Several years ago, while working for the federal government, I had the opportunity to spend time aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The captain explained that aircraft carriers are focused on being a “forward projection of force.” I enjoyed my time with the crew of 4,000 and the leadership command team as they went about the complex duties of operating the finest example of U.S. power in the middle of the ocean. 

Part of my experience included a tailhook landing in a COD (carrier onboard delivery) plane that appears way too big to land on anything but a runway, as well as a catapult takeoff. When preparing for takeoff, there is a tremendous amount of noise, confusion, and turmoil. Once hooked onto the catapult, the noise cuts through your body and your vision blurs. The anticipation of the launch is an adrenaline rush. Then a strange thing happens; the noise disappears as the plane clears the runway, dips off the deck, and heads into the air. The flight at that point is quiet and smooth, heading toward its destination. There may be occasional turbulence, but flight plans are executed with great precision.

A year ago, there was a lot of noise as your cooperative awaited takeoff on the catapult to independence. Like the catapult takeoff, silence quickly replaced the noise. The co-op’s flight plan — also known as Our Cooperative Roadmap — is being executed with great precision. United Power is the forward projection of force, taking action to meet the needs today and in the future.  

There are headwinds and tailwinds on the energy horizon. The West may find itself short of capacity, the critical back-up generation resource to ensure grid reliability. It, and specifically United Power, will also find it has plenty of energy thanks to more and more people adding their own generating resources, coupled with new solar and wind facilities. The headwinds and tailwinds mean there will be times of excess and inexpensive power and times when things are tight.

Electricity has never been more important to our homes, businesses, and communities. United Power, like many other utilities, is finding the need to balance each new opportunity with the realities of power supply. We have created the LIT process to work with potential large commercial and industrial members, which focuses on three key items: location, investment, and timing. The good news for United Power is our history of ensuring growth pays its own way. The better news is that companies want to be in your cooperative’s territory.

Part of United Power’s flight plan involves the strategy to hyper-localize generation and storage resources. This is one way we will maintain reliability, as well as add to the local tax base. We have added a new gas-fired power plant and 115 MW of battery storage located at substations across our system. The battery array is the largest in Colorado and most likely the West, allowing us to buy power when prices are low and use it when prices are high. As a matter of fact, this month marks the first time United Power actively managed the deployment of power from two of our battery systems to meet a contingency reserve need on the system. The batteries improve and support our grid and leverage the storage capacity for financial benefit.

Our flight plan also includes becoming a distribution system operator (DSO), which allows the management of systems in concert with each other and not just individual pieces. As on the aircraft carrier, everything will be coordinated to manage costs and keep the lights on. This means members can offer their self-generation or storage to United Power as an aggregator that gets sold back to the market. It also means the possibility of smoothing out demand through the system to lower overall costs and the better use of resources in a capacity constrained world.

For three days on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, I witnessed the tight coordination of people, safely navigating in open ocean while defending our nation. At United Power, I see the tight coordination of our tremendous staff, supported by the oversight of your Board who lead the cooperative. We have nailed the landing, cleared the takeoff, and are flying ahead. Full steam ahead. 

May is here and that means high school and college graduation ceremonies are around the corner. Helium-filled and mylar balloons are a common theme at celebrations but they can become dangerous when they get loose and contact energized power lines. Thousands of these events occur every year, which can result in expensive equipment repairs and prolonged outages. 

Balloon-Related Safety Measures

Loose balloons can find their way into power lines even if they are not immediately located nearby. Practice the following safety measures at your events and celebrations: 

• Never let helium-filled balloons drift away outdoors. Keep balloons indoors whenever possible to ensure they cannot be released and drift into power lines. If you are using balloons outside, anchor them with weights and double check to make sure they are secure. 
• Avoid bundling balloons together. Anchor each balloon individually with a short string to control its direction. 
• Never tie metallic string or streamers to balloons. Metallic materials conduct electricity and can become a pathway to the ground if a balloon contacts a power line. 
• Deflate balloons after use. Properly dispose of balloons after your event and clean up any remnants so that wildlife, such as birds or squirrels, cannot carry pieces into energized equipment. 
• Never try to retrieve or release balloons caught in power lines. Power lines carry a high voltage and are extremely dangerous. If you notice balloons or other obstructions in power lines, contact United Power at 303-637-1300. 

Member Responsibility

United Power members who release balloons could be liable for damages to the cooperative’s electrical equipment as well as any related damages. Members are encouraged to practice balloon safety and properly dispose of them after use. 
 

