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A Bird's Eye View
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Friday | June 1, 2018
Card Teaser
In 2016, United Power recognized it needed to brainstorm new ways to inspect its infrastructure in a quicker, safer and more efficient manner. Drones were a cheap and effective solution.
When the drone (unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs) craze took off nearly a decade ago, it was impossible for experts to predict how rapidly impactful the revolutionary technology would become. As sales began to dwarf estimates, professional drone pilots found new and innovative ways to utilize the technology economically, often as a safe and cost-effective alternative to manned aerial operations or underground imaging.
In 2016, United Power recognized it needed to brainstorm new ways to inspect its infrastructure in a quicker, safer and more efficient manner.
On a daily basis, electrical poles and cross arms are exposed to various weather conditions, which can cause accelerated decay over time. United Power’s linemen put their lives on the line to regularly ensure lines and poles delivering power to families around the service territory are in the best shape. Even in the best conditions, however, the effort necessary to inspect thousands of poles across thousands of miles of line is immense, if not impossible.
The idea to incorporate drone technology was first suggested by Mike Robinson, a Safety Specialist with the cooperative, who had been an early adopter of using drones during inspection.
United Power partnered with Colorado Aerial Imaging, a veteran-owned drone maintenance business with experience in electric line inspection, and began a trial implementation in the Mountain Territory.
Mountain Territory
Coal Creek is a 215-square mile noncontiguous parcel of land served by United Power. Extending from Golden to the Continental Divide, the Mountain Territory is sparsely populated, requiring lots of line carrying a higher voltage. The higher voltage lines, rugged terrain and severe weather made the Mountain Territory an easy place to begin initial implementation for the drone maintenance program.
With poles perched on cliff sides, in dense forests and at high elevations, inspection is a risky endeavor for linemen in Coal Creek. The time-consuming process also takes a backseat to restoring power during an outage, which can be exacerbated during storms and winter weather. UAVs provide quicker access to hard to reach poles and limit exposure to risk.
“The process of identifying and correcting an issue on a pole in a place like Coal Creek can require multiple hours to complete,” said Chief Operating Officer Bryant Robbins. “If another problem occurs during inspection, the linemen have no choice but to abandon it and return to it later.”
For linemen in Coal Creek, hiking in and out of an area multiple times to repair poles is not uncommon, but the task is no less daunting in United Power’s larger Plains Territory.
Plains Territory
Colorado Aerial Imaging recently completed its first phase in the Plains Territory near Brighton, with two more phases scheduled for the upcoming months. While the service territory is more favorable for weather and terrain, it still comes with challenges.
“We try to remain respectful of people’s concerns about privacy and security,” said Don McDaniel, Engineering Director for United Power. “It’s more densely populated, and more of our poles are located on or near private property.”
Since drones eliminate the need for linemen to approach poles during inspection, there’s limited impact to members — no property intrusion or interrupted service — and a sense of respect for their privacy.
Though linemen on the plains don’t have to hike to and from poles through dense foliage and up steep inclines, the time necessary to inspect poles would be exorbitant. Crews rarely have the ability to devote large parts of their day to inspection across the service territory.
“We serve some of the fastest growing areas in the Northern Front Range,” said McDaniel. “We have a lot of requests for new service from residential communities and businesses moving in, and not enough linemen to dedicate solely to inspecting poles, as much as we’d like to be able to.”
Other Benefits
“While examining and analyzing pole damages for an area in Coal Creek, we noticed rot along the top of a cross arm,” said Greg Bergin, co-owner of Colorado Aerial Imaging. “From where we were standing, the pole looked to be in fairly healthy condition.”
Because drones are not limited to the area around the pole, they are able to capture images from angles linemen wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.
“Without physically climbing the pole and inspecting every part of it for damage, we wouldn’t have noticed this damage without the use of drones,” said lineman Adam Dillion. “Some poles may look fine, even from our best vantage points, but the pictures from above tell another story.”
Aerial images obtained from drones are visual, thermal and geotagged, providing a broader, wider and higher view of each pole and piece of equipment. There’s an inherent redundancy built into the program to ensure accurate inspections.
“Before we ever send out a crew, we are able to determine what tools and materials we’ll need, how many men are required and whether we’ll need to be on someone’s property,” said Dillon.
To date, Colorado Aerial Imaging has inspected more than 30 miles of line and nearly 800 poles.
“What may take a line crew more than a day to complete a drone is able to do in less than an hour,” Robbins said. “Our drone program has been a cost-effective way to stay proactive, instead of reactive, to the potential for outages on our lines. The amount of time and risk this program has saved us, and will continue to save us, is incalculable.”
A Few Things to be Aware of when Considering Rooftop Solar
Friday | December 4, 2020
Several members have contacted us with questions about some things they are being told by door-to-door solar salespeople. We’d like to take this opportunity to dispel some common myths regarding rooftop solar:
Read more >
Title
A New Look for Our Trucks
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Wednesday | February 14, 2018
Card Teaser
While you’re out and about you may soon notice a new look on United Power’s trucks.
