Here are a few clues to find out if your home’s electric network needs a professional switch.
Nothing has the charm of an older home on a family farm or a cute cottage in a historic district. But cosmetic and structural upgrade needs are often packaged with the cozy charm. Upgrades to your home may include a fresh coat of paint or installing new fixtures, but have you considered the unseen needs, such as wiring behind a switch plate or outlet? Do you know the hidden dangers of aged wiring? Here are a few clues to find out if your home’s electric network needs a professional switch.
Type of Wiring
Modern wire used in homes is either copper (for conductivity) or aluminum (for cost effectiveness) and covered in a plastic or rubber insulation. Older homes, usually built before the 1940s, may use an outdated wiring method known as “knob-and-tube,” a two-wire system with no ground. Over time, corrosion can cause insulation to wear away, exposing wires to combustible materials and leading to loose connections, increasing fire risk in a home. This can be a concern in older homes regardless of wiring method. If your home has aluminum wiring, use only aluminum approved switches, outlets and other accessories.
Plugs Falling Out of Outlets Easily
Over time, the contacts in a plug can begin to fail. When contacts loosen, they aren’t able to securely grip your plug. That missed connection can cause electrical arcing, a major risk for house fires. The good news is it’s an easy fix. Consult an electrician for directions.
Not Enough Outlets
The increasing use of chargers for electronic devices, including phones, tablets and gaming devices, means outlets are in high demand. A lack of outlets can result in the overuse of power strips, which could overload an outlet. Overloading can cause heat, leading to fire risk.
Danger in Wet Areas
GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets are now required in areas around water, like near a kitchen or bathroom sink or outdoors. However, older homes may not have been upgraded to these types of outlets. It is fairly simple to replace old receptacles with GFCIs.
If your home needs upgrades and repairs to its wiring, consider hiring a licensed electrician. An electric professional can safely make wiring updates needed in your home or tell you what inspections and permits are needed to make necessary repairs.
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NEWS: Tri-State Announces Plans to Close Coal-Fired Plants
Under fire for use of coal, Tri-State to accelerate closure of plants, mine in Colorado and New Mexico
Tri-State says closures of 2 plants, 1 mine are part of its new energy plan; critics want to see more
The Denver Post | January 9, 2020
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, increasingly under pressure from its members and renewable energy advocates for its reliance on coal, plans to close two of its coal-fired power plants and a coal mine in Colorado and New Mexico.
Tri-State said in a statement Thursday that it will close the Escalante Station in northwest New Mexico by the end of this year. It intends to close its operations at the Craig Station plant in Craig and at the Colowyo Mine in northwest Colorado by 2030.
The earlier-than-planned closures are part of the utility’s larger Responsible Energy Plan, Tri-State CEO Duane Highley said in a call with reporters. He said Tri-State will release details Jan. 15 about adding more renewable energy to its system and meeting state goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ... read full article
Tri-State Generation to close all of its Colorado, New Mexico coal-fired power plants and coal mines — 3 locations — by 2030
Tri-State has been pressured by its rural electric co-op members -- including Brighton-based United Power and Durango-based La Plata Electric Association -- to use more renewable energy in recent years.
The Colorado Sun | January 9, 2020
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will close all of its coal-fired power plants and mines in New Mexico and Colorado by 2030, the power provider that serves nearly 20 rural electric cooperatives announced on Thursday.
Tri-State says it will close its Escalante Power Plant in Prewitt, New Mexico, by the end of 2020. It plans to close Craig Station and the ColoWyo Mine in northwest Colorado by 2030.
Tri-State has been pressured by its rural electric co-op members — including Brighton-based United Power and Durango-based La Plata Electric Association — to make a faster transition to renewable energy in recent years. The pair have sought to break up with Tri-State as a result of the power wholesaler’s reluctance to use more renewables and in seeking more say over their power sources. ...read full article
Tri-State Generation to close all 3 of its Colorado, New Mexico coal-fired power plants and coal mines by 2030
Craig Daily Press | January 9, 2020
Tri-State Generation continues to make changes that are hitting the Yampa Valley hard.
