Dirt, Dust, and Electricity

Tuesday | October 28, 2025
United Power sent aid to help provide power to the Navajo Nation.

Title
LEGAL NOTICE: Attempt to Settle Unclaimed Capital Credit Retirements
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/UnclaimedCapitalCredits.jpg?h=45932144&itok=J00brWxz
Monday | October 20, 2025
Card Teaser
If you were a member prior to Dec. 31, 2021, United Power may have money for you.

Legal Notice of Attempt to Settle 
Unclaimed Capital Credit Retirements

Commencing on October 31, 2025, and continuing through April 30, 2026, UNITED POWER, INC. (hereafter “United Power” or “the cooperative”), will make a final attempt to pay the unclaimed retirements of capital credits to its former members who were served by the cooperative prior to and through December 31, 2021. This notice does not apply to current United Power members. Representatives for the estates of deceased former members may also apply for unclaimed retired capital credits on behalf of the former member. Former members, or their representatives, who may be eligible to receive these unclaimed retired capital credits can access a list of eligible accounts at the cooperative’s website at www.unitedpower.com, or in person at United Power’s headquarters office located at 500 Cooperative Way in Brighton, Colorado.

Former members or their representatives who may be eligible to receive a payment of unclaimed retired capital credits must complete and submit an Unclaimed Retired Capital Credits Refund Request form (available here) and verify all necessary information to ensure their eligibility for payment. A copy of the Unclaimed Retired Capital Credits Refund Request form may also be requested by emailing capitalcredits@unitedpower.com or by calling United Power’s Member Services line at 303-637-1300.

Submitting an Unclaimed Retired Capital Credits Refund Request form does not guarantee a disbursement will be made; proper documentation and valid proof of membership during the applicable time period is required. No refund checks will be issued for unclaimed retirement amounts below $5.00. Unclaimed retired capital credit refunds can be donated to the United Power Round Up Foundation, which provides assistance to community organizations within the cooperative's service territory. After the notification period closes on April 30, 2026, all unclaimed retired capital credits for the applicable time period will be considered an assignment and contribution of capital to United Power.

Additional questions about this notice and unclaimed retired capital credit refunds should be directed to United Power Member Services at 303-637-1300 or by email to capitalcredits@unitedpower.com.
    

UNITED POWER, INC.
By: /s/Mark A. Gabriel
President & CEO

View the list of unclaimed capital credit retirements.
 

Title
United Power Enters Agreement with Aypa Power for Fortress Solar-Plus-Storage Project in Morgan County
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Aypa_Fortress_1320x860.jpg?h=45932144&itok=sI0Zpjt_
Tuesday | October 14, 2025
Card Teaser
The Fortress project that will combine 200 MW of solar with 150 MW/600 MWh of battery storage.

Brighton, CO – United Power, Inc. today announced it has entered into an agreement with Aypa Power for the Fortress project, a hybrid renewable energy project that will combine 200 megawatts (MW) of solar with 150 MW / 600 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery energy storage near the City of Brush in Morgan County.
 
Scheduled to come online in 2027, Fortress will generate and store power for United Power members under a long-term power purchase agreement. The project supports the cooperative’s ongoing efforts to strengthen grid reliability and manage long-term power supply costs through a more diverse and locally sourced energy portfolio.
 
“United Power continues on a path to diversify and localize the power we purchase and deliver to our members,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “We are investing in local projects that create a more robust generation system, which, in turn, will help us stabilize electric costs while investing in area economies. As the country grapples with the rising price of electricity, the cooperative is actively managing costs and seeking additional local generation resources. We believe our vision of a hyperlocalized electric system is the future of power production and it is an investment that will benefit all our members.”
 
Since leaving its former wholesale power provider in May of 2024, United Power has continued to invest in a portfolio of locally produced power sources, including several renewable energy and battery storage projects. Projects like Fortress represent significant investments in the state, helping ensure tax revenue and job creation benefit the communities United Power serves, while supporting a more resilient and member-focused energy network.

“Aypa Power is pleased to partner with United Power to bring the first phase of a 600 MW solar and battery storage complex online in Colorado,” said Dan Santelli, Chief Commercial Operator at Aypa Power. “Fortress will deliver low-cost energy and provide critical reliability, while supporting United Power’s commitment to dependable and locally sourced power.”

To learn more about United Power’s energy transition and its power portfolio, visit the cooperative’s website at www.unitedpower.com

About United Power

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, serving more than 115,000 meters. Its 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

About Aypa Power

Aypa Power, a Blackstone portfolio company, develops, owns, and operates utility-scale energy storage and hybrid renewable energy projects across North America. With 30 projects currently in operation or under construction, and a development pipeline exceeding 22 gigawatts, Aypa delivers solutions that strengthen grid reliability, integrate renewable energy, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Aypa has been at the forefront of energy storage development since its first energy storage project came online in 2018. For more information, follow Aypa Power on LinkedIn or visit www.aypapower.com.

###
 

October is recognized as Fire Prevention Month, but for the cooperative, every day is an ongoing effort to improve fire mitigation strategies that protect members and communities.

October is National Co-op Month

Tuesday | October 7, 2025
Members are invited to join in celebrating the contributions cooperatives make in our lives.
Nelson will join the cooperative on Sept. 22.

Title
September Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq
Tuesday | September 2, 2025
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.

MarkGabriel__2025_400x500.jpgThere has been a lot of talk recently about “saving” certain forms of electric generation, stopping other types, and investing significant resources in technologies that are not ready for prime time. There have also been announcements about building thousands of miles of new transmission line.

When it comes to choices in generation, “all of the above” really needs to be “ALL of the above” if we are going to support electrification across the West and certainly for United Power. 