Greater Visibility for Increased Safety
While you’re out and about you may soon notice a new look on United Power’s trucks. Here at United Power, we think a lot about the safety of our employees, and of our members. We are always looking for ways to keep our employees safer in the field and on the job. One of our initiatives to increase safety is better visibility—both for our employees and our vehicles.
For our field employees, we recently traded in our blue uniform shirts for more highly visible yellow shirts with reflective stripes. For our trucks, you’ll soon see a bigger, bolder look making them more visible out on the road.
The new design includes a larger and more prominent United Power logo, so members can more clearly see us when we are working in their communities, or on their property. Incorporated into the design is a reflective vinyl material which will help make our trucks more visible. This will help to protect our workers who often are called out to work at night and during storms where visibility conditions are poor. We want you to know when you’re working with United Power and to know when we’re in your community—and we want to ensure the safety of our employees who are working hard for you
A New Look for Our Trucks
Wednesday | February 14, 2018
While you’re out and about you may soon notice a new look on United Power’s trucks.
Read more >
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A New Name: Union REA Becomes United Power
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Friday | January 25, 2019
Card Teaser
This is the second in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.
In the late 1980s, United Power overcame a competitive territory war and takeover bid from Public Service Company of Colorado, now Xcel Energy. The rocky battle led the cooperative to reevaluate its service and commit to trimming rates and delivering more reliable power for its members. This is the second in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.
Following a member vote in August 1987 to reject Public Service Company of Colorado’s (PSCo) takeover bid of Union Rural Electric Association (Union REA), the Colorado State Legislature urged the two electric utilities to settle its territory dispute in the interest of the public. The dispute had resulted in unnecessary duplication of distribution infrastructure over the years, which was costly to members and customers.
Three years later in 1990, the two utilities finalized an agreement that would exchange certain territories and establish firm territory boundaries. Union REA would begin serving Brighton, Ft. Lupton, Hudson, Keenesburg and the rural areas of Platte Valley. In return, PSCo would receive territory the new Denver International Airport was to be built on. The transfer closed the corridor separating the two areas the cooperative served along the plains.
With the territory battle behind it, the cooperative began focusing on resolving some glaring problems brought to light during the takeover attempt. Union REA’s Board made a commitment to improve rates and reliability using PSCo’s performance records as a measuring stick. With record performance levels and expectations aimed toward the future, Union REA became United Power, intending to help leave behind the unsophisticated image of the traditional cooperative.
The name change to United Power symbolized the cooperative’s commitment to its rural heritage while presenting a progressive utility to a new urban member-base.
By November 1990, United Power had begun serving all the communities acquired in the exchange except for a lone holdout, Brighton, which had voted to deny the service transfer to the cooperative.
A couple years later, United Power had developed a reputation of reliability and reducing rates. When PSCo approached the Brighton city council again in 1992, United Power members were paying 6 percent less than Brighton residents served by PSCo.
As the cooperative and PSCo worked to move the transfer forward, United Power made dedicated efforts to educate Brighton residents and answer questions concerning service, reliability and cost of power to bolster its image as a cutting-edge power supplier. United Power assured residents it would track outage and restoration times, guarantee reliability factors as strong or better than PSCo and pledged to freeze rates for two years if the transfer was approved.
In 1993, United Power finally welcomed Brighton and its residents to the cooperative family.
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Adams County District Court Proceeding Delayed
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Monday | June 12, 2023
Card Teaser
District Court grants Tri-State’s motion for continuance
Adams County District Court grants Tri-State’s motion for continuance Brighton, CO – District Judge Roberto Ramírez issued an order on June 11 that continued the jury trial between United Power, Inc. (United Power) and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) that was set to begin later this month on June 26.
“It is disappointing for the members of United Power that the breach of contract trial between United Power and Tri-State has been delayed,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. Tri-State asked for a continuance after flooding the court with numerous filings in an attempt to slow the judicial process. As Judge Ramírez noted in reluctantly granting Tri-State’s request to postpone a trial date to which it had agreed to more than a year ago, “The Court agrees with United Power that the bulk of the litigated issues pending before the Court are based on filings associated with Tri-State.”
The case centers around two key issues: whether Tri-State illegally added three non-utility members in order to escape state regulation and whether Tri-State’s failure to provide United Power with a fair exit fee in a timely manner is a breach of contract that precludes Tri-State from enforcing the parties’ contract, allowing United Power the right to withdraw from Tri-State at no cost and with the potential for a substantial damages award against Tri-State.
“Sadly, Tri-State has pursued a strategy of delay in both the state courts and at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),” continued Gabriel. “This pattern results in uncertainty for both organizations, raises the costs for United Power members, and delays the time in which our members can get lower cost, cleaner energy for homes and businesses.”
United Power is leaving its wholesale power supplier May 1, 2024 based on FERC requirements. “We are leaving Tri-State next year regardless of the Adams County proceedings,” Gabriel said, adding “this critical case does not go away even with our departure nor does Tri-State’s liability for our members’ substantial damages. Stalling is not to anyone’s benefit.”
