United Power is pleased to announce the hiring of Jonathan Aust as the cooperative’s Vice President of Energy Resource Planning.

“Jonathan brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this key position,” stated Dean Hubbuck, Senior Vice President and Chief Energy Resource Officer. “Since United Power left its single wholesale power provider in 2024, it is vital to have the right talent on our team to oversee this essential function. Jonathan not only has outstanding credentials for this role, but he is also familiar with the local energy delivery market.”

Aust most recently served as Vice President of Power Operations for the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). In this role he led a team of more than 80 employees to support power operations responsible for supporting a seven-state footprint and two balancing authorities, delivering power to energy providers across the footprint. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Information Technology for SCADA/EMS, or supervisory control and data acquisition and energy management system, supporting WAPA’s control centers across a 15-state area.

Aust has served in leadership for a variety of key industry committees, including several representing the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). He was honored in 2022 with WECC’s Outstanding Contributor Award.

“Energy resource planning is a critical area for this cooperative,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “As we continue to build our energy portfolio, it is vital that we have the right talent on our leadership team. Jonathan will be able to help us build out and maintain our portfolio, and his deep understanding of the energy markets will help us continue to make the right investments on behalf of the cooperative’s members.”

Updated Roadmap is Collective Vision to Successfully Deliver on Co-op’s Mission

United Power debuted its landmark action plan for preparing and adapting to industry changes nearly three years ago as it was about to enter new territory as an independent electric utility. Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap) was a coordinated effort by co-op staff to identify a collective vision to guide the utility’s future decisions. The action plan is ever-evolving, proactively responding to anticipated shifts in the electric industry, and ensures United Power maintains its competitive advantage as an industry leader in power supply innovation, system performance, and member satisfaction. 

It was the strategic direction provided in the Roadmap’s first iteration that helped United Power secure a diverse portfolio of power supply agreements to meet the cooperative’s needs as it grows over the next several years. These agreements have already reduced the cooperative’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26% since May. United Power’s commitment to reducing emissions was a driving factor in obtaining nearly $262 million through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program to support its clean energy transition. The Roadmap was also pivotal in providing investor confidence to help finance the move toward independence, deploying an innovative battery energy storage system to mitigate peak costs, and breaking ground on a natural gas plant to ensure resource adequacy and flexibility. 

Five guiding principles were identified to help the cooperative define, implement, and evaluate the Roadmap’s focus areas:

• Safety. Prioritize safety in every decision and action. Safety is reflected in every aspect of United Power’s operations by fostering a culture of transparency, trust, and teamwork.
• Reliability. Striving to deliver high-quality, uninterrupted service to members through the design, operation, protection, and maintenance of a robust and resilient electric distribution system. 
• Affordability. Commitment to securing fair and competitive wholesale rates, managing costs, and responsibly allocating those costs across the membership with stable and transparent rate options.
• Flexibility. Demonstrate maximum agility and adaptiveness through forward-looking plans, versatile and innovative programs and business models, and diverse power supply options as the cooperative responds to changes in its environment and the needs of members and communities.
• Responsibility. Act ethically, sustainably, and in the best interest of members and communities as the cooperative manages operations and secures resources. 

The four strategic focus areas identified in the first version of the Roadmap remain relatively the same in the updated Roadmap, stretching across all the core functions of the cooperative, including power supply; system reliability and resiliency; data safety and security; and member programs and community engagement. 

Empower and Engage with Members and Communities

Electric cooperatives are owned by the members they serve, which means the members are not just consumers but stakeholders in the cooperative’s success. 

Members can vote for who represents them on the United Power Board of Directors through the annual Director Election, but the cooperative also gives back to the community in many ways.

United Power is a community partner, helping them establish their goals and visions. This includes understanding the unique needs and challenges of the communities and businesses the cooperative serves. The co-op supports the economic vitality of local communities through collaboration with local leaders and economic development organizations on growth initiatives and assists businesses with energy advice and expertise to help them meet legislative and regulatory targets. 

Provide Flexible, Affordable, Responsible Power and Services

As the needs of the distribution system have increased, so has the need for United Power to evolve and optimize the supply of power and services to its members.

Becoming an independent electric utility provided United Power with more flexibility over its power supply options. The cooperative added more than 110 MW of battery energy storage to its distribution system last year and broke ground on an innovative gas peaking plant for an additional 160 MW of resource adequacy. The cooperative continues to pursue cost efficient power supply contracts while limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

Continuously Optimize the Electric Distribution System

The optimization of the electric distribution system is paramount as the cooperative confronts increasing demands and complexities driven by rapid electrification, the integration of distributed energy resources, and the evolving expectation of members.

United Power has experienced consecutive years of record-breaking reliability, ranking among the best electric utilities in the country. The cooperative’s strategic maintenance plan and innovative system design continue to provide positive results and demonstrate remarkable success. 

Achieve and Maintain Business Agility and Resilience

Business agility and resilience are key investments of United Power’s strategic and operational plans. 

Advancing technologies play a critical role in how United Power responds to and prevents outages. The cooperative is working to replace its distributed energy resource management system by early 2026 to better manage system operations and plans to roll out new tools to better manage materials and projects. 

