Title
Commitment to the Virtual Community
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Nov2020_NL_FairsCommunity.jpg?itok=algtZaFM
Tuesday | November 24, 2020
Card Teaser
Reaching members via virtual format isn't a new concept, but until this year it has never been the preferred method for encouraging community participation. The cooperative often supported communities as they navigated this transition.
United Power was forced to shift gears while planning its annual meeting in March as heightened concerns over the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds and many other local businesses. While many maintained hopeful expectations that the pandemic would begin to play itself out as summer weather faded, a third wave has instead continued the halt to in-person community activities and organizational fundraisers.
Reaching members via virtual format is hardly a new concept, but until this year it has never been the preferred method for encouraging community members to participate with one another. For United Power, that meant turning around months of planning to offer members a virtual annual meeting that still drew their interest and encouraged participation. The cooperative wasn’t alone in navigating this journey, and often supported others holding similar events.
Joining the Virtual Classroom
United Power electrical engineer Tyler Bain joined a Brighton High School engineering class in September via Zoom live from one of the cooperative’s substations to talk about where electricity comes from, how it is generated and what kind of schooling it takes to become an electrical engineer. He also discussed renewable energy with the students.
Decorating Virtual Ducks
United Power has long participated in and supported the annual Duck Derby hosted by the Rotary Club of Northglenn-Thornton. The duck race helps raise money for the Rotary Club to support scholarships, food banks and other local projects. This year, due to COVID-19, the club hosted its first virtual Duck Derby with an online “Best Dressed Duck” contest, which United Power entered, of course. Although our authentic, one-of-a-kind cow duck did not win, we are still proud to be a supporter of all the work the Rotary Club does.
Scarecrows in Fort Lupton
Thinking creatively for ways to entertain and engage businesses and residents this Halloween season while maintaining safe social distancing, the City of Fort Lupton and Fort Lupton Chamber of Commerce sponsored a unique scarecrow contest throughout the community. United Power introduced the first-ever lineman made of hay into the contest. Early thoughts on the new lineman include the suggestion that he stay clear of energized line.
Assisting the Career Path
Each year, the Adams County Education Consortium hosts its career expo for middle school students. This year’s virtual event will feature 2-hour sessions over the course of two days in late November where students can learn more about potential career paths. United Power will both sponsor and participate in the annual event in its new first-ever virtual event.
Title
Congratulations to Fair Giveaway Winners
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/hero_images/Hero_Fair.jpg?itok=OeF7jf5h
Friday | July 29, 2022
Card Teaser
Thank you to everyone who entered this year. We hope to see you all at the fair.
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of United Power's 2022 Adams County Fair Ticket Package Giveaway!
Lauren Cordova, Commerce City
Terry Hall, Hudson
Tammy Archuleta, Henderson
Erik Swanson, Thornton
Thank you to everyone who entered this year. We hope to see you all at the fair.
#FaireverFun #UnitedPowerPride
Connected for 80 Years
Friday | April 26, 2019
As we reflect on our own 80-year history as a rural cooperative, walk with us through the history of the region, and some of the highlights of the communities we’re connected to. Our history is a story about you— the members and communities that make up this cooperative.
Read more >
Consider a Medical Device Backup Plan
Friday | March 20, 2020
United Power members who rely on medical devices in their homes may be more greatly impacted by extended outages, like the ones we experienced on Thursday.
Read more >
Continued Growth and Innovation
Friday | March 1, 2019
This is the final piece in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.
Read more >
Title
Cooperative Roadmap 2.0
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/images/Images_News/_DSC8999.jpg?h=2d828ae9&itok=cjSLqr09
Monday | February 24, 2025
Card Teaser
Updated Roadmap is the collective vision to successfully deliver on cooperative's mission.
Updated Roadmap is Collective Vision to Successfully Deliver on Co-op’s Mission
United Power debuted its landmark action plan for preparing and adapting to industry changes nearly three years ago as it was about to enter new territory as an independent electric utility. Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap) was a coordinated effort by co-op staff to identify a collective vision to guide the utility’s future decisions. The action plan is ever-evolving, proactively responding to anticipated shifts in the electric industry, and ensures United Power maintains its competitive advantage as an industry leader in power supply innovation, system performance, and member satisfaction.
