safe access to account information from the comfort of their home, and we are able to provide the same level of quality service without the costs associated with operating a storefront location.”

Over the last few years, United Power has seen a steady increase in demand from members who prefer to use self-serve and digital account and payment options, and a corresponding reduction in visits to our offices. The co-op has responded by offering more ways for members to access their accounts and make quick and secure payments without visiting an office. Members can easily review account information and make payments through our online portal, mobile app and pay by phone features. Self-serve payment kiosks that accept cash, check and card payments are available in our Carbon Valley, Coal Creek and Brighton office with expanded hours beyond the business day. Since the pandemic related closures, our online, over the phone and self-serve support options have allowed United Power to continue to serve our members at a safe distance.

United Power member services representatives and other office personnel have also been working remotely while handling support inquiries. When employees return to the office, member services representatives from the Fort Lupton location will transfer to the Brighton Headquarters, and eventually in-person service will resume from the Brighton Headquarters lobby. The Brighton, Coal Creek and Carbon Valley offices house a consolidated mix of line crews, vehicle maintenance, member services, engineering and new construction teams. Whereas, the Fort Lupton office has been a member services-only storefront. Consolidating employee teams to these primary office locations will improve efficiency and save money for the cooperative and our members.

“The co-op has a long history of partnership with the town of Fort Lupton and the town has always welcomed our storefront location. We thank you for your hospitality over the years,” said Bryant Robbins, Acting Chief Executive Officer. “Be assured that this office closure doesn’t diminish our commitment to serving the Fort Lupton community—we remain as dedicated as ever to providing you with co-op power and supporting the community you call home.”

United Power remains committed to serving the Fort Lupton area with more than just electricity. Our crews continue to be dispatched from our Carbon Valley Service Center and our Brighton Headquarters for outages, and you will still see us working in the area to conduct system maintenance. You’ll still see our employees involved in the community, and our name on banners at ball parks and as a supporter of local organizations and community events. As your electric cooperative, we’re here to power what matters, no matter where you live in the service territory.

Wildfires have devastated parts of Colorado this year, with several blazing across the state in August. Near Grand Junction, the Pine Gulch Fire is the largest on record for the state and another near Glenwood Springs had threatened to join the list. Near Fort Collins, a third fire has even threatened parts of Poudre Valley REA’s electrical infrastructure. Although not attributed to any utility electrical system, these fires demonstrate the importance of having a developed fire mitigation plan in place for utilities like United Power, who reviews and updates its plan annually. 

As your cooperative, United Power takes these growing threats seriously. Leadership at the cooperative has continuously embraced a proactive and progressive approach to wildfire prevention. United Power’s goal is the safety of its members and the protection of the communities they live in. 
United Power made preparations to enhance its existing fire mitigation plan in early 2013 with a change in facility design and placement, making them more accessible and clear of potential hazards. The implementation also included an expansive vegetation management policy to keep infrastructure clear of hazards that could be easily ignited in the event of a system failure (such as a fault or equipment malfunction leading to an outage). 

“As we reviewed our system design, we began to recognize the opportunity for better design methodology and the use of advanced technology to prepare for the unexpected,” said acting chief executive officer Bryant Robbins. “One of the things we heavily targeted was the prevention of wildfire risk on our system.” 

Members in Coal Creek Canyon, and those driving through, may have noticed crews installing new line in parts of the canyon. This new line is an insulated conductor known as Hendrix cable, which provides a high level of protection when contact is made, such as a tree falling into the line. The strength of the line along with the covered protection goes a long way in preventing fires caused by electrical equipment in the mountain service territory. The new line has been one of the more high profile and visible elements of the cooperative’s fire mitigation plan, but the team at United Power went much further in developing system improvements to mitigate the wildfire risk to members. 

Always looking for an opportunity to develop a better system, United Power became an early adopter of drone maintenance inspections and an industry leader in both system automation and the deployment of smart devices. 

“These technologies are among the most innovative forms of outage management currently available to utilities,” said Engineering Director Robert Maxwell. “Their design also allows them to stop the flow of electricity to faults that could develop into fires without this technology. We’re far ahead of the curve in utilizing the latest technology when compared not just to other cooperatives but also larger electric utilities.” 

Drones are able to quickly survey miles of line in a rapid period of time, freeing line crews to focus on preventable outages, which has been especially useful in the mountains where the terrain can often make pole inspections time consuming and difficult. The number of man hours saved and outages prevented from this innovative inspection format is incalculable.

Automated field devices further allow the system to identify and isolate problems to restore power quickly while minimizing the number of members affected and smart devices are able to immediately report problems back to the cooperative’s system operations. These improvements, along with the installation of advanced trip savers and fault detectors, help improve outage response and mitigate the potential for fires.

Although the current pandemic has interfered with many facets of our daily lives, United Power has continued to make progress implementing new technology onto its system to further mitigate the threat of wildfires. As the past month has shown throughout the state, a strategic fire mitigation plan is essential in Colorado. 

“Wildfire preparedness is a priority for United Power, and we’ve been able to blend our efforts to mitigate fire dangers with our efforts to prevent outages,” said Robbins. “As our numbers continue to improve, we’ll also continue looking for the best opportunities to better serve our members, both safely and affordably.”

For more information about United Power’s fire mitigation improvements, go to Fire Mitigation.

September is National Preparedness Month

Between a combination of a quiet storm season and other things consuming our thoughts over the course of 2020, preparing for a potential disaster situation may not be high on our list of priorities. However, natural disasters may come in an instant, and it’s important to make sure you and your family are prepared. Each September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recognizes National Preparedness Month to educate and empower Americans to take simple steps to prepare for and respond to potential emergencies that could affect us where we live, work and visit. This year’s theme, “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today,” touches on four distinct aspects of emergency preparation.

Make a plan. Expecting the unexpected begins with having a plan in place to respond, and those conversations can begin casually over a meal or strategically in a family meeting. If you have children, include them in the disaster planning process. Prepare with your friends, family and neighbors to develop communications plans. Finally, practice your plan.

Build a Kit. Gather supplies for several days, considering the unique needs of your family. Include items such as food, water and any necessary medications or pet items. You may also include items such as a first aid kit, flashlight and/or radio. Remember to update your kit regularly.

Prepare for Disasters. Different areas and regions are impacted by different natural disasters. In Colorado, we can experience devastating floods, debilitating blizzards or even strong tornadoes. Make sure your disaster plan above includes steps for each potential event. Be mindful of disasters that could also occur during travel or on vacations.

Teach Youth About Preparedness. It’s important to teach your children about emergency preparation, such as how to communicate in the event of separation or what to do if you’re away. They should know how to communicate with you, their friends and emergency responders. Provide sufficient information and carefully walk through individual steps of your disaster plan or have them practice building their own emergency kits.

For more information on National Preparedness Month, including sample emergency communications plans, organizations you can volunteer with during disasters and more, visit www.ready.gov.

Brighton, CO - The United Power’s board of directors has officially begun their search for the next leader of the electric cooperative. John Parker, who was selected as CEO in 2017, retired earlier in 2020. United Power Chief Operating Officer, Bryant Robbins has been acting CEO in the interim. The United Power Board of Directors has retained Holmes Executive Search, LLC to assist in the identification of their next CEO.

A memo addressed to employees and members from the board states that, “Hiring a new CEO is the most important decision that a Board makes, and we take this responsibility as a challenge to build on United Power’s strong reputation and enhance its future performance for our members.”

Candidates may submit a letter of interest and resume to Ken@HolmesExecutiveSearch.com. Application materials will be accepted through October 7, 2020.

CEO Job Description

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to more than 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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