Our Cooperative Roadmap, along with news and updates about its implementation, can be found here.

United Power members are uniquely given the opportunity to have a voice in the future of their electric utility. Each year, our members’ votes in the Director Election determine who will represent them on the co-op’s Board of Directors. As an electric cooperative, your participation in the annual election is critical to helping the co-op better serve its members. 

Every Vote Matters Equally

United Power is a not-for-profit cooperative owned and controlled by the members it serves. When you become a member, you automatically receive the benefits all other members share, including the right to vote for board representation. As a member, your vote is equal to any other member’s vote, regardless of the kind of account they have or how large it is. “One member, one vote” is part of the cooperative principle known as Democratic Member Control. Director candidates must also live or work within United Power’s service territory, so you know you will be voting for someone who understands your community’s needs. They could even be your friends or neighbors. 

Running for a Board Position

The primary difference between an investor-owned utility (IOU) and a cooperative is democratic control. IOUs make decisions to appease stakeholders and shareholders who might not live in the same state, let alone the same community. Any United Power member who meets the qualifications outlined in the bylaws is eligible to run for a position on the cooperative’s eleven-member Board of Directors. Directors serve four-year terms in one of four geographical districts. Members vote on an “at-large” basis, explained in more detail next.

Voting in the Election

Balloting opens March 14. United Power encourages all members to cast their votes in this year’s election. Members may vote electronically through their online account, or via mail ballots, sent to all members in mid-March. Directors represent all members and are therefore elected on an “at-large” basis. This means members may cast a vote for a director in each district and not just their own. Directors serve in geographic districts to ensure adequate accessibility for members and to provide a representative cross-section of United Power’s member base in the cooperative’s governing body.

Your vote always matters. To learn more about a director candidate, consider attending our Meet the Candidates event. Candidates will be announced in February, and candidate statements will be printed in the March newsletter and available online.

2025 Director Election

This year, three positions on the United Power Board are up for election at the 2025 Annual Meeting & Director Election, scheduled for April 16. Members may submit their votes electronically, via mail ballot, or in person at the Annual Meeting. 

More information about how members may vote in this year’s Director Election can be found here. 

Much is being written these days about increasing electric demand in the face of declining central power stations, such as coal plants, and how the electric industry will manage this coming onslaught. People are especially concerned that data centers, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), will cause major problems for the electric grid.

United Power has been blessed with growth for nearly 20 years, and that trend is continuing. One only has to drive around our service territory to see what that growth looks like. Last summer we set a new all-time peak of nearly 650 MW, and this past December we hit nearly 500 MW, making us the largest electric distribution cooperative by load in Colorado and the third largest utility after Xcel and Colorado Springs Utilities.

We added nearly 3,300 meters in 2024 and our monthly electric load has increased consistently. More than 7,600 electric vehicles are registered in our service territory. Whether it is the coming of the new BNSF Intermodal Center in Hudson/Lochbuie, expanding existing data centers, or new residential developments, your cooperative is keeping up.

Recently, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission adopted rules that require midstream gas suppliers reduce greenhouse gasses by 20.5% as compared to a 2015 baseline by 2030. This will require electrification of the oil the gas fields — a process United Power began several years ago. We are partnering with our oil and gas members to help them meet this mandate.

Our service territory is desirable and we regularly receive inquiries from developers and large loads known as hyperscalers (i.e., data centers). These facilities require large electric loads and heavy demand around the clock. The good news is partnering with them will provide additional backup capabilities, as well as allow us to purchase more power at lower costs for all members. Our Key Accounts Advisors are handling those requests and working closely with the engineering and power supply teams to ensure we can meet their energy demands. Millions of square feet of commercial and industrial space has also been added in just the past few years, especially along our interstate corridors.

While some utilities are turning down loads and wringing their hands over the increased demand, United Power believes it is critical to support our members where they are and when they need us. In order to do this, we follow the “LIT” process that involves closely working with potential loads as soon as practical. What does “LIT” involve?

• Location. Not every location is suitable to be supplied in a short period of time. Large loads that are moving into our service territory, such as data centers, are able to work with our team to locate areas where we can reasonably provide service within their timeframe. 
• Investment. Years ago, the United Power Board of Directors decided that “growth pays,” meaning any capital cost is born by the company or developer. This protects members from costs to add facilities — and yet helps lower other costs as we spread overhead across more members.
• Timing. Advanced planning is crucial to successfully adding infrastructure and we work closely with potential new members to get ahead of critical items such as ordering transformers, preparing the ground, and making sure we have capacity to handle the new load.

We are excited about this future and will continue to support all members, large and small. Anticipating and planning for electrification is at the heart of Our Cooperative Roadmap.

As always, feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions or comments.
 

Partners to collaborate on fifth joint energy project since 2014

Brighton, CO – United Power, Inc. (United Power), an electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern front range, announces the signing of a power purchase agreement for its latest solar resource, the 150-megawatt (MW) Byers Solar Farm. Located in Adams County, 10 miles northeast of Byers, the new solar installation is being developed in partnership with Silicon Ranch, one of the nation’s largest independent power producers and a community-focused renewable energy company.

