Veteran United Power lineman Kelly Snow has been selected to join five other Colorado linemen and eight Oklahoma linemen to bring power to two remote jungle villages in Guatemala this September. 

The villages, Pel del Cerro and Tierra Blanca Salinas, are located in the Ixcán region of northwestern Guatemala and do not have access to reliable and affordable electricity. The communities are home to approximately 100 households, five churches, two elementary schools and two health centers. 

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to give back in such a rewarding way,” Kelly Snow said. “Most of us have never had to know a day without electricity. I can only imagine what it would mean to people who’ve never had it before. “

The fifteen member crew will install 130 poles, two transformers and more than eight miles of electrical line without the assistance of modern machinery over the course of the three week project. While most of the terrain will be flat, roughly one mile of the path passes through dense rain forest growth. 

“I’ve worked in ice storms, blizzards and floods,” Snow said. “I am well aware of the difficulties of working in adverse conditions. It’s these kinds of challenges that make the project very appealing.”

The project is a joint effort between Colorado and Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives and made possible by NRECA International, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, whose mission is to increase individual and community access to electricity in all parts of the world. Over the past 50 years, NRECA International has provided electricity to more than 126 million people.

The Colorado Rural Electric Association selected the seven-member team representing Colorado in Guatemala following interviews earlier this year. Snow has been with United Power for the past 15 years, and has more than 20 years combined experience. 

“The Rural Electric Association was founded on the principal of bringing electricity to rural America,” Snow said. “It’s an inspiration to be a part of that foundation and spreading it to other countries.” 
 

Each summer, United Power selects youth who stand out from among their peers to represent the coop for a week in the mountains of northwest Colorado, immersing themselves in learning the value of cooperatives. With more than 100 fellow leaders from Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming, campers are able to craft new friendships and develop leadership skills they can model in their schools and communities back home. 

The 2018 Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp isn’t a camp in the traditional sense. There are no tents, no campfires, no s’mores. While there is time for fun, there’s much to cover and little time to do it during the weeklong camp. A lot of time and effort goes on behind the scenes to piece together an experience that is both challenging and entertaining for those attending, and it begins as soon as the buses and vans roll in to deposit campers from their respective cooperatives. 

On Day 1, campers were ushered into a valley in an outcropping behind the cluster of cabins where they would begin the process of establishing and managing their own cooperative for the week, including the selection of a Board of Directors, selecting a general manager and holding regular meetings with their “members.” In between, days are filled with cooperative-focused activities, leadership training and collaborative group projects.

Being a part of a cooperative isn’t all business all the time, however. Whether it was building camaraderie while rafting down the Colorado River, enjoying the breathtaking views atop Mt. Werner or competing in the annual volleyball tournament, there were ample opportunities built in for taking a break and having fun. 

This summer, two area youth represented United Power at the Youth Leadership Camp: Brooklyn Stubby, of Mapleton Early College, and Catera Gagna, of Brighton High School.

Applications for the 2019 Youth Leadership Camp will be available at the end of 2018. Visit www.unitedpower.com to learn more. 

In the past few issues of the United Newsline, United Power has been discussing the new residential demand rate that will go into effect in 2019. This month, members will begin seeing a new line on their monthly bills: a Demand Charge. This new line is appearing ahead of next year’s rate change to prepare and educate members on this shift in thinking about their electric consumption.   

For the remainder of 2018, your bill will show a Demand Charge with an associated kilowatt (kW) measurement, reflecting the highest 15 minute interval of power use over that month’s billing period. There is currently no charge associated with the Demand Charge (kW) line item, but by printing this new item on member’s electric statements and presenting a new online resource – the Power Portal – members have the information to pinpoint what drives their monthly demand and take steps to control their energy consumption.  

