Our Vision in a Rapidly Evolving Energy Industry
The electric utility industry is undergoing a significant refocus on everything from technology to power supply. The delivery model of today will look vastly different in the next decade. Grid technology is improving, energy markets are evolving, and member demands and expectations are changing. United Power must be prepared to adapt quickly and respond proactively to shifts in an ever-changing environment. We recognize the wealth of opportunities - and challenges - that come with these changes.
Our mission as your local electric cooperative is to safely and responsibly deliver reliable electricity and excellent service to our members. To continue delivering on that promise, we must identify the range of potential futures that we need to prepare for, harness our strengths, recognize where growth and investments are required, and develop innovative approaches to proactively address challenges.
It is, therefore, critical United Power ensures all the pieces work together to optimize financial investments, operating efficiencies, and resources. The intent of our cooperative roadmap is to document organizational objectives to create an alignment from the Board of Directors to every employee and, in turn, our members.
Guiding Principles
The following principles guide our decisions and were used in the development of our cooperative roadmap. These are the lenses through which we evaluate options such as reimagining our power supply, integrating new technologies, preparing for future markets, and supporting the needs of the workforce.
Empower and Engage Our Membership and Community
Engage with our members in meaningful ways. Support our members where they live. Support economic development in the communities where we serve.
Provide Flexible, Affordable, Sustainable Power and Services
Explore power supply options. Offer Energy-as-a-service (EAAS) programs for our members.
Continuously Optimize Our Electric Distribution System
Expand our electric distribution system capacity, considerate of aggressive growth. Execute targeted maintenance, considerate of reliability. Implement design and operational practices, considerate of the future, safety, and risk.
Achieve Business Agility and Resilience Through IT/OT Synergy
Expand system operations capabilities. Progress Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Meter Data Management (MDM) solutions. Advance technology, infrastructure, enterprise processes, and enterprise systems.
Recent Roadmap Posts
FERC Issues Order on Initial Decision
United Power announces the publication of its first Social Responsibility report. The report recaps the cooperative’s accomplishments, performance, and progress in four defined areas – social, governance, safety and risk, and environmental. The inaugural report was approved by the United Power Board of Directors during the September board meeting, marking a significant milestone in the member-owned cooperative’s ongoing commitment to transparency, sustainability, and responsible management.
Each area of concentration is important to the overall operational and financial health of the cooperative, and utilities that measure performance in these areas consistently rank among the best in the country. The comprehensive report showcases United Power’s values of responsibility, integrity, and reliability, while outlining specific actions taken to support these tenets.
“We are excited to feature the many initiatives and accomplishments of the cooperative in this report,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “While annual reports highlight the prior year’s performance and the cooperative’s financial position, the Social Responsibility report provides our members a deeper understanding of the actions we are taking to further our mission to provide the best possible service.”
Key highlights from United Power’s inaugural Social Responsibility report include:
- Social Impact. The report highlights the cooperative’s efforts to create a positive impact within the communities it serves. This includes both cooperative- and employee-supported initiatives; the promotion of tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion in the workforce; and the careful attention to the integrity of data and information.
- Governance Excellence. The co-op’s governance structure and practices are outlined, highlighting the cooperative regulatory model, member engagement in director elections, and the cooperative’s corporate behavior and codes of conduct around financial transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct.
- Safety and Risk Management. The report outlines the many ways the cooperative is building and maintaining a resilient and safe infrastructure to protect the communities it serves. Through a comprehensive wildfire mitigation and vegetation management strategy, a strong safety culture, and broad-based approach to addressing risk, the cooperative is actively working to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electricity.
- Environmental Responsibility. The cooperative’s innovative energy programs are highlighted, showing the depth of the co-op’s commitment to providing sustainable, flexible, and affordable power for members. Through efficiency measures and programs to make emerging technologies more readily accessible, United Power is paving the way for the evolving energy landscape.
Electric cooperatives have a long history of measuring success in these operational areas and are guided by a set of principles that emphasize social responsibility and transparency. United Power’s Our Cooperative Roadmap is the long-range action plan addressing how the co-op will tackle the challenges of the evolving utility landscape. The Social Responsibility report, which will be updated annually, will allow members to gain a greater understanding of the cooperative’s goals and accomplishments.
Empowering & Engaging Our Members
FERC ALJ Affirms Buyout Methodology Supported by United Power