It was the strategic direction provided in the Roadmap’s first iteration that helped United Power secure a diverse portfolio of power supply agreements to meet the cooperative’s needs as it grows over the next several years. These agreements have already reduced the cooperative’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26% since May. United Power’s commitment to reducing emissions was a driving factor in obtaining nearly $262 million through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program to support its clean energy transition. The Roadmap was also pivotal in providing investor confidence to help finance the move toward independence, deploying an innovative battery energy storage system to mitigate peak costs, and breaking ground on a natural gas plant to ensure resource adequacy and flexibility.
Five guiding principles were identified to help the cooperative define, implement, and evaluate the Roadmap’s focus areas:
Safety. Prioritize safety in every decision and action. Safety is reflected in every aspect of United Power’s operations by fostering a culture of transparency, trust, and teamwork.
Reliability. Striving to deliver high-quality, uninterrupted service to members through the design, operation, protection, and maintenance of a robust and resilient electric distribution system.
Affordability. Commitment to securing fair and competitive wholesale rates, managing costs, and responsibly allocating those costs across the membership with stable and transparent rate options.
Flexibility. Demonstrate maximum agility and adaptiveness through forward-looking plans, versatile and innovative programs and business models, and diverse power supply options as the cooperative responds to changes in its environment and the needs of members and communities.
Responsibility. Act ethically, sustainably, and in the best interest of members and communities as the cooperative manages operations and secures resources.
The four strategic focus areas identified in the first version of the Roadmap remain relatively the same in the updated Roadmap, stretching across all the core functions of the cooperative, including power supply; system reliability and resiliency; data safety and security; and member programs and community engagement.
Empower and Engage with Members and Communities
Electric cooperatives are owned by the members they serve, which means the members are not just consumers but stakeholders in the cooperative’s success.
Members can vote for who represents them on the United Power Board of Directors through the annual Director Election, but the cooperative also gives back to the community in many ways.
United Power is a community partner, helping them establish their goals and visions. This includes understanding the unique needs and challenges of the communities and businesses the cooperative serves. The co-op supports the economic vitality of local communities through collaboration with local leaders and economic development organizations on growth initiatives and assists businesses with energy advice and expertise to help them meet legislative and regulatory targets.
Provide Flexible, Affordable, Responsible Power and Services
As the needs of the distribution system have increased, so has the need for United Power to evolve and optimize the supply of power and services to its members.
Becoming an independent electric utility provided United Power with more flexibility over its power supply options. The cooperative added more than 110 MW of battery energy storage to its distribution system last year and broke ground on an innovative gas peaking plant for an additional 160 MW of resource adequacy. The cooperative continues to pursue cost efficient power supply contracts while limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
Continuously Optimize the Electric Distribution System
The optimization of the electric distribution system is paramount as the cooperative confronts increasing demands and complexities driven by rapid electrification, the integration of distributed energy resources, and the evolving expectation of members.
United Power has experienced consecutive years of record-breaking reliability, ranking among the best electric utilities in the country. The cooperative’s strategic maintenance plan and innovative system design continue to provide positive results and demonstrate remarkable success.
Achieve and Maintain Business Agility and Resilience
Business agility and resilience are key investments of United Power’s strategic and operational plans.
Advancing technologies play a critical role in how United Power responds to and prevents outages. The cooperative is working to replace its distributed energy resource management system by early 2026 to better manage system operations and plans to roll out new tools to better manage materials and projects.
Our Cooperative Roadmap, along with news and updates about its implementation, can be found here.
Crossing A Meter Milestone
Tuesday | July 13, 2021
United Power surpasses 100,000 meters, becoming the second in Colorado - and 31st nationwide - to reach the milestone.
Read more >
Title
Cutting Into Supply Chain Delays
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/LS_NL_Plasma.jpg?itok=setoWvEE
Thursday | July 7, 2022
Card Teaser
With supply chain uncertainty, United Power purchased a new plasma cutter to bypass delays on essential parts and pieces.