About United PowerUnited 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, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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Additional Lines on Billing Statements During Rate Transition
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Monday | June 3, 2024
Card Teaser
Rates were adjusted for all rate classes beginning with June 1 electric usage
As a reminder, rates were adjusted for all rate classes beginning with June 1 electric usage. Some billing cycles include billing dates that span from May to June, so billing statements issued in June will reflect energy usage billed at two different rates - delineated as different lines.
To clearly differentiate energy usage and the per kWh rate billed, a separate line item will appear on bills for energy used before June 1, and another line item for energy used on June 1 and beyond. Bills for members on Time of Day rates will include added lines for the two on-peak and off-peak rates over the billing cycle.
These additional line items will only appear on statements billed during the rate transition and member bills will resume to the standard format moving forward. If you have additional questions about the current rates, please visit www.unitedpower.com/rates or call United Power’s member services team at 303-637-1300.
Líneas adicionales en las facturas durante la transición de tarifas
Como recordatorio, se ajustaron las tarifas de todas las clases tarifarias a partir del consumo eléctrico del 1.o de junio. Algunos ciclos de facturación incluyen fechas de facturación que abarcan de mayo a junio, por lo que las facturas emitidas en junio reflejarán el consumo de energía facturado a dos tarifas diferentes, detalladas en líneas distintas.
Para diferenciar claramente el consumo de energía y la tarifa por kWh facturada, verá la energía utilizada antes del 1.o de junio y la energía utilizada a partir del 1.o de junio en dos líneas separadas. Las facturas para los clientes con tarifas Time of Day incluirán líneas adicionales para las dos tarifas de horas pico y no pico durante el ciclo de facturación.
Estas líneas adicionales solo aparecerán en las facturas emitidas durante la transición de tarifas. Después de esta transición, las facturas volverán al formato estándar. Si tiene preguntas adicionales sobre las tarifas actuales, visite www.unitedpower.com/rates o llame al equipo de Servicios a los Miembros de United Power al 303-637-1300.
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Adjusted Office Hours on Wednesday, April 17
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Tuesday | April 16, 2019
Card Teaser
United Power offices will have modified business hours on Wednesday, April 17 as employees prepare and set up for our Annual Meeting.
United Power offices will have modified business hours on Wednesday, April 17 as employees prepare and set up for our Annual Meeting.
United Power lobbies will open from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17th.
The Annual Meeting will be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds beginning at 4:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend the meeting for dinner, director election, co-op update and door prizes.
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All Hands on Deck for the Bomb Cyclone
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Wednesday | May 15, 2019
Card Teaser
All United Power line crews were mobilized early in the morning and placed on standby in order to respond quickly once the storm moved in. The first outage alerts were triggered before noon, and before long several thousand members had been impacted.
The calm before a storm is often the most unsettling. A cold, breezy Wednesday morning belied a more sinister winter storm rapidly intensifying and bearing down on the Colorado’s northern Front Range. Anxious employees peered through slotted window blinds searching for early signs of the encroaching storm (dubbed a "bomb cyclone"), and linemen gathered for morning safety meetings in anticipation of a long day.
Initial signs of the storm began rolling in late morning, bringing with it a mixture of blowing rain and light snow. Within the hour, the storm transformed into a whiteout and roads disappeared underneath a layer of rapidly accumulating snow. As worsening conditions stranded travelers, highway patrol began closing major highways and warning residents to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Shortly after, Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency.
All United Power line crews were mobilized early in the morning and placed on standby in order to respond quickly once the storm moved in. The first outage alerts were triggered before noon, and before long several thousand members had been impacted. The storm was beginning to show its teeth.
Strong winds and heavy snow contributed to limited visibility and created a challenging situation for linemen traversing snow-packed roads and drifts measuring several feet deep to restore affected members’ power during the raging storm. Trucks were forced to limit their mobility, moving slowly and only when visibility cleared enough for them to proceed safely.
"Finding the road was sometimes like trying to find your hand in the dark," said Troubleshooter Jon Lundstrom. "There were moments we couldn’t even see beyond the hoods of our trucks, let alone know if we were actually on the road. I’m certain I drove through an empty field at least once."
Back at United Power’s headquarters, operations staff were carefully monitoring incoming outages through the cooperative’s advanced mapping system, SCADA, and relaying them to linemen in the field. Where possible, system improvements now allowed staff to effectively reclose certain breakers instead of having to dispatch crews to a location, freeing them to respond to more critical outages.
While nearly a third of all members impacted by storm-related outages were restored from the office, crews still needed to be dispatched to the majority. Despite uncertain conditions, linemen responded to each outage with as much urgency as the weather would allow.
"Our engineers have done a great job designing an infrastructure that allows us to be responsive without sending out a crew," said Operations Manager Brent Sydow. "But nothing can replace the value of having boots on the ground, especially when the weather turns ugly."
In total, more than a dozen crews with roughly 50 linemen between United Power and its contractor, Ward Electric, responded to just over 10,000 outage alerts over the course of the storm and late into the night. When final Ward crews were called in just before 4 a.m., most linemen had worked in excess of 19 hours to restore power. Just 23 accounts remained without power when crews arrived again later that morning.
