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.

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Trees are often the favorite aspect of a landscape, and everyone appreciates the beauty, value, and shade that a tree provides. Overgrown trees and vegetation under overhead power lines or near poles and other utility equipment threaten reliability and safety and increases wildfire risk. That is why United Power invests time and resources into regular tree trimming and removal operations in utility rights-of-way.

What Are Utility Rights-of-Way?

Utility rights-of-way areas designate access for utilities and must be kept clear so that crews are able to access equipment for maintenance and repair. United Power maintains a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side of utility equipment within the right-of-way and trims or removes vegetation growing under power lines.

Utility rights-of-way may cross a member’s property and United Power is obligated to keep these areas clear of any vegetation blocking equipment and potentially causing a threat to safety or reliability. Vegetation around electrical equipment that cannot be trimmed safely may need to be removed entirely, especially if it could damage or compromise equipment.

Why Does United Power Trim or Remove Trees?

• Prevent outages. Trees that grow too closely to power lines or that become damaged during storms pose a risk to United Power equipment and could result in an outage.
• Access equipment. Crews need to access equipment quickly and easily for maintenance or for outage restoration. Overgrowth can cause delays and prolong outages.
• Mitigate wildfire risks. “Hazard trees” and other excess vegetation that could potentially contact utility equipment increases the risk of wildfires. United Power dedicates significant resources to reducing the threat of fires and keeping the community safe.

How and When Does United Power Trim or Remove Trees?

• United Power uses experienced tree trimming contractors to remove vegetation near high-voltage electric equipment.
• Artificial intelligence programs help the cooperative create vegetation management plans and track projects.
• Densely forested parts of the territory and areas where overgrowth is more prevalent are prioritized in vegetation management cycles.
• Crews will trim around equipment when it is safe to do so, but they may have to remove any vegetation that could compromise equipment when trimming is not sufficient.
• Members are contacted in advance when tree trimming projects are planned in their area.

United Power urges members to contact the cooperative when they recognize trees that are growing into power lines or when overgrowth is encroaching on electrical equipment. Members should also observe the 10-Foot Rule when implementing home beautification projects around equipment located on their property. Learn more about United Power’s vegetation management and fire mitigation plan on the co-op’s website.