Title
Lineman Appreciation Day: A Lineman’s Responsibility is Never-Ending
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MarApr2019_NL_LinemanAppreciation_0.png?itok=0AvCn-jG
Thursday | April 18, 2019
Card Teaser
Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day, celebrated each year on April 18 to pay homage to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to keep the lights on.
Keeping the lights on is a never-ending responsibility. This past month, the United Power service territory was hit hard by the strongest storm in state history resulting in numerous outages and long days for our linemen. The rapid response linemen made to restore power to members affected by strong winds and blinding snow illustrates the danger of their responsibility.
Over the course of this past year, United Power members have been no stranger to severe weather. Summer brought us severe thunder storms, including high winds, large hail and lightning, resulting in significant damage to personal property and United Power’s infrastructure, while severe winter weather has contributed to many outages over the past few months.
Whether threatening clouds dot the horizon or snow blankets the ground, our linemen are prepared to respond. They’re on call 24 hours a day, regardless of weather. Without our linemen, the electricity we expect and rely on to power our lives wouldn’t be possible.
Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day, celebrated each year on April 18 to pay homage to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to keep the lights on. We invite our members to take a moment to thank our United Power linemen for the work they do.
Drop a kind note in the mail, through email at unitednewsline@unitedpower.com or thank them on our social media (use the hashtag #ThankALineman) to show your appreciation. If you see them in the field, remember they could be restoring power to you, a family member or your neighbor. Drive attentively and give them plenty of clearance to do their work safely.
Linemen are the backbone of United Power. What they do, they do for you.
United Power
Thank A Lineman500 Cooperative WayBrighton, CO 80603
Title
Lineman Going Back to Guatemala
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/JulyAug2019_NL_Guatemala.jpg?itok=oP6BY7ff
Tuesday | July 23, 2019
Card Teaser
Kelly Snow has been selected to return later this summer as part of a crew of to provide power to the village of Sillab.
For the second time in as many years, United Power lineman Kelly Snow will represent the cooperative in Guatemala. Snow has been selected to return later this summer as part of a crew of 20 linemen from Colorado and Oklahoma to provide power to yet another isolated jungle village.
This past summer, Snow spent three weeks near Playa Grande setting poles, stringing line and hanging transformers to provide power to residents in two remote jungle villages for the first time.
“It’s really an honor to be invited back,” Snow said. “Most of us have never had to go more than a day without electricity and the benefits it provides. These villages have never had that experience.”
Sillab, the village they’ll be energizing in October, is located in the mountainous jungles of north central Guatemala. Sillab is home to approximately 60 households, one elementary school and four churches, none of which have known the benefits of reliable and affordable electricity.
While much of the work will be the same, the terrain presents a new difficulty for Snow and his fellow linemen. Crews will have to overcome harsh conditions in order to string electric line more than six miles to Sillab, including dense jungle foliage, mountainous terrain, frequent rain and high humidity.
Harsh conditions and grueling manual labor contributed to fatigue and dehydration in the relatively flatter areas of Playa Grande.
“You don’t quickly forget the experience of working in the rain and humidity,” Snow said. “But steep inclines add another level of safety we’ll have to prepare for and pay careful attention to during the project.”
In Playa Grande, long days seemed longer without access to major equipment, a condition that will also worsen in Sillab.
With a few spare linemen and some light equipment, the utility near Playa Grande was able to provide a little help. The utility and power supplier near Sillab have only one lineman each and no equipment.
“It will be tough, physical labor,” Snow said, “but I’m proud to be a part of it. At the end of the day, if you can be proud of what you did, the pain and the challenge is worth it.”
For more than 80 years, electric cooperatives have been helping small, rural communities across the country thrive. It’s one of the seven cooperative principles: concern for community. With the help of NRECA International, cooperatives have been able to take that mission global, providing millions of small communities with the gift of electricity.
“This is why we were founded – bringing power to rural America,” Snow said. “The impact electricity makes on one of these villages is tangible and opens up doors to future possibilities.”
Local Food Banks Receive Member Choice Grants
Monday | May 11, 2020
Nominations quickly began arriving, and it was clear members saw an immediate need to provide basic food supplies for their neighbors at this time.