According to advanced metrics obtained through the United Power operations team, of the 10,304 meters affected during the storm, only 2,000 experienced an outage lasting longer than 6 hours, and most were restored within 2 hours.
"Storms expose your weak points," said Sydow. "Some parts of our system normally hit hard during strong storms like this held up well. It’s a testament to United Power’s commitment to system and infrastructure improvements over the past couple years, the efficiency of our processes and the hard work of our linemen."
As far as storms go, March’s bomb cyclone was unlike anything Colorado has seen before, confirmed as the most intense storm in state history. Hundreds of thousands of residents were left without power during the storm as it paved its way through the northern Midwest and impacted travel across much of the country. More than 1,300 flights were cancelled and 1,100 travelers were left stranded.
"It takes a certain kind of person to look into a storm like that and say whatever it takes to get the job done," said Troubleshooter Kurt Westhoff. "We’re at our best when the weather is at its worst. It gives us motivation and adrenaline to go out there and get the power back on. It’s what we do; it’s why we got into this."
What is a Bomb Cyclone?
Bomb cyclones, also known as bombogensis or explosive cyclogenesis, are naturally occurring weather phenomena producing hurricane-force winds and blizzard conditions. They are formed when warm air and cold air meet under the right conditions, resulting in cyclonic movement and a sudden and sharp drop in barometric pressure over a short period of time. As pressure continues to drop, the storm intensifies. Only a handful of these weather events have been recorded, and rarely over continental locations.
An Exciting Time to Invest in EVs
Wednesday | September 23, 2020
There are more options at more price points available today than there have been in any year prior. Join us on September 27 as we explore all you need to know about electric vehicles.
Read more >
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Annual Meeting & Director Election Scheduled for Apr. 18
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Wednesday | February 14, 2018
Card Teaser
United Power will hold its 2018 Annual Meeting and Director Election on Wednesday, April 18th at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton.
United Power will hold its 2018 Annual Meeting and Director Election on Wednesday, April 18th at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton. Ballots will be mailed to all members at the end of March. Mail ballots must be received at the Survey and Ballot Systems post office box no later than Monday, April 16, 2018. Members may also drop ballots in a ballot drop-box located at each of United Power’s offices by 2 p.m. on April 18, or vote in person at the Annual Meeting starting at 4:30 p.m.
All United Power members are invited to attend the annual business meeting of the not-for-profit electric cooperative and cast their ballots in the annual director election. Registration opens at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.
United Power will host four free Meet the Candidate events so members can learn more about each candidate. More information about dates and times can be found here. Profiles provided by each candidate and detailed voting instructions are included in the ballot packets that will be mailed to members. For more information, visit www.unitedpower.com/annualmeeting or call United Power at 303-659-0551.
Directors run in geographic districts in order to accurately represent United Power members, but they are elected to the board at-large. Members are reminded to vote for one candidate in each of the cooperative’s four director districts.
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Are You a DIY Power Generator? For Safety’s Sake Let Us Know!
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Saturday | January 7, 2017
Card Teaser
The drop in price of solar panels has created fertile ground for do-it-yourself power generators.
The drop in price of solar panels has created fertile ground for do-it-yourself power generators. While it’s not widespread, we have seen an increase in electric systems being installed that have not been planned and installed by a certified installation company or with the coordination of the utility.
United Power will be actively looking for these systems and requiring that the installations meet all required permitting processes. To keep everyone safe, the cooperative is even prepared to disconnect service to members who are operating a system without proper permitting until all requirements are met. This is necessary to help keep all our members and our employees safe. While it looks simple to throw some panels up on the roof and hook them up, there are a lot of risks involved with the process – let’s look at some of them:
Installation of a solar photovoltaic system is like any other electric installation in your home – it can be dangerous if not installed correctly. Make a mistake and you can suffer an injury – nasty things like burns, falls and electric shocks. There is also the risk of a fire if the unit is poorly installed. Like any electrical work in your home, your homeowners insurance will want to know that the unit it properly installed before paying any claim for damage. Also, if the utility doesn’t know you’ve put the system in it poses a real risk to lineworkers during maintenance work or during outage restoration. Not having an appropriate inverter would make your system into a mini power plant, that wouldn’t shut down during a power outage. Your system could feed energy back onto a line and injure or kill a worker if the utility doesn’t know it’s in operation.Solar installations are subject to federal, state and local permit requirements, along with an interconnect agreement with the utility. Just as you would need permits to complete work on a basement finish or bathroom remodel, a solar system requires multiple permits. The permitting process makes certain your system is installed correctly, meeting all the electrical and/or plumbing requirements for the state and local municipalities. Electricity production is a regulated industry, so you’re not legally allowed to connect your system to an existing grid without appropriate inspections. The interconnection agreement with the utility helps to clarify your relationship with the utility – it makes you eligible to apply for rebates and allows you to take advantage of United Power’s net metering program.