On Thursday, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association announced it will close all of its coal-fired power plants and mines in New Mexico and Colorado by 2030. The power provider serves nearly 20 rural electric cooperatives.
Tri-State announced the closure of its Escalante Power Plant in Prewitt, New Mexico, by the end of 2020. It plans to close Craig Station Units 2 and 3, and the Colowyo Mine in Northwest Colorado by 2030.
The announcement from the Westminster-based power provider comes on the heels of pressure by two of its rural electric co-op members, including Brighton-based United Power and Durango-based La Plata Electric Association, in hopes of making a faster transition to renewable energy in recent years. The pair have sought to break up with Tri-State as a result of the power wholesaler’s reluctance to use more renewables and in seeking more say over their power sources, according to previous Craig Press reporting. ... read full article
Take advantage of the resources the cooperative provides for its members and discover quick home upgrades and behavior changes to see immediate savings.
While the increase became effective beginning with usage on January 1, 2020, members won’t see the increase on their bills until February statements are mailed out.
United Power customer Stephen Whiteside loads a wheelbarrow with chopped wood near his rural home in Coal Creek Canyon Dec. 12, 2019.
When it comes to greening up Colorado’s power supply, seismic shifts aren’t just coming out of the state Capitol.
They’re also shaking out of rural Colorado, places like Coal Creek Canyon where utility customer Stephen Whiteside lives.
Whiteside is a conservative Republican. He’s also pro-renewable energy. It’s not a combination you’d expect, but a recent poll by Pew Research suggests many Republicans favor wind and solar.
But Whiteside doesn’t support renewables by building a big solar array in his backyard. He does it by cheering on his rural electric cooperative, United Power. In November, United Power said it’s considering parting ways with fossil fuel-heavy power provider Tri-State Generation and Transmission in pursuit of cheaper electricity bills and more renewable energy.
“I think that’s fairly recent that renewables may be more cost-effective than other types of energy,” Whiteside said. “To me that makes a lot of sense to pursue that kind of avenue.”
Grace Hood/CPR News
United Power customers Stephen and Sara Whiteside feed their horses near their rural home in Coal Creek Canyon outside Denver.
Right now, Tri-State gets about one-third of its power from renewable energy. Customers like Whiteside want more renewables because they think it will bring cheaper rates. According to a recent estimate by Standard and Poor’s, electricity rates for Whiteside and others under the Tri-State System could be as much as 20 percent above the statewide Colorado average.
Here’s how the model works now: United Power bands together with 42 other rural electricity providers, called electric cooperatives, to buy power from one entity: Tri-State.
“What that model has not done is kept up with the technological changes in the industry,” United Power CEO John Parker said.
Parker thinks it all adds up to growing pressure on the economic model that rural utilities have followed for decades. In the '80s and '90s, power providers like Tri-State invested heavily in coal-fired plants. Now, they’re trying to green up.
United Power is not the first or the last utility looking into leave Tri-State. La Plata Electric Association has filed a complaint with Colorado regulators seeking an exit fee from Tri-State.
Grace Hood/CPR News
John Parker, Chief Executive Officer of United Power, stands in front of the rural electric cooperative's large battery on Dec. 9, 2019. United Power is exploring whether it can procure wind and solar more cheaply by exiting its current contract with power provider Tri-State.
If those utilities part ways, they’ll follow in the footsteps of two other rural utilities: Colorado-based Delta Montrose Electric Association and New Mexico-based Kit Carson Electric Cooperative. Delta Montrose got the OK to leave its generation and transmission association (known as a G&T) with Tri-State in 2019. Kit Carson left in 2016.
“Just as the industry changes, [generation and transmission cooperatives] have to change,” said Lee Boughey, Tri-State senior manager for communications and public affairs.