The Power Portal is United Power’s newest resource for members, and offers a detailed look at monthly energy consumption data and overall usage history. This free resource allows members to view monthly, daily and hourly energy use in 15 minute intervals. By graphing and making notes of highest usage intervals, members can determine what activities contribute to their energy and demand, and monitor any impact changing behaviors can make. For instance, by looking at the portal data you may see that your highest demand corresponded with a big dinner you hosted for family or a day when you were baking and doing laundry at the end of a long week. The Portal provides the records to determine what activities had the most affect on your demand. 

The Board will review proposed rate changes this fall, with the intention of introducing the rate slowly and incrementally over a four-year period. The process includes an extensive Cost of Service study, so rates are designed to reflect how the members affect our costs. Residential demand charges will be lower than commercial members. 

“Since we have detailed information about how members use power in their homes, the new demand rate will be a fairer way for us to bill members for their use,” stated Dean Hubbuck, Power Supply & Rates Director. “Residential users maximum impact on the system is lower than commercial customers, and their rates will reflect the difference. We believe a modest demand charge with a reasonable energy rate is the best way to recover our costs.”

Beginning in 2019, bills will show a charge for demand, accompanied by a corresponding reduction in the Energy Charge (kWh). The Demand Charge is figured by multiplying the highest demand interval (kW) by the per kW rate. Before final demand rates are approved, United Power is encouraging members to learn more about their personal electric usage and how they can make subtle changes to save even more.

You Have the Power

Curious to see when you used the most energy this past month? Was it the high temps or maybe your new hot tub using more energy than you expected? Use the Power Portal to pinpoint what’s driving your energy use. Access your complete energy consumption portfolio in 15-minute increments throughout the day to get a clear look at how you use energy. 

To use the Power Portal, login and click on My Consumption Data. Under the Usage Dashboard, select the Account to view, choose Current Month from the drop-down and select Billing Month. Under the blue bar chart, you may need to click the Demand option to turn on the orange Demand line in the graph. The orange diamond indicates the interval with the highest demand. Click the blue bar to display each 15-minute interval from that day. Hover over the graph for more detail. 

Learn more about the Power Portal and how to register at www.unitedpower.com/powerportal. 

The monthly view in the Power Portal presents your energy use for each day. Choose to view the month by calendar month to see the first through the last day of the month, or view by billing month to view from the first day through the last day of that billing cycle. Viewing your monthly usage helps highlight trends in when you use the most energy. 

By clicking on any blue bar representing daily energy use, you can zoom in to see every hour of the day by 15-minute intervals. This view can help you pinpoint the interval driving your peak and help you recall activities in your home that contributed. 

Following the results of a year-long trial of a pilot demand rate, the United Power Board of Directors agreed to a phase-in plan of a residential demand rate to replace the current rate structure.

“Since we have detailed information about how members use power in their homes, the new demand rate will be a fairer way for us to bill members for their use,” stated Dean Hubbuck, Director of Power Supply and Rates. “The impact on the system from residential users is lower than commercial customers, and their rates will reflect the difference. We believe a modest demand charge with a reasonable energy rate is the best way to recover our costs.”

The dynamic pricing model will provide a more fair cost structure, and gives members an ability to control their costs by staggering the use of electric appliances.

Learning about how a demand rate works will take a lot of communication, so the five year period is being used to help our members and employees better understand the rate and how members can control their costs with some simple strategies.

All members will now be seeing a new line on their bill simply entitled “Demand Charge.” Initially, there will not be a dollar amount attached to this line item while we provide the information as education for members. By adding the new line it will allow members to see an actual number that corresponds to their use. In 2019 United Power will institute a demand charge and that will slowly increase, with a corresponding reduction in the energy charge.

United Power has been actively communicating how a demand charge works via the newsletter United Newsline and members can find more information about Residential Demand here on our website. This information is being presented ahead of the rate change so our members have the opportunity to gain an understanding of this new way of thinking about their electric consumption.

Many members will see very little change in their bills, but some members who use more energy all at once may be more heavily affected, and without the demand rate they have been driving up costs for other users. We will continue to communicate about these changes via the newsletter and our website.