If you have a generating system that you installed without securing the necessary permits, or are operating without an interconnection agreement with United Power, we are looking for you. Give us a call at 303-659-0551 to find out how we can help you get your system in compliance, and help you avoid injuring or killing one of our United Power line workers or someone in your neighborhood.
Title
A Bird's Eye View
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Friday | June 1, 2018
Card Teaser
In 2016, United Power recognized it needed to brainstorm new ways to inspect its infrastructure in a quicker, safer and more efficient manner. Drones were a cheap and effective solution.
When the drone (unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs) craze took off nearly a decade ago, it was impossible for experts to predict how rapidly impactful the revolutionary technology would become. As sales began to dwarf estimates, professional drone pilots found new and innovative ways to utilize the technology economically, often as a safe and cost-effective alternative to manned aerial operations or underground imaging.
In 2016, United Power recognized it needed to brainstorm new ways to inspect its infrastructure in a quicker, safer and more efficient manner.
On a daily basis, electrical poles and cross arms are exposed to various weather conditions, which can cause accelerated decay over time. United Power’s linemen put their lives on the line to regularly ensure lines and poles delivering power to families around the service territory are in the best shape. Even in the best conditions, however, the effort necessary to inspect thousands of poles across thousands of miles of line is immense, if not impossible.
The idea to incorporate drone technology was first suggested by Mike Robinson, a Safety Specialist with the cooperative, who had been an early adopter of using drones during inspection.
United Power partnered with Colorado Aerial Imaging, a veteran-owned drone maintenance business with experience in electric line inspection, and began a trial implementation in the Mountain Territory.
Mountain Territory
Coal Creek is a 215-square mile noncontiguous parcel of land served by United Power. Extending from Golden to the Continental Divide, the Mountain Territory is sparsely populated, requiring lots of line carrying a higher voltage. The higher voltage lines, rugged terrain and severe weather made the Mountain Territory an easy place to begin initial implementation for the drone maintenance program.
With poles perched on cliff sides, in dense forests and at high elevations, inspection is a risky endeavor for linemen in Coal Creek. The time-consuming process also takes a backseat to restoring power during an outage, which can be exacerbated during storms and winter weather. UAVs provide quicker access to hard to reach poles and limit exposure to risk.
“The process of identifying and correcting an issue on a pole in a place like Coal Creek can require multiple hours to complete,” said Chief Operating Officer Bryant Robbins. “If another problem occurs during inspection, the linemen have no choice but to abandon it and return to it later.”
For linemen in Coal Creek, hiking in and out of an area multiple times to repair poles is not uncommon, but the task is no less daunting in United Power’s larger Plains Territory.
Plains Territory
Colorado Aerial Imaging recently completed its first phase in the Plains Territory near Brighton, with two more phases scheduled for the upcoming months. While the service territory is more favorable for weather and terrain, it still comes with challenges.
“We try to remain respectful of people’s concerns about privacy and security,” said Don McDaniel, Engineering Director for United Power. “It’s more densely populated, and more of our poles are located on or near private property.”
Since drones eliminate the need for linemen to approach poles during inspection, there’s limited impact to members — no property intrusion or interrupted service — and a sense of respect for their privacy.
Though linemen on the plains don’t have to hike to and from poles through dense foliage and up steep inclines, the time necessary to inspect poles would be exorbitant. Crews rarely have the ability to devote large parts of their day to inspection across the service territory.
“We serve some of the fastest growing areas in the Northern Front Range,” said McDaniel. “We have a lot of requests for new service from residential communities and businesses moving in, and not enough linemen to dedicate solely to inspecting poles, as much as we’d like to be able to.”
Other Benefits
“While examining and analyzing pole damages for an area in Coal Creek, we noticed rot along the top of a cross arm,” said Greg Bergin, co-owner of Colorado Aerial Imaging. “From where we were standing, the pole looked to be in fairly healthy condition.”
Because drones are not limited to the area around the pole, they are able to capture images from angles linemen wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.
“Without physically climbing the pole and inspecting every part of it for damage, we wouldn’t have noticed this damage without the use of drones,” said lineman Adam Dillion. “Some poles may look fine, even from our best vantage points, but the pictures from above tell another story.”
Aerial images obtained from drones are visual, thermal and geotagged, providing a broader, wider and higher view of each pole and piece of equipment. There’s an inherent redundancy built into the program to ensure accurate inspections.
“Before we ever send out a crew, we are able to determine what tools and materials we’ll need, how many men are required and whether we’ll need to be on someone’s property,” said Dillon.
To date, Colorado Aerial Imaging has inspected more than 30 miles of line and nearly 800 poles.
“What may take a line crew more than a day to complete a drone is able to do in less than an hour,” Robbins said. “Our drone program has been a cost-effective way to stay proactive, instead of reactive, to the potential for outages on our lines. The amount of time and risk this program has saved us, and will continue to save us, is incalculable.”
A Few Things to be Aware of when Considering Rooftop Solar
Friday | December 4, 2020
Several members have contacted us with questions about some things they are being told by door-to-door solar salespeople. We’d like to take this opportunity to dispel some common myths regarding rooftop solar:
Read more >
Title
A New Look for Our Trucks
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Wednesday | February 14, 2018
Card Teaser
While you’re out and about you may soon notice a new look on United Power’s trucks.