Generation and Transmission Cooperatives like Tri-State formed in rural America in the middle of the last century. It was historically expensive for rural electricity providers to provide power because they just served a few customers per mile of the electricity line. That’s unlike urban utilities, which have hundreds of customers per mile. G&Ts helped shoulder the burden by providing power to rural utilities, building expensive coal-fired power plants and setting up contracts that lasted decades to help pay off the plants.
Flashforward to 2019, and power customers like Parker have a keen interest to modernize the grid and experiment with battery storage to keep customers like Whiteside happy. United Power owns the largest battery in the state, but it’s locked into a contract with Tri-State that lasts another 30 years. After power supplier Tri-State quoted United Power a $1.2 billion exit fee to leave its 30-year contract, Parker turned to state regulators for help.
“That’s the balance we’re trying to find. If it costs us $1.2 billion to get out, we probably can’t save enough money to make that work,” Parker said.
Boughey said 2019 was a big year for Tri-State. It opened up community solar options to its members and brought 104 megawatts of new wind power online. It announced plans to build a 100 megawatt new solar farm. Its Nucla coal-fired power plant was retired early from service, reducing emissions and making operations more efficient.
Tri-State’s member cooperatives are finalizing new contracts that would allow rural utilities like United Power more flexibility to buy renewables. Currently, they’re capped in their contracts at generating just 5 percent of renewable power locally.
Nate Minor
The Craig Station power plant features three generating units, all of which are fully or partially owned by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Unit 1 will be retired by the end of 2025.
One of the challenges for Tri-State will be to get even more fossil fuel sources off its financial books as it faces regulatory pressure to do so in Colorado and New Mexico. Legislatures in both states passed carbon-reduction goals for utilities this year. Tri-State will be required to participate in expensive planning. However, there are no financial penalties if Tri-State doesn’t meet the goals.
“As we move into 2020 and chart our course for the future I think there should be confidence that we’ll be able to meet the challenges ahead,” Boughey said.
Similar disputes are playing out between rural utilities and their power suppliers across the United States. In Indiana, Tipmont Rural Electric is seeking to part ways from its power supplier over high rates. In Minneapolis, suburban utility Connexus is in the midst of talks with its power provider to get lower rates and more flexibility.
“Today memberships across the country are expecting more from their G&Ts. They’re expecting competitive prices and a greening of the grid,” Connexus CEO Greg Ridderbusch said.
Like United Power, Connexus is locked into a decades-long contact with its power provider. Ridderbusch said in the future it will be important for his utility and others to form more robust partnerships with their power suppliers.
“We need the G&T to lower the constraints on things we’re doing in our own backyard for our members,” Ridderbusch said.
Whiteside said he’s on United Power’s side.
“To have reliable electric service is absolutely critical,” Whiteside said. “If solar power can supplement the other sources that United Power has, it would make sense to do that if it’s available.”
As relationships start to shift across the country between power suppliers and rural utilities, all eyes will be on Colorado. The Public Utilities Commission could rule on the La Plata and United Power cases in 2020.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect that Tri-State’s members will ultimately decide how to roll out a partial-requirements contract.
Although space heaters are safe to use indoors because they don’t require combustion, they still pose burn and fire hazards and should be used with caution.
When used safely and properly, portable space heaters provide a nice relief from the frigid chills of winter temperatures, which can often invade poorly insulated or ventilated rooms in older homes. Although space heaters are safe to use indoors because they don’t require combustion, they still pose burn and fire hazards and should be used with caution.
Before operating, review the manufacturer’s instructions, including warning labels. Space heaters may seem like simple, easy to use electronics, but each brand and version has its own unique quirks and features. It’s better to be safe than sorry. After reviewing the instructions, inspect the space heater for cracks or broken plugs.
Next, be sure to place the heater in a safe location. They should be located at least three feet away from anything that can burn, such as clothing and other fabrics, papers, rugs, etc. Do not place space heaters on furniture, such as chairs or tables. Place heaters on a firm, flat location on the ground away from heavily trafficked areas.