Electric cooperatives rely on crucial materials to maintain the safety, reliability, and resiliency of their electric system. Supply chain delays are creating new challenges for most industries, but it’s been particularly difficult for electric utilities facing weeks-long delays on parts and materials necessary to ensure a properly functioning system.
“We’re experiencing six- to eight-week delays on standard maintenance materials, like mounts and brackets,” said Curtis Subia, United Power’s Vice President of Asset Management and Supply Chain. “It may be tempting to waive off something as small as a bracket if other materials are available, but without these brackets, projects come to a standstill. Even small pieces are absolutely essential to safely building our infrastructure.”
With uncertainty surrounding how long supply chain issues may persist, United Power purchased a new piece of equipment that will help the cooperative bypass delays and fabricate whole parts in-house without having to wait for backorders to be filled. A mechanized plasma cutter (pictured right) can precisely cut pieces out of sheet metal in just minutes. The pieces it produces are often ready for immediate use in the field.
“We could either wait weeks for orders to be delivered or we could figure out a timely way to make them ourselves,” said Subia. “We can’t shut down projects because the supply chain can’t keep up with demand, so we had to come up with a solution.”
United Power mechanics suggested the plasma cutter as an alternative. They have been fabricating parts for years when something is unavailable or if they need a custom piece. However, manual fabrication is slow, lacks precision, and is dangerous. The plasma cutter can be preprogrammed with almost any design and ready to use in just a few minutes. Once a design has been stored, the software can recall it again at any time. It’s a safer option for the mechanics and frees up their time to be spent on other projects.
“It can do things the human hand can’t do,” said Kevin Isham, a mechanic at United Power. “It can cut a piece over and over with precision and perfection in half the time it would take one of us to create a single piece. Having it makes our jobs quicker and safer.”
There’s no sign supply chain issues are coming to an end anytime soon. The plasma cutter represents another innovative solution United Power has adopted to meet the needs of the cooperative and its members in challenging circumstances.
Title
Commitment to the Virtual Community
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Nov2020_NL_FairsCommunity.jpg?itok=algtZaFM
Tuesday | November 24, 2020
Card Teaser
Reaching members via virtual format isn't a new concept, but until this year it has never been the preferred method for encouraging community participation. The cooperative often supported communities as they navigated this transition.
United Power was forced to shift gears while planning its annual meeting in March as heightened concerns over the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds and many other local businesses. While many maintained hopeful expectations that the pandemic would begin to play itself out as summer weather faded, a third wave has instead continued the halt to in-person community activities and organizational fundraisers.
Reaching members via virtual format is hardly a new concept, but until this year it has never been the preferred method for encouraging community members to participate with one another. For United Power, that meant turning around months of planning to offer members a virtual annual meeting that still drew their interest and encouraged participation. The cooperative wasn’t alone in navigating this journey, and often supported others holding similar events.
Joining the Virtual Classroom
United Power electrical engineer Tyler Bain joined a Brighton High School engineering class in September via Zoom live from one of the cooperative’s substations to talk about where electricity comes from, how it is generated and what kind of schooling it takes to become an electrical engineer. He also discussed renewable energy with the students.
Decorating Virtual Ducks
United Power has long participated in and supported the annual Duck Derby hosted by the Rotary Club of Northglenn-Thornton. The duck race helps raise money for the Rotary Club to support scholarships, food banks and other local projects. This year, due to COVID-19, the club hosted its first virtual Duck Derby with an online “Best Dressed Duck” contest, which United Power entered, of course. Although our authentic, one-of-a-kind cow duck did not win, we are still proud to be a supporter of all the work the Rotary Club does.
Scarecrows in Fort Lupton
Thinking creatively for ways to entertain and engage businesses and residents this Halloween season while maintaining safe social distancing, the City of Fort Lupton and Fort Lupton Chamber of Commerce sponsored a unique scarecrow contest throughout the community. United Power introduced the first-ever lineman made of hay into the contest. Early thoughts on the new lineman include the suggestion that he stay clear of energized line.