Read more >
Title
Looking for Kids to Help Spread Electrical Safety Messages
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/2018_02_14_KidsSpreadSafetyMessages.jpg?itok=bupRuTbS
Wednesday | February 14, 2018
Card Teaser
United Power is enlisting the help of local children to create electrical safety posters that will be displayed for National Electrical Safety Month in May.
United Power is enlisting the help of local children to create electrical safety posters that will be displayed for National Electrical Safety Month in May. Kids in grades kindergarten through fifth are invited to submit their creative ideas that incorporate electrical safety concepts or safety tips for the community.
Winning posters will be used in May to commemorate National Electrical Safety Month—an annual, nationwide campaign to raise awareness about electrical hazards. Six winning designs will be selected, one from each grade. Winning posters will be displayed throughout the United Power service territory—in print, online and on select bus benches. The winner from each grade will also be awarded a $50 cash prize.
The deadline for Electrical Safety Poster Contest entries is Wednesday, March 21, 2018. Posters must be submitted on the official coloring contest entry form, which is available at any United Power office, our website, and will be included in the February & March United Newsline, United Power’s monthly newsletter mailed directly to members. United Power employees will judge posters based on creativity and illustration of a key electrical safety concept. Winners will be announced by Friday, March 30, 2018.
Contest Details
Child must be a dependent of a United Power member.
Winners will receive $50 cash awards.
Six winners will be chosen. One from each grade K-5.
Winning posters will appear online, in print and on bus benches for the month May.
Entries must be submitted on the official contest entry form.
DEADLINE: MARCH 21, 2018
Electrical Safety Tips
Stay away from powerlines & electrical equipment.
Use care when plugging & unplugging.
Never mix electricity & water.
Never stick toys or other objects into electrical outlets.
Don’t overload outlets.
Ask an adult for help ‑ you can never be too safe!
Title
March Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq
Wednesday | March 5, 2025
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
A member recently asked a very good question about the price of utility-scale solar and how that related to the overall plan we have for the future of our power supply, particularly in light of the new 162 MW Mountain Peak Power natural gas plant being constructed in Weld County (where we also have 11 MW of battery storage).
What drove the question was the announcement of our latest solar plant, the 150 MW Byers Solar Farm being built in Adams County with cooperation from one of our long-time partners, Silicon Ranch. The question also reflected on the decision we executed last year to regain our independence as a cooperative.
The raw cost of energy is just one piece in the puzzle of activities that guide the operations of an electric distribution cooperative like United Power. Energy needs to cover every minute of every hour of every day, with enough back-up capacity to ensure the lights stay on and our economy keeps flowing. Buying energy and capacity requires a mix of supply options over a variety of contracts, and United Power — with the support of TEA Solutions, a national energy marketing and risk management services provider for community-owned utilities — works to balance the system both in real time and over the course of years.
Determining power supply is a multi-factored math and physics activity, coordinated at the local and regional levels. It involves not just the power supply but transmission, as well. The reality for much of the West is that congestion on the transmission system is a challenge for planning and operations, much like getting to a Broncos game in highway congestion.
We are receiving numerous well-priced power supply offers for the coming years. Unfortunately, the pathway to “bring it home” limits our ability to take advantage of some of best deals on the market. There are plans for new transmission across the West — plans that we support — but the harsh reality is that it will take a decade or more to develop, permit, and build. We simply cannot wait and hope for new transmission in time to meet our growing demand.
Given these challenges, United Power has devised a three-pronged approach to maintain power supply for our growing member base over the coming years, laid out in the recently-revised Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap).
First, we are focusing on hyper-localization, which keeps generating resources inside our service territory. Local power means less need for transmission and fewer line losses (energy lost as electricity is transported from point-to-point due to resistance). Plus it contributes to local tax revenue. The Byers Solar Farm is a great example.
Second, we are continuously improving our system as we evolve into a distribution system operator, which will allow us to use what we already have more effectively. Adding battery energy storage systems merges these first two concepts. We now have nearly 20% of our load in either four- or six-hour storage systems.
Finally, we are preparing for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) West, a power market that will allow us to buy and sell power more efficiently. This is planned for Spring 2026, and United Power will be ready.