Space heaters place a heavy load on an outlet. For this reason, do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet. Extension cords or power strips could also overheat and result in a fire, so plug the heater directly into the wall outlet.
Most importantly, never leave space heaters unattended. Turn it off before you leave a room or go to sleep, and don’t let animals or children play too close to the heater. When you’re done using the space heater, always unplug it and store it safely.
Space Heater Sticker Shock
Winter weather has arrived just in time to greet us for the holidays, and that means the cold temperatures that accompany it have also arrived. Heating is our biggest energy consumer in the winter, and when you are able to do it efficiently, you’ll notice savings on your bill.
Unfortunately, try as we might, some rooms in our homes just don’t seem to stay as warm as others, whether that’s a room away from the furnace in an older home or a large open room that just needs a little extra warmth in the winter.
A nice, cozy solution for providing some additional warmth in these rooms can be to use a portable space heater. However, the cost of using one of these heaters can add up quickly over the course of a few days if you’re not careful.
Space heaters are big consumers of electricity, most commonly sold as either 750- or 1500-watt models at retailers like Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Using your space heater for as little as two hours per day over the course of a month can end up costing you nearly $10 extra on your monthly energy bill. The more hours your space heater is operating, the faster those extra charges add up.
Before you consider space heaters to solve your heating issues, try addressing some of these alternatives.
Search and seal. Cool air can find small cracks to get through. Sealing and caulking windows, doors and floors helps keep rooms free of cold air.
Insulate. Upgrade your insulation or add to your existing insulation to trap more warm air in your home.
Install storm windows. These provide an added layer of insulation, which helps retain more heat.
The deadline for nominations by petition is Friday, February 14, 2020 by 4:00 p.m.
Four Board Seats Up for Election
Four positions on United Power’s eleven-member board are up for election at the 2020 Annual Meeting which is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds in Brighton. One seat in the East, West, South and Mountain districts will be up for a three-year term.
To be eligible to become or remain a director, a person must be a United Power member and receive electric service from United Power at the member’s primary residence in the district he or she represents. United Power’s bylaws provide in-depth information on director districts, qualifications, terms, elections, meetings and officers.
Each member’s district is printed on their United Power statement. Nominations by written petition must state nominee’s name and district, be signed by 15 or more United Power members, and be filed with the board no less than 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting.
The deadline for nominations by petition is 4 p.m. on Friday, February 14, 2020. Petitions are available at United Power’s headquarters office in Brighton at 500 Cooperative Way. Additional information can be obtained by calling United Power’s executive department at 303-659-0551 or by visiting our Annual Meeting page.
Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds
9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601
Balloting Deadlines
February 14, 2020 | Direction Nominations by Petition Deadline at 4 p.m.
April 13, 2020 | Mail-in Ballots must arrive at the P.O. Box by 6 a.m.
April 15, 2020 | Ballot Drop-Boxes at offices close at 2 p.m.
April 15, 2020 | Ballot Drop Box Open from 12-4 p.m. at the Riverdale Regional Park and Fairgrounds
Candidate Forums
Attend a Meet the Candidate Forum to learn more about each of the candidates vying to serve on the Board of Directors. The following events are free to members. Light refreshments will be served. RSVPs are not required.
Thursday, March 19, 2020 | 6:30 p.m.
Carbon Valley Service Center
9586 E I-25 Frontage Road, Longmont, CO 80504
Friday, March 20, 2020 | 7:30 a.m.
Coal Creek Canyon Community Center
3158 Highway 72, Golden, CO 80403
Monday, March 23, 2020 | 6:30 p.m.
Riverdale Regional Park
Rendezvous Room, located in Waymire Dome
9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 | 7:30 a.m.
Fort Lupton Recreation Center
Multi-Purpose Room 3
203 S. Harrison Ave, Fort Lupton, CO 80621
Grace Hood/CPR News
Grace Hood/CPR News
Grace Hood/CPR News
Nate Minor