“As United Power continues to add to its diverse power portfolio, the Byers Solar Farm illustrates the best-case scenario for local production,” said Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO of United Power. “Our partnership with Silicon Ranch allows us to build this project with the latest technology and development techniques to optimize the use of the site. Additionally, there are strong financial and environmental incentives for generating and delivering clean, renewable electricity locally.”

The solar farm will be built, owned, and operated by Silicon Ranch, who will also be responsible for its operation and maintenance, with United Power purchasing all the power it produces. As the long-term owner of both the facility and the underlying property, Silicon Ranch is taking a thoughtful approach to stewardship of the land, with plans to establish short grass prairie at the site by pre-seeding ahead of construction. In addition, the company is exploring opportunities to employ managed sheep grazing on the site, through its Regenerative Energy® platform of land stewardship that it deploys at sites across the country, including the Mavericks Solar Farm that serves United Power. 

“Silicon Ranch is honored by the trust and confidence that United Power and its members continue to place in our company to deliver value on their behalf, and we are grateful for the opportunity to expand our relationship and the positive impact we can have together,” said Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO Reagan Farr. “As we enter our second decade of partnership with United Power, Silicon Ranch looks forward to continuing our meaningful work together by collaborating to help make communities stronger, healthier, and more resilient here in northern Colorado.”

United Power has partnered with Silicon Ranch on four other energy infrastructure projects since 2014 – Fort Lupton Solar (13 MW), Mavericks Solar (6.5 MW), Platteville Solar (16 MW), and Rattlesnake Solar (6 MW). Each of these installations, located within the cooperative’s service territory, was developed working closely with local governments and neighboring landowners to make sure the projects fulfilled the needs of each community and United Power.

“Byers Solar Farm continues United Power’s march toward energy independence,” said Gabriel. “Since leaving our wholesale power contract on May 1, 2024, United Power has worked to build a power portfolio that both reduces our carbon emissions and stabilizes our costs. Our vision to diversify and hyper-localize power production will pay dividends to cooperative members in an increasingly volatile energy market.”

Learn more about United Power and its ongoing energy transition plans in Our Cooperative Roadmap.

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 nearly 114,000 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 Silicon Ranch:

Founded in 2011, Silicon Ranch is a fully integrated provider of customized solar energy, battery storage, and carbon solutions. The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the U.S., with a portfolio that includes more than seven gigawatts of solar and battery storage systems that are contracted, under construction, or operating across the U.S. and Canada. Silicon Ranch owns and operates every project in its portfolio and has maintained an unrivaled track record of project execution. Silicon Ranch has the largest wholly owned agrivoltaics portfolio in the country under Regenerative Energy®, its nationally recognized holistic approach to project design, construction, and land stewardship. This model incorporates regenerative ranching and other regenerative land stewardship practices to restore soil health, promote biodiversity, and improve water quality. Silicon Ranch’s carbon solutions platform, Clearloop, helps businesses of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint by commissioning new solar projects in American communities where significant economic and environmental benefits can be achieved. To learn more, visit siliconranch.com and clearloop.us. Follow Silicon Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 
 

Recipients Received $7,500 for Enrollment Costs at a Dedicated Power Line Program

Keeping the lights on is difficult and requires a detailed understanding of how electrical systems work. Without proper training and instruction, however, it can also be incredibly dangerous. Power line programs prepare individuals with the skills and safety awareness necessary for their future careers as lineworkers. As beneficial electrification accelerates across the country, it is also a field that is in high demand. Lineworkers often have access to excellent opportunities including job security, high pay, and exceptional benefits.

United Power awarded four lineworker scholarships to Colorado residents pursuing a career in the profession as part of its Community Benefit Plan through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program. 

Parker Horton, Divide, CO
Trinidad State Rocky Mountain Lineman School

Horton became interested in a professional career as a lineworker after a conversation with a close family friend, mentor, and retired lineworker. Horton found the career pathway compelling because of its vital role in providing access to electricity, and is eager to contribute to an essential service. 

Zackery Johnson, Thornton, CO
Trinidad State Rocky Mountain Lineman School

Johnson is pursuing a career as a lineworker because he wants to provide power for the community and provide help after natural disasters. Johnson said enrolling in a power line program interested him because he would like to learn more about the electrical system that powers the country. 

Katie Killinen, Bayfield, CO
Colorado Mesa University Tech, Electrical Lineworker Program

Killinen was an intern for La Plata Electric Association over the summer in 2024. She is pursuing line work as a career because it is challenging and rewarding and also enables her to work outside and problem solve with other people. She finds the concepts and theories in electrical work interesting. 

Griffin Steele, Fort Collins, CO
Trinidad State Rocky Mountain Lineman School

Steele has been working with Fort Collins Water for a year, but has been looking for an opportunity to pursue line work. His favorite part of working in utilities is the sense of purpose it provides. Line work would add a challenge to that sense of purpose and provide a stable long-term career.