We recognize that diversity of resources is key to effectively running the cooperative, and we are taking action to ensure a safe, reliable, and affordable electric supply.

United Power partnered with Kindle Energy to open Mountain Peak Power in July. It is the newest and most efficient natural gas plant in Colorado. The 162 MW facility in Weld County provides critical electric capacity and is conveniently located near one of our substations that also has an 11 MW battery energy storage system. This project is a great example of our hyper-localization strategy and highlights the vision we laid out in Our Cooperative Roadmap. The plant was permitted in 10 months and constructed in 10 months. The same project today would take at least four years to obtain the needed equipment at 50% greater cost. 

We are also in the final stages of negotiations for an additional 200 MW of solar, bolstered by 150 MW of battery storage, to replace other expiring thermal generation contracts. These will come online in 2027. The solar facility will be among the largest in Colorado, increasing the carbon-free generation resources in our portfolio to nearly 64% and representing a continued reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since leaving our former wholesale power supplier in May 2024. 

The cooperative pioneered the use of distributed batteries with 115 MW spread across our system at nine substations, ranging in size up to 33 MW. Our engineering team has developed a unique way to automatically manage how we charge and deploy stored energy. These batteries are not only utilized to store energy but also provide critical contingency reserves that save United Power approximately $300,000 per month. 

Recently, United Power joined forces with three other public power utilities — CORE Electric Cooperative, Platte River Power Authority, and Colorado Springs Utilities — to explore creating a regional transmission project, nicknamed Lariat Loop, that will better serve their member-customers. This collaboration aims to reduce electric transmission congestion, enhance system reliability, and expand access to renewable energy sources, all while supporting the State of Colorado’s ambitions carbon reduction goals. 

Our members are directly involved in the “all of the above” electricity strategy. There are nearly 13,000 solar rooftops in our service territory. We will have a new distributed energy resource management system available in January that will allow additional interaction with our members’ resources such as thermostats and electric vehicles. We are rapidly moving to expand our distribution system operations plan, allowing resources from our larger members, such as oil and gas, to be bid into the Southwest Power Pool market coming in April 2026

The bottom line is quite simple. While we support expanding transmission and investing in future technologies, and applaud efforts to bring a wide range of generation to the West, we must be realistic about what can be done today to support our growing member base. United Power lives the “all of the above” mantra every day. We buy wind. We buy solar. We buy natural gas. We buy hydropower. And yes, at times we even buy coal. Our focus remains on providing the most reliable and responsible resources we can in our commitment to you, our members.

As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns. I enjoy hearing from you and appreciate your continued support.

Title
United Power Celebrates Mountain Peak Power Plant at Ribbon Cutting
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MountainPeakPower_RibbonCutting.jpg?h=45932144&itok=3WuVOLZ7
Wednesday | August 27, 2025
Card Teaser
United Power and Kindle gathered with local officials to celebrate the completion and operation of the cooperative's new 162 megawatt gas power plant in Keenesburg.

Brighton, CO – Representatives of United Power, Inc. along with leadership from Kindle Energy LLC (Kindle) gathered in Keenesburg, CO to celebrate the completion and operation of the new Mountain Peak Power plant, a 162-megawatt simple-cycle natural gas generation facility comprised of six General Electric combustion turbines. The plant began providing power to cooperative members in July. 

The unique facility, which is a peaking power plant co-located at one of United Power’s electric substations, was engineered to take advantage of the proximity of natural gas sources to the substation and its onsite battery energy storage system. The design brings the ability to generate and deliver power directly to a vital hub in the electric distribution system. United Power can economically dispatch the facility when energy costs are at their highest to ensure reliability and resource adequacy.

“The integration of Mountain Peak Power onto the cooperative’s distribution system is the future of energy generation and delivery,” said Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO of United Power. “This resource allows us to remain nimble when capacity on renewable resources drops or when weather impacts our system. It also allows us to have some direct control over costs that can impact our members. Further, this project is in direct alignment with the vision for United Power’s future, as laid out in our Cooperative Roadmap.”

The units installed on the site operate off a natural gas pipeline adjacent to the plant, reducing delivery costs and ensuring a readily available source of fuel. Additionally, the units are considered “hydrogen ready” which means the plant can also run on fuels with hydrogen content when that is commercially available. 

The power plant was designed, commissioned, and operational on one of the quickest timelines ever attempted for a facility of this type. The coordination between Kindle and United Power was complemented by the quick response time from the State of Colorado, Weld County, and the Town of Keenesburg.

“Kindle is proud to partner with United Power to deliver this distinctive, reliable, and fast-tracked project for United Power’s members. In close collaboration with GE Vernova, Fagen construction, and United Power, we were able to navigate challenging supply chain dynamics in order to meet an extremely compressed timeline,” said Lee Davis, CEO of Kindle Energy.

Mountain Peak Power plant is just one of the ways United Power continues to realize the electric delivery system of the future. Integrating new resources that complement each other, with a focus on hyperlocalization, while meeting the energy needs of United Power’s growing service territory, is essential to the cooperative’s ongoing success.

To learn more about United Power’s energy transition and its diverse sources of power, visit the cooperative’s website at www.unitedpower.com

About United Power

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, serving more than 115,000 meters. Its 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

About Kindle Energy

Kindle Energy is a power generation development and asset management firm based in Princeton, NJ.  With approximately 9.4GW of operating facilities currently under management and 1.5 GW under construction, Kindle Energy offers customized approaches to investing in, operating, and managing power generation assets in North America. Supporting Utilities, Co-Ops, Municipals and other energy facility owners, Kindle Energy is focused on providing creative solutions to the complex energy issues of today to allow customers to focus on their core business.

Please visit www.kindle-energy.com to see more details.

###