We are living in a more dynamic energy market than any time in history, with more options than ever before. There is no single source of power that will supply all of our needs. That is why United Power truly believes in and acts on an “all of the above” energy strategy. Whether it is supporting nearly 13,000 residential solar systems, signing 30-year solar purchase power agreements, joining a market, or buying output from natural gas plants, the team works every day to anticipate and plan for your power needs. Just as we need a variety of transportation options — bicycles, cars, trucks, trains, and planes — so, too, do we need options in power supply.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions or comments. If you belong to a group that would like a United Power team member discuss the Roadmap at an upcoming meeting, please contact us.
Title
March/April Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP
Tuesday | March 1, 2022
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
Looking ahead while focusing on the present is a challenge in today’s electric power industry. Whether it is changing regulations; the desire of more members to engage with us as their electric cooperative in new ways; the advancement of technologies; or simply the expectations of high quality, always on, reliable power, being prepared is key.
Thanks to the hard work of staff at United Power, supported by our Board of Directors, we have created “Our Cooperative Roadmap,” or Roadmap, to document both where we are today and how we are looking toward the future. The Roadmap has four Guiding Principles: Reliability, Affordability, Flexibility, and Responsibility. Each of these principles embodies the elements most critical to us as we seek to prepare for the future while building and maintaining the important investments we have made on behalf of our members over the decades. 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.
Reliability
Strive to deliver high-quality, uninterrupted service to our members through the design, operation, protection, and maintenance of a failure-resistant and resilient electric distribution system.
Affordability
Continually seek fair and equitable wholesale rates, manage distribution costs in a highly efficient manner, and responsibly allocate those costs across our membership with stable and transparent rate options.
Flexibility
Demonstrate maximum agility and adaptiveness through forward-looking plans; versatile, innovative programs and business models; and diverse power supply options as we respond to changes in our environment and the needs of our members and community.
Responsibility
Act honestly, ethically, sustainably, and in the best interest of our members and communities as we manage operations and secure resources.
The Roadmap defines the working plan priorities for your cooperative and aligns the work of employees at United Power. The document will ensure continuity in our thinking and guide us as we make important resource decisions.
The Roadmap also keeps us looking at the immediate opportunities and challenges we face. The criticality of electricity has never been more evident as a growing number of our members work from home. The advances of technology require high quality, reliable power. And, as our communities grow, so too do the demands for more power.
A good example in planning ahead and working for today lies in the investments your cooperative made in our fire mitigation plan. Several years ago, we began switching to covered cable in the mountains, undergrounded critical lines, and moved to an advanced breaker. While no plan can perfectly protect us from the unpredictability of wildfires, we were ready to respond during the recent events here in Colorado. Fortunately, our system was not impacted.
The same is true as we ready our technologies to accept more distributed energy resources, storage, and solar on our system while preparing for the advent of a power market here in the west.
We encourage members to read Our Cooperative Roadmap and engage in future discussions about it. The senior team and I welcome the opportunity to come and speak to community groups and will be posting several videos online that cover the Roadmap’s key elements.
Our Cooperative Roadmap covers a wide range of areas – all designed with you, our member, in mind. Importantly, it helps define the cooperative’s future and keeps us on track today. As always, I welcome your comments, questions, and feedback on any topic, including the Roadmap. Please contact me here.
Title
May is National Electrical Safety Month
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MayJune_NL_ElectricalSafetyMonth.png?itok=1nCQoSiU
Thursday | May 2, 2019
Card Teaser
May is National Electrical Safety Month, and United Power is joining with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety.
If you are subscribed to newsletters or emails from any major electronics store, you have experienced firsthand the rapid advancement of technology over the past few years. Smart technology has evolved past our phone and thermostat to incorporate practically every aspect of our daily life. From entertainment to fitness, technology powers our lives.
May is National Electrical Safety Month, and United Power is joining with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. Safely managing electronic tools and toys may not cross our minds as we walk around with water resistant phones and watches, but improperly managing electronics can be dangerous. Staying aware of a few simple things can keep you and your family safe from electrical hazards.
United Power offers the following tips to help identify and eliminate electrical hazards to protect yourself, your family, and your home:
Overloaded electrical circuits are a major cause of residential fires. Lower your risk of electrical fires by not overloading your home’s electrical system.
Light bulbs come in a variety of wattages, and lamps work with specific watts. Only use light bulbs that meet (or are below) the maximum wattage listed on the lamp or fixture. Consider investing in LEDs, which use fewer watts while outputting the same amount of light and cost less to operate. Exceeding the wattage limit can cause overheating and potential fire hazards.