Greater Visibility for Increased Safety
While you’re out and about you may soon notice a new look on United Power’s trucks. Here at United Power, we think a lot about the safety of our employees, and of our members. We are always looking for ways to keep our employees safer in the field and on the job. One of our initiatives to increase safety is better visibility—both for our employees and our vehicles.
For our field employees, we recently traded in our blue uniform shirts for more highly visible yellow shirts with reflective stripes. For our trucks, you’ll soon see a bigger, bolder look making them more visible out on the road.
The new design includes a larger and more prominent United Power logo, so members can more clearly see us when we are working in their communities, or on their property. Incorporated into the design is a reflective vinyl material which will help make our trucks more visible. This will help to protect our workers who often are called out to work at night and during storms where visibility conditions are poor. We want you to know when you’re working with United Power and to know when we’re in your community—and we want to ensure the safety of our employees who are working hard for you
A New Look for Our Trucks
Wednesday | February 14, 2018
While you’re out and about you may soon notice a new look on United Power’s trucks.
Read more >
Title
A New Name: Union REA Becomes United Power
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Friday | January 25, 2019
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This is the second in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.
In the late 1980s, United Power overcame a competitive territory war and takeover bid from Public Service Company of Colorado, now Xcel Energy. The rocky battle led the cooperative to reevaluate its service and commit to trimming rates and delivering more reliable power for its members. This is the second in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.
Following a member vote in August 1987 to reject Public Service Company of Colorado’s (PSCo) takeover bid of Union Rural Electric Association (Union REA), the Colorado State Legislature urged the two electric utilities to settle its territory dispute in the interest of the public. The dispute had resulted in unnecessary duplication of distribution infrastructure over the years, which was costly to members and customers.
Three years later in 1990, the two utilities finalized an agreement that would exchange certain territories and establish firm territory boundaries. Union REA would begin serving Brighton, Ft. Lupton, Hudson, Keenesburg and the rural areas of Platte Valley. In return, PSCo would receive territory the new Denver International Airport was to be built on. The transfer closed the corridor separating the two areas the cooperative served along the plains.
With the territory battle behind it, the cooperative began focusing on resolving some glaring problems brought to light during the takeover attempt. Union REA’s Board made a commitment to improve rates and reliability using PSCo’s performance records as a measuring stick. With record performance levels and expectations aimed toward the future, Union REA became United Power, intending to help leave behind the unsophisticated image of the traditional cooperative.
The name change to United Power symbolized the cooperative’s commitment to its rural heritage while presenting a progressive utility to a new urban member-base.
By November 1990, United Power had begun serving all the communities acquired in the exchange except for a lone holdout, Brighton, which had voted to deny the service transfer to the cooperative.
A couple years later, United Power had developed a reputation of reliability and reducing rates. When PSCo approached the Brighton city council again in 1992, United Power members were paying 6 percent less than Brighton residents served by PSCo.
As the cooperative and PSCo worked to move the transfer forward, United Power made dedicated efforts to educate Brighton residents and answer questions concerning service, reliability and cost of power to bolster its image as a cutting-edge power supplier. United Power assured residents it would track outage and restoration times, guarantee reliability factors as strong or better than PSCo and pledged to freeze rates for two years if the transfer was approved.
In 1993, United Power finally welcomed Brighton and its residents to the cooperative family.
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Adams County District Court Proceeding Delayed
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Monday | June 12, 2023
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District Court grants Tri-State’s motion for continuance
Adams County District Court grants Tri-State’s motion for continuance Brighton, CO – District Judge Roberto Ramírez issued an order on June 11 that continued the jury trial between United Power, Inc. (United Power) and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) that was set to begin later this month on June 26.
“It is disappointing for the members of United Power that the breach of contract trial between United Power and Tri-State has been delayed,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. Tri-State asked for a continuance after flooding the court with numerous filings in an attempt to slow the judicial process. As Judge Ramírez noted in reluctantly granting Tri-State’s request to postpone a trial date to which it had agreed to more than a year ago, “The Court agrees with United Power that the bulk of the litigated issues pending before the Court are based on filings associated with Tri-State.”
The case centers around two key issues: whether Tri-State illegally added three non-utility members in order to escape state regulation and whether Tri-State’s failure to provide United Power with a fair exit fee in a timely manner is a breach of contract that precludes Tri-State from enforcing the parties’ contract, allowing United Power the right to withdraw from Tri-State at no cost and with the potential for a substantial damages award against Tri-State.
“Sadly, Tri-State has pursued a strategy of delay in both the state courts and at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),” continued Gabriel. “This pattern results in uncertainty for both organizations, raises the costs for United Power members, and delays the time in which our members can get lower cost, cleaner energy for homes and businesses.”
United Power is leaving its wholesale power supplier May 1, 2024 based on FERC requirements. “We are leaving Tri-State next year regardless of the Adams County proceedings,” Gabriel said, adding “this critical case does not go away even with our departure nor does Tri-State’s liability for our members’ substantial damages. Stalling is not to anyone’s benefit.”