Assisting the Career Path
Each year, the Adams County Education Consortium hosts its career expo for middle school students. This year’s virtual event will feature 2-hour sessions over the course of two days in late November where students can learn more about potential career paths. United Power will both sponsor and participate in the annual event in its new first-ever virtual event.
Title
Congratulations to Fair Giveaway Winners
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/hero_images/Hero_Fair.jpg?itok=OeF7jf5h
Friday | July 29, 2022
Card Teaser
Thank you to everyone who entered this year. We hope to see you all at the fair.
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of United Power's 2022 Adams County Fair Ticket Package Giveaway!
Lauren Cordova, Commerce City
Terry Hall, Hudson
Tammy Archuleta, Henderson
Erik Swanson, Thornton
Thank you to everyone who entered this year. We hope to see you all at the fair.
#FaireverFun #UnitedPowerPride
Connected for 80 Years
Friday | April 26, 2019
As we reflect on our own 80-year history as a rural cooperative, walk with us through the history of the region, and some of the highlights of the communities we’re connected to. Our history is a story about you— the members and communities that make up this cooperative.
Read more >
Consider a Medical Device Backup Plan
Friday | March 20, 2020
United Power members who rely on medical devices in their homes may be more greatly impacted by extended outages, like the ones we experienced on Thursday.
Read more >
Continued Growth and Innovation
Friday | March 1, 2019
This is the final piece in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.
Read more >
Title
Cooperative Roadmap 2.0
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/images/Images_News/_DSC8999.jpg?h=2d828ae9&itok=cjSLqr09
Monday | February 24, 2025
Card Teaser
Updated Roadmap is the collective vision to successfully deliver on cooperative's mission.
Updated Roadmap is Collective Vision to Successfully Deliver on Co-op’s Mission
United Power debuted its landmark action plan for preparing and adapting to industry changes nearly three years ago as it was about to enter new territory as an independent electric utility. Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap) was a coordinated effort by co-op staff to identify a collective vision to guide the utility’s future decisions. The action plan is ever-evolving, proactively responding to anticipated shifts in the electric industry, and ensures United Power maintains its competitive advantage as an industry leader in power supply innovation, system performance, and member satisfaction.
It was the strategic direction provided in the Roadmap’s first iteration that helped United Power secure a diverse portfolio of power supply agreements to meet the cooperative’s needs as it grows over the next several years. These agreements have already reduced the cooperative’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26% since May. United Power’s commitment to reducing emissions was a driving factor in obtaining nearly $262 million through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program to support its clean energy transition. The Roadmap was also pivotal in providing investor confidence to help finance the move toward independence, deploying an innovative battery energy storage system to mitigate peak costs, and breaking ground on a natural gas plant to ensure resource adequacy and flexibility.
Five guiding principles were identified to help the cooperative define, implement, and evaluate the Roadmap’s focus areas:
Safety. Prioritize safety in every decision and action. Safety is reflected in every aspect of United Power’s operations by fostering a culture of transparency, trust, and teamwork.
Reliability. Striving to deliver high-quality, uninterrupted service to members through the design, operation, protection, and maintenance of a robust and resilient electric distribution system.
Affordability. Commitment to securing fair and competitive wholesale rates, managing costs, and responsibly allocating those costs across the membership with stable and transparent rate options.
Flexibility. Demonstrate maximum agility and adaptiveness through forward-looking plans, versatile and innovative programs and business models, and diverse power supply options as the cooperative responds to changes in its environment and the needs of members and communities.
Responsibility. Act ethically, sustainably, and in the best interest of members and communities as the cooperative manages operations and secures resources.
The four strategic focus areas identified in the first version of the Roadmap remain relatively the same in the updated Roadmap, stretching across all the core functions of the cooperative, including power supply; system reliability and resiliency; data safety and security; and member programs and community engagement.
Empower and Engage with Members and Communities
Electric cooperatives are owned by the members they serve, which means the members are not just consumers but stakeholders in the cooperative’s success.
Members can vote for who represents them on the United Power Board of Directors through the annual Director Election, but the cooperative also gives back to the community in many ways.