Electronic Balloting Now Open; Paper Ballots Mailed March 14

Brighton, CO – Balloting in United Power’s 2025 Director Election is open. Members of the cooperative have the option to cast their ballots electronically through their online account or via paper ballot, mailed to members on Friday, March 14. Electronic and mail ballots must be received by 11:59 a.m. on April 15. Members may also vote in person at the cooperative’s Annual Meeting on April 16.

United Power encourages all members to cast their votes in the annual Director Election. Voting allows members to have a voice in their board representation and helps the cooperative better serve its members. Members may return their mail ballot via the postage-paid envelope included in the ballot packet, or they can log into their online account to cast an electronic ballot. Members voting online can access the ballot by clicking the “Vote Now” button.

Three positions on United Power’s Board are up for election this year – one seat in the North, Central, and South Districts. The director candidates are Ursula J. Morgan (incumbent) in the North District; Keith Alquist (incumbent) in the Central District; and Ryan Keefer and Beth Martin (incumbent) in the South District. Candidate statements are available online. 

Directors represent all members and are elected on an “at-large” basis to four-year terms. 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 equitable representation of United Power’s member base in the cooperative’s governing body.

Director Election results will be announced at the 2025 Annual Meeting, held at the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds in Brighton on April 16. Registration for the meeting opens at 4:30 p.m. and balloting closes at the beginning of the official business meeting at 6:30 p.m. A livestream of the meeting will be hosted on the cooperative’s website at www.unitedpower.com/annual-meeting. 

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.

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A member recently asked a very good question about the price of utility-scale solar and how that related to the overall plan we have for the future of our power supply, particularly in light of the new 162 MW Mountain Peak Power natural gas plant being constructed in Weld County (where we also have 11 MW of battery storage). 

What drove the question was the announcement of our latest solar plant, the 150 MW Byers Solar Farm being built in Adams County with cooperation from one of our long-time partners, Silicon Ranch. The question also reflected on the decision we executed last year to regain our independence as a cooperative. 

The raw cost of energy is just one piece in the puzzle of activities that guide the operations of an electric distribution cooperative like United Power. Energy needs to cover every minute of every hour of every day, with enough back-up capacity to ensure the lights stay on and our economy keeps flowing. Buying energy and capacity requires a mix of supply options over a variety of contracts, and United Power — with the support of TEA Solutions, a national energy marketing and risk management services provider for community-owned utilities — works to balance the system both in real time and over the course of years. 

Determining power supply is a multi-factored math and physics activity, coordinated at the local and regional levels. It involves not just the power supply but transmission, as well. The reality for much of the West is that congestion on the transmission system is a challenge for planning and operations, much like getting to a Broncos game in highway congestion. 

We are receiving numerous well-priced power supply offers for the coming years. Unfortunately, the pathway to “bring it home” limits our ability to take advantage of some of best deals on the market. There are plans for new transmission across the West — plans that we support — but the harsh reality is that it will take a decade or more to develop, permit, and build. We simply cannot wait and hope for new transmission in time to meet our growing demand. 

Given these challenges, United Power has devised a three-pronged approach to maintain power supply for our growing member base over the coming years, laid out in the recently-revised Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap). 

First, we are focusing on hyper-localization, which keeps generating resources inside our service territory. Local power means less need for transmission and fewer line losses (energy lost as electricity is transported from point-to-point due to resistance). Plus it contributes to local tax revenue. The Byers Solar Farm is a great example.

Second, we are continuously improving our system as we evolve into a distribution system operator, which will allow us to use what we already have more effectively. Adding battery energy storage systems merges these first two concepts. We now have nearly 20% of our load in either four- or six-hour storage systems. 

Finally, we are preparing for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) West, a power market that will allow us to buy and sell power more efficiently. This is planned for Spring 2026, and United Power will be ready. 

We are living in a more dynamic energy market than any time in history, with more options than ever before. There is no single source of power that will supply all of our needs. That is why United Power truly believes in and acts on an “all of the above” energy strategy. Whether it is supporting nearly 13,000 residential solar systems, signing 30-year solar purchase power agreements, joining a market, or buying output from natural gas plants, the team works every day to anticipate and plan for your power needs. Just as we need a variety of transportation options — bicycles, cars, trucks, trains, and planes — so, too, do we need options in power supply.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions or comments. If you belong to a group that would like a United Power team member discuss the Roadmap at an upcoming meeting, please contact us.