Extension cords should not be used as a permanent solution. Contact a licensed electrician to install additional outlets.
Never use electrical cords that feel warm to the touch or are damaged or frayed in any way.
Frequently tripped circuit breakers and blown fuses are a clear warning sign of faulty electrical wiring. Contact a licensed electrician for an inspection.
Be prepared, just in case. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Remember to test once a month!
Find out more about how to stay safe around electricity from ESFI.
Title
Lineman Appreciation Day: A Lineman’s Responsibility is Never-Ending
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MarApr2019_NL_LinemanAppreciation_0.png?itok=0AvCn-jG
Thursday | April 18, 2019
Card Teaser
Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day, celebrated each year on April 18 to pay homage to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to keep the lights on.
Keeping the lights on is a never-ending responsibility. This past month, the United Power service territory was hit hard by the strongest storm in state history resulting in numerous outages and long days for our linemen. The rapid response linemen made to restore power to members affected by strong winds and blinding snow illustrates the danger of their responsibility.
Over the course of this past year, United Power members have been no stranger to severe weather. Summer brought us severe thunder storms, including high winds, large hail and lightning, resulting in significant damage to personal property and United Power’s infrastructure, while severe winter weather has contributed to many outages over the past few months.
Whether threatening clouds dot the horizon or snow blankets the ground, our linemen are prepared to respond. They’re on call 24 hours a day, regardless of weather. Without our linemen, the electricity we expect and rely on to power our lives wouldn’t be possible.
Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day, celebrated each year on April 18 to pay homage to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to keep the lights on. We invite our members to take a moment to thank our United Power linemen for the work they do.
Drop a kind note in the mail, through email at unitednewsline@unitedpower.com or thank them on our social media (use the hashtag #ThankALineman) to show your appreciation. If you see them in the field, remember they could be restoring power to you, a family member or your neighbor. Drive attentively and give them plenty of clearance to do their work safely.
Linemen are the backbone of United Power. What they do, they do for you.
United Power
Thank A Lineman500 Cooperative WayBrighton, CO 80603
Title
Lineman Going Back to Guatemala
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/JulyAug2019_NL_Guatemala.jpg?itok=oP6BY7ff
Tuesday | July 23, 2019
Card Teaser
Kelly Snow has been selected to return later this summer as part of a crew of to provide power to the village of Sillab.
For the second time in as many years, United Power lineman Kelly Snow will represent the cooperative in Guatemala. Snow has been selected to return later this summer as part of a crew of 20 linemen from Colorado and Oklahoma to provide power to yet another isolated jungle village.
This past summer, Snow spent three weeks near Playa Grande setting poles, stringing line and hanging transformers to provide power to residents in two remote jungle villages for the first time.
“It’s really an honor to be invited back,” Snow said. “Most of us have never had to go more than a day without electricity and the benefits it provides. These villages have never had that experience.”
Sillab, the village they’ll be energizing in October, is located in the mountainous jungles of north central Guatemala. Sillab is home to approximately 60 households, one elementary school and four churches, none of which have known the benefits of reliable and affordable electricity.
While much of the work will be the same, the terrain presents a new difficulty for Snow and his fellow linemen. Crews will have to overcome harsh conditions in order to string electric line more than six miles to Sillab, including dense jungle foliage, mountainous terrain, frequent rain and high humidity.
Harsh conditions and grueling manual labor contributed to fatigue and dehydration in the relatively flatter areas of Playa Grande.
“You don’t quickly forget the experience of working in the rain and humidity,” Snow said. “But steep inclines add another level of safety we’ll have to prepare for and pay careful attention to during the project.”
In Playa Grande, long days seemed longer without access to major equipment, a condition that will also worsen in Sillab.
With a few spare linemen and some light equipment, the utility near Playa Grande was able to provide a little help. The utility and power supplier near Sillab have only one lineman each and no equipment.
“It will be tough, physical labor,” Snow said, “but I’m proud to be a part of it. At the end of the day, if you can be proud of what you did, the pain and the challenge is worth it.”