United Power is a community partner, helping them establish their goals and visions. This includes understanding the unique needs and challenges of the communities and businesses the cooperative serves. The co-op supports the economic vitality of local communities through collaboration with local leaders and economic development organizations on growth initiatives and assists businesses with energy advice and expertise to help them meet legislative and regulatory targets.
Provide Flexible, Affordable, Responsible Power and Services
As the needs of the distribution system have increased, so has the need for United Power to evolve and optimize the supply of power and services to its members.
Becoming an independent electric utility provided United Power with more flexibility over its power supply options. The cooperative added more than 110 MW of battery energy storage to its distribution system last year and broke ground on an innovative gas peaking plant for an additional 160 MW of resource adequacy. The cooperative continues to pursue cost efficient power supply contracts while limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
Continuously Optimize the Electric Distribution System
The optimization of the electric distribution system is paramount as the cooperative confronts increasing demands and complexities driven by rapid electrification, the integration of distributed energy resources, and the evolving expectation of members.
United Power has experienced consecutive years of record-breaking reliability, ranking among the best electric utilities in the country. The cooperative’s strategic maintenance plan and innovative system design continue to provide positive results and demonstrate remarkable success.
Achieve and Maintain Business Agility and Resilience
Business agility and resilience are key investments of United Power’s strategic and operational plans.
Advancing technologies play a critical role in how United Power responds to and prevents outages. The cooperative is working to replace its distributed energy resource management system by early 2026 to better manage system operations and plans to roll out new tools to better manage materials and projects.
Our Cooperative Roadmap, along with news and updates about its implementation, can be found here.
Crossing A Meter Milestone
Tuesday | July 13, 2021
United Power surpasses 100,000 meters, becoming the second in Colorado - and 31st nationwide - to reach the milestone.
Read more >
Title
Cutting Into Supply Chain Delays
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/LS_NL_Plasma.jpg?itok=setoWvEE
Thursday | July 7, 2022
Card Teaser
With supply chain uncertainty, United Power purchased a new plasma cutter to bypass delays on essential parts and pieces.
Electric cooperatives rely on crucial materials to maintain the safety, reliability, and resiliency of their electric system. Supply chain delays are creating new challenges for most industries, but it’s been particularly difficult for electric utilities facing weeks-long delays on parts and materials necessary to ensure a properly functioning system.
“We’re experiencing six- to eight-week delays on standard maintenance materials, like mounts and brackets,” said Curtis Subia, United Power’s Vice President of Asset Management and Supply Chain. “It may be tempting to waive off something as small as a bracket if other materials are available, but without these brackets, projects come to a standstill. Even small pieces are absolutely essential to safely building our infrastructure.”
With uncertainty surrounding how long supply chain issues may persist, United Power purchased a new piece of equipment that will help the cooperative bypass delays and fabricate whole parts in-house without having to wait for backorders to be filled. A mechanized plasma cutter (pictured right) can precisely cut pieces out of sheet metal in just minutes. The pieces it produces are often ready for immediate use in the field.
“We could either wait weeks for orders to be delivered or we could figure out a timely way to make them ourselves,” said Subia. “We can’t shut down projects because the supply chain can’t keep up with demand, so we had to come up with a solution.”
United Power mechanics suggested the plasma cutter as an alternative. They have been fabricating parts for years when something is unavailable or if they need a custom piece. However, manual fabrication is slow, lacks precision, and is dangerous. The plasma cutter can be preprogrammed with almost any design and ready to use in just a few minutes. Once a design has been stored, the software can recall it again at any time. It’s a safer option for the mechanics and frees up their time to be spent on other projects.
“It can do things the human hand can’t do,” said Kevin Isham, a mechanic at United Power. “It can cut a piece over and over with precision and perfection in half the time it would take one of us to create a single piece. Having it makes our jobs quicker and safer.”
There’s no sign supply chain issues are coming to an end anytime soon. The plasma cutter represents another innovative solution United Power has adopted to meet the needs of the cooperative and its members in challenging circumstances.