Capital Credit Retirement to Distribute $4.5 Million to Members in August

Even if you’re new to the cooperative world, you’ve probably heard membership has its benefits. Maybe you’ve already heard how consumer membership works or you understand the ability to participate in annual director elections. Perhaps someone you know ran for a seat in a previous election. But you may be confused in the coming weeks when you receive a check in the mail from United Power with your name on it — your little “piece of the pie.”

When you make a payment to United Power, a portion of that payment goes directly toward your investment in our electrical system through capital improvements. These improvements help maintain our system, provide reliable energy to you and your neighbors and propel us into the future. 

However, capital improvements aren’t always necessary, leaving the cooperative with a surplus of funds earmarked for these projects. So, each year, the Board of Directors assesses the cooperative’s financial condition and determines if a “capital credit retirement” period is feasible. This year, the board approved a $4.5 million retirement, to be distributed to members in August. 

Capital credit retirements are the refund amounts members receive during this period. United Power establishes a capital credit account for every member, and uses it to record their investment. Each year funds remaining after expenses are allocated to these accounts. Upon board approval, a percentage of these funds may be retired. This year’s retirement represents the 12th consecutive year United Power has retired capital credits. 

Your capital credit amount is determined based on two factors: how much electricity you use and how long you’ve been a member. The longer you are a member and the more power you use, the larger your share of each retirement. 

“United Power has a commitment to providing reliable energy to our members, but we also prioritize doing so at an affordable rate,” said John Parker, United Power’s Chief Executive Officer. “While we talk a lot about the benefits we provide to our members both individually and in the community, receiving something you can hold in your hands is a meaningful benefit, and one that differentiates cooperatives from other utilities across the country.” 

This year, more than 80,000 checks will be issued to residential and business members. Anyone who had service in 2017 or earlier will be eligible for this year’s capital credit retirement. While many members will receive a check, anyone who is refunded an amount less than $10 will receive it as a credit on their bill. Look for this credit on your bill in August or September. 

United Power issues checks because it’s important for members to see the real benefit of membership, and handling a check achieves that goal. 

“We know some checks won’t pay the rent, but it does provide a little extra cash to tide someone over until their next paycheck,” said Parker. “For our larger users, like local businesses, municipalities, farms and school districts, these checks may have a substantial impact.”

Capital credit retirements have returned a steady stream of money back to members in recent years. During the past decade, United Power has been able to retire millions of dollars back to its members. 

Frequently asked questions about capital credits can be found online at www.unitedpower.com, or you can call a member services representative at 303-637-1300.

Important Reminders:

• If you move, please be sure to leave your new address with us so we can continue to refund any capital credits you are eligible to receive in the future. 
• Upon death, the deceased member's capital credit account is available for estate retirement. The representative of the estate should contact United Power to settle the capital credit account. 

In June, United Power proudly joined with local electric cooperatives from around the country to sponsor teenagers from small towns and cities to spend a week in the nation’s capital learning about the political process and interacting with their elected officials. The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has been a tradition among cooperatives since the late 1950s.

The origins of the Youth Tour date back to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s 1957 annual meeting in Chicago, where keynote speaker and future president Lyndon B. Johnson suggested sending youth to the capital to “actually see what the flag stands for and represents.” 

What began with a small group of 34 students from Iowa in 1958 has since ballooned to nearly 2,000 students from 42 states. To date, nearly 50,000 students have participated in the program.

This year, United Power sponsored three local students to represent the cooperative during the 2018 Youth Tour – Hannah Rockwell of Weld Central High School, Jordyn Saffy of Eagle Ridge Academy, and Megan Lewis of Frederick High School.

Between meetings with elected officials, learning the value of the cooperatives they represent and developing leadership skills, students were able to spend time touring some of Washington D.C.’s landmarks and memorials. Before flying out, Colorado students were also treated to a high-voltage safety demonstration at United Power’s headquarters in Brighton, Colo. 

Each year United Power selects three ambitious high school students to attend Youth Tour. Applications to represent the cooperative during next year’s tour will be available in December.