Article originally published on March 17, 2020

Out of concern for our members and the communities they call home, United Power is suspending service disconnects and late fees for our residential members. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and re-evaluate our processes on an ongoing basis. If you anticipate difficulty paying your bill, please give us a call. Our Member Services team is available to help you at 303-637-1300. 

Remember, you don't need to come to a United Power office to make a payment. We offer several convenient ways for you to access your account and make payments that are fee-free, secure and will post to your account immediately. For more information about United Power's response to COVID-19, click here.  

Due to the potential spread of COVID-19, United Power's 2020 Annual Meeting has been moved to a virtual "town hall" meeting. Find more information about changes to this year's annual meeting format at www.unitedpower.com/annual-meeting. 

As United Power gears up for its 2020 Annual Meeting & Director Election on April 15, 2020, the cooperative is encouraging its members to participate and reminding them they are more than a customer. When you vote in the director election, you have a say in the future of the cooperative. As a member, your vote carries equal weight as any other member’s vote, regardless of what kind of account they have or how large it is. Your pulse on the community and understanding of what’s important to it is critical in helping the cooperative better serve its members. 

All members are invited to connect with United Power leadership at the Annual Meeting, enjoy the company of fellow cooperative members and have a chance to win one of several door prizes. The meeting will be held at Riverdale Regional Park, formerly Adams County Fairgrounds, located at 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601.

Eight candidates will be running for election to the United Power board of directors. This year, one seat in each of United Power’s director districts is up for election. The director candidates are James Vigesaa in the East District; Tamra K. Waltemath in the Mountain District; Greg Campbell, Stan Martin, Phil Noble and David E. Rose in the South District; and Virginia “Ginny” A. Buczek and James P. Menghi in the West District. (Candidate statements are published here and included in the March-April United Newsline.)

The cooperative mails out director ballots – including candidate statements – in late March and encourages all members to vote and return their mail ballot prior to the deadline. Ballots may also be dropped off at a United Power office before April 15 or filled out in-person at the Annual Meeting. Although directors live in specific geographic districts, they represent all members and are therefore elected on an “at-large” basis. This means members should cast a vote for a director in each district and not just their own. 

Member registration opens at 4:30 p.m. Members who did not mail in their ballot or chose not to vote prior to the meeting will be issued a ballot and be able to cast their votes until the beginning of the official business meeting at 6:30 p.m. After members have cast their ballot, they can enjoy a barbecue dinner with us, visit educational exhibit booths and be entertained by musician Dave Connelly. 

The official business meeting includes a report on the status of the cooperative, as well as a report from the board treasurer. Election results will be announced prior to adjournment and door prize drawings will conclude the meeting. To learn more about the Annual Meeting or the candidates running for a seat on the board, visit the Annual Meeting & Director Election page. 
 

United Power Board Chair, James Vigesaa, announced at an all-employee meeting yesterday, that CEO John Parker is on a medical leave transitioning into retirement.  Chief Operating Officer, Bryant Robbins, has been named as Acting CEO, effective immediately. Robbins joined United Power in January 2003 as the Mountain District Manager, before his promotion in January 2017 to Chief Operating Officer.

“With Bryant, we are confident that we have selected a leader who can continue to meet the many challenges of our fast-growing cooperative,” stated Vigesaa. “Not only does Bryant have many years of experience at United Power, a record of success in building teams and leading successful change initiatives, he also served United Power as Acting CEO in 2019 during a previous medical leave.”

Parker joined United Power in 2006 as the CFO and was promoted to CEO in June of 2017.

“As CEO, John successfully led the cooperative on several key initiatives these past two and a half years, and has positioned United Power well to move on to future,” stated Vigesaa. “On behalf of the entire United Power Board, we wish John enjoyment in his retirement and thank him for his contributions.”

United Power strives to provide reliable power to its members. At times, however, circumstances may arise that lead to an interruption in power, such as standard maintenance improvements to our system, or an outage, caused by a number of events such as severe weather. When an outage does occur, the cooperative is quick to dispatch linemen to safely restore power to its members as quickly as possible. 

Some outages, however, can create situations that require an extended time to resolve. These kinds of outages can be especially worrisome for members with special medical needs. If you use life-sustaining medical equipment that depends on electricity for operation, such as oxygen generators, kidney dialysis machines or respirators, it’s important to put together a plan for a power outage before it happens. 

Have a Backup Plan for Prolonged Outages

United Power can’t guarantee your service won’t be interrupted by scheduled maintenance or an outage. In the event of an outage, we recommend you plan for how to respond. 

Have a Power Backup. Outages can happen at a moment’s notice and without warning. Though the cooperative makes every effort to quickly restore power, we cannot provide a specific time frame for when your power will be restored. If you use medical equipment, consider obtaining a power back-up, such as a battery or generator, in the case of an extended outage. 

Plan for Evacuation. In the worst case event, such as a significant weather crisis like a blizzard or flood, prepare to evacuate to an alternate location. These events can result in outages lasting several days. 

How You Can Help

If you do experience an outage or other electrical emergency, always report it. Do not assume United Power knows about your outage. You can report your outage by logging into our online portal available at www.unitedpower.com/smarthub or by calling our outage reporting line at 303-637-1350. 

More information about medically necessary devices can be found on our Medical Devices page.