About United PowerUnited 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, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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Additional Lines on Billing Statements During Rate Transition
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Monday | June 3, 2024
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Rates were adjusted for all rate classes beginning with June 1 electric usage
As a reminder, rates were adjusted for all rate classes beginning with June 1 electric usage. Some billing cycles include billing dates that span from May to June, so billing statements issued in June will reflect energy usage billed at two different rates - delineated as different lines.
To clearly differentiate energy usage and the per kWh rate billed, a separate line item will appear on bills for energy used before June 1, and another line item for energy used on June 1 and beyond. Bills for members on Time of Day rates will include added lines for the two on-peak and off-peak rates over the billing cycle.
These additional line items will only appear on statements billed during the rate transition and member bills will resume to the standard format moving forward. If you have additional questions about the current rates, please visit www.unitedpower.com/rates or call United Power’s member services team at 303-637-1300.
Líneas adicionales en las facturas durante la transición de tarifas
Como recordatorio, se ajustaron las tarifas de todas las clases tarifarias a partir del consumo eléctrico del 1.o de junio. Algunos ciclos de facturación incluyen fechas de facturación que abarcan de mayo a junio, por lo que las facturas emitidas en junio reflejarán el consumo de energía facturado a dos tarifas diferentes, detalladas en líneas distintas.
Para diferenciar claramente el consumo de energía y la tarifa por kWh facturada, verá la energía utilizada antes del 1.o de junio y la energía utilizada a partir del 1.o de junio en dos líneas separadas. Las facturas para los clientes con tarifas Time of Day incluirán líneas adicionales para las dos tarifas de horas pico y no pico durante el ciclo de facturación.
Estas líneas adicionales solo aparecerán en las facturas emitidas durante la transición de tarifas. Después de esta transición, las facturas volverán al formato estándar. Si tiene preguntas adicionales sobre las tarifas actuales, visite www.unitedpower.com/rates o llame al equipo de Servicios a los Miembros de United Power al 303-637-1300.
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Adjusted Office Hours on Wednesday, April 17
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Tuesday | April 16, 2019
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United Power offices will have modified business hours on Wednesday, April 17 as employees prepare and set up for our Annual Meeting.
United Power offices will have modified business hours on Wednesday, April 17 as employees prepare and set up for our Annual Meeting.
United Power lobbies will open from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17th.
The Annual Meeting will be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds beginning at 4:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend the meeting for dinner, director election, co-op update and door prizes.
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All Hands on Deck for the Bomb Cyclone
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Wednesday | May 15, 2019
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All United Power line crews were mobilized early in the morning and placed on standby in order to respond quickly once the storm moved in. The first outage alerts were triggered before noon, and before long several thousand members had been impacted.
The calm before a storm is often the most unsettling. A cold, breezy Wednesday morning belied a more sinister winter storm rapidly intensifying and bearing down on the Colorado’s northern Front Range. Anxious employees peered through slotted window blinds searching for early signs of the encroaching storm (dubbed a "bomb cyclone"), and linemen gathered for morning safety meetings in anticipation of a long day.
Initial signs of the storm began rolling in late morning, bringing with it a mixture of blowing rain and light snow. Within the hour, the storm transformed into a whiteout and roads disappeared underneath a layer of rapidly accumulating snow. As worsening conditions stranded travelers, highway patrol began closing major highways and warning residents to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Shortly after, Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency.
All United Power line crews were mobilized early in the morning and placed on standby in order to respond quickly once the storm moved in. The first outage alerts were triggered before noon, and before long several thousand members had been impacted. The storm was beginning to show its teeth.
Strong winds and heavy snow contributed to limited visibility and created a challenging situation for linemen traversing snow-packed roads and drifts measuring several feet deep to restore affected members’ power during the raging storm. Trucks were forced to limit their mobility, moving slowly and only when visibility cleared enough for them to proceed safely.
"Finding the road was sometimes like trying to find your hand in the dark," said Troubleshooter Jon Lundstrom. "There were moments we couldn’t even see beyond the hoods of our trucks, let alone know if we were actually on the road. I’m certain I drove through an empty field at least once."
Back at United Power’s headquarters, operations staff were carefully monitoring incoming outages through the cooperative’s advanced mapping system, SCADA, and relaying them to linemen in the field. Where possible, system improvements now allowed staff to effectively reclose certain breakers instead of having to dispatch crews to a location, freeing them to respond to more critical outages.
While nearly a third of all members impacted by storm-related outages were restored from the office, crews still needed to be dispatched to the majority. Despite uncertain conditions, linemen responded to each outage with as much urgency as the weather would allow.
"Our engineers have done a great job designing an infrastructure that allows us to be responsive without sending out a crew," said Operations Manager Brent Sydow. "But nothing can replace the value of having boots on the ground, especially when the weather turns ugly."
In total, more than a dozen crews with roughly 50 linemen between United Power and its contractor, Ward Electric, responded to just over 10,000 outage alerts over the course of the storm and late into the night. When final Ward crews were called in just before 4 a.m., most linemen had worked in excess of 19 hours to restore power. Just 23 accounts remained without power when crews arrived again later that morning.
According to advanced metrics obtained through the United Power operations team, of the 10,304 meters affected during the storm, only 2,000 experienced an outage lasting longer than 6 hours, and most were restored within 2 hours.
"Storms expose your weak points," said Sydow. "Some parts of our system normally hit hard during strong storms like this held up well. It’s a testament to United Power’s commitment to system and infrastructure improvements over the past couple years, the efficiency of our processes and the hard work of our linemen."
As far as storms go, March’s bomb cyclone was unlike anything Colorado has seen before, confirmed as the most intense storm in state history. Hundreds of thousands of residents were left without power during the storm as it paved its way through the northern Midwest and impacted travel across much of the country. More than 1,300 flights were cancelled and 1,100 travelers were left stranded.
"It takes a certain kind of person to look into a storm like that and say whatever it takes to get the job done," said Troubleshooter Kurt Westhoff. "We’re at our best when the weather is at its worst. It gives us motivation and adrenaline to go out there and get the power back on. It’s what we do; it’s why we got into this."
What is a Bomb Cyclone?
Bomb cyclones, also known as bombogensis or explosive cyclogenesis, are naturally occurring weather phenomena producing hurricane-force winds and blizzard conditions. They are formed when warm air and cold air meet under the right conditions, resulting in cyclonic movement and a sudden and sharp drop in barometric pressure over a short period of time. As pressure continues to drop, the storm intensifies. Only a handful of these weather events have been recorded, and rarely over continental locations.
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Annual Meeting & Director Election Scheduled for Apr. 18
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Wednesday | February 14, 2018
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United Power will hold its 2018 Annual Meeting and Director Election on Wednesday, April 18th at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton.
United Power will hold its 2018 Annual Meeting and Director Election on Wednesday, April 18th at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton. Ballots will be mailed to all members at the end of March. Mail ballots must be received at the Survey and Ballot Systems post office box no later than Monday, April 16, 2018. Members may also drop ballots in a ballot drop-box located at each of United Power’s offices by 2 p.m. on April 18, or vote in person at the Annual Meeting starting at 4:30 p.m.
All United Power members are invited to attend the annual business meeting of the not-for-profit electric cooperative and cast their ballots in the annual director election. Registration opens at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.
United Power will host four free Meet the Candidate events so members can learn more about each candidate. More information about dates and times can be found here. Profiles provided by each candidate and detailed voting instructions are included in the ballot packets that will be mailed to members. For more information, visit www.unitedpower.com/annualmeeting or call United Power at 303-659-0551.
Directors run in geographic districts in order to accurately represent United Power members, but they are elected to the board at-large. Members are reminded to vote for one candidate in each of the cooperative’s four director districts.
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Are You a DIY Power Generator? For Safety’s Sake Let Us Know!
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Saturday | January 7, 2017
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The drop in price of solar panels has created fertile ground for do-it-yourself power generators.
The drop in price of solar panels has created fertile ground for do-it-yourself power generators. While it’s not widespread, we have seen an increase in electric systems being installed that have not been planned and installed by a certified installation company or with the coordination of the utility.
United Power will be actively looking for these systems and requiring that the installations meet all required permitting processes. To keep everyone safe, the cooperative is even prepared to disconnect service to members who are operating a system without proper permitting until all requirements are met. This is necessary to help keep all our members and our employees safe. While it looks simple to throw some panels up on the roof and hook them up, there are a lot of risks involved with the process – let’s look at some of them:
Installation of a solar photovoltaic system is like any other electric installation in your home – it can be dangerous if not installed correctly. Make a mistake and you can suffer an injury – nasty things like burns, falls and electric shocks. There is also the risk of a fire if the unit is poorly installed. Like any electrical work in your home, your homeowners insurance will want to know that the unit it properly installed before paying any claim for damage. Also, if the utility doesn’t know you’ve put the system in it poses a real risk to lineworkers during maintenance work or during outage restoration. Not having an appropriate inverter would make your system into a mini power plant, that wouldn’t shut down during a power outage. Your system could feed energy back onto a line and injure or kill a worker if the utility doesn’t know it’s in operation.Solar installations are subject to federal, state and local permit requirements, along with an interconnect agreement with the utility. Just as you would need permits to complete work on a basement finish or bathroom remodel, a solar system requires multiple permits. The permitting process makes certain your system is installed correctly, meeting all the electrical and/or plumbing requirements for the state and local municipalities. Electricity production is a regulated industry, so you’re not legally allowed to connect your system to an existing grid without appropriate inspections. The interconnection agreement with the utility helps to clarify your relationship with the utility – it makes you eligible to apply for rebates and allows you to take advantage of United Power’s net metering program.
If you have a generating system that you installed without securing the necessary permits, or are operating without an interconnection agreement with United Power, we are looking for you. Give us a call at 303-659-0551 to find out how we can help you get your system in compliance, and help you avoid injuring or killing one of our United Power line workers or someone in your neighborhood.