For more than 80 years, electric cooperatives have been helping small, rural communities across the country thrive. It’s one of the seven cooperative principles: concern for community. With the help of NRECA International, cooperatives have been able to take that mission global, providing millions of small communities with the gift of electricity.
“This is why we were founded – bringing power to rural America,” Snow said. “The impact electricity makes on one of these villages is tangible and opens up doors to future possibilities.”
Local Food Banks Receive Member Choice Grants
Monday | May 11, 2020
Nominations quickly began arriving, and it was clear members saw an immediate need to provide basic food supplies for their neighbors at this time.
Read more >
Title
Looking for Kids to Help Spread Electrical Safety Messages
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/2018_02_14_KidsSpreadSafetyMessages.jpg?itok=bupRuTbS
Wednesday | February 14, 2018
Card Teaser
United Power is enlisting the help of local children to create electrical safety posters that will be displayed for National Electrical Safety Month in May.
United Power is enlisting the help of local children to create electrical safety posters that will be displayed for National Electrical Safety Month in May. Kids in grades kindergarten through fifth are invited to submit their creative ideas that incorporate electrical safety concepts or safety tips for the community.
Winning posters will be used in May to commemorate National Electrical Safety Month—an annual, nationwide campaign to raise awareness about electrical hazards. Six winning designs will be selected, one from each grade. Winning posters will be displayed throughout the United Power service territory—in print, online and on select bus benches. The winner from each grade will also be awarded a $50 cash prize.
The deadline for Electrical Safety Poster Contest entries is Wednesday, March 21, 2018. Posters must be submitted on the official coloring contest entry form, which is available at any United Power office, our website, and will be included in the February & March United Newsline, United Power’s monthly newsletter mailed directly to members. United Power employees will judge posters based on creativity and illustration of a key electrical safety concept. Winners will be announced by Friday, March 30, 2018.
Contest Details
Child must be a dependent of a United Power member.
Winners will receive $50 cash awards.
Six winners will be chosen. One from each grade K-5.
Winning posters will appear online, in print and on bus benches for the month May.
Entries must be submitted on the official contest entry form.
DEADLINE: MARCH 21, 2018
Electrical Safety Tips
Stay away from powerlines & electrical equipment.
Use care when plugging & unplugging.
Never mix electricity & water.
Never stick toys or other objects into electrical outlets.
Don’t overload outlets.
Ask an adult for help ‑ you can never be too safe!
Title
March Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq
Wednesday | March 5, 2025
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
A member recently asked a very good question about the price of utility-scale solar and how that related to the overall plan we have for the future of our power supply, particularly in light of the new 162 MW Mountain Peak Power natural gas plant being constructed in Weld County (where we also have 11 MW of battery storage).
What drove the question was the announcement of our latest solar plant, the 150 MW Byers Solar Farm being built in Adams County with cooperation from one of our long-time partners, Silicon Ranch. The question also reflected on the decision we executed last year to regain our independence as a cooperative.
The raw cost of energy is just one piece in the puzzle of activities that guide the operations of an electric distribution cooperative like United Power. Energy needs to cover every minute of every hour of every day, with enough back-up capacity to ensure the lights stay on and our economy keeps flowing. Buying energy and capacity requires a mix of supply options over a variety of contracts, and United Power — with the support of TEA Solutions, a national energy marketing and risk management services provider for community-owned utilities — works to balance the system both in real time and over the course of years.
Determining power supply is a multi-factored math and physics activity, coordinated at the local and regional levels. It involves not just the power supply but transmission, as well. The reality for much of the West is that congestion on the transmission system is a challenge for planning and operations, much like getting to a Broncos game in highway congestion.
We are receiving numerous well-priced power supply offers for the coming years. Unfortunately, the pathway to “bring it home” limits our ability to take advantage of some of best deals on the market. There are plans for new transmission across the West — plans that we support — but the harsh reality is that it will take a decade or more to develop, permit, and build. We simply cannot wait and hope for new transmission in time to meet our growing demand.
Given these challenges, United Power has devised a three-pronged approach to maintain power supply for our growing member base over the coming years, laid out in the recently-revised Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap).
First, we are focusing on hyper-localization, which keeps generating resources inside our service territory. Local power means less need for transmission and fewer line losses (energy lost as electricity is transported from point-to-point due to resistance). Plus it contributes to local tax revenue. The Byers Solar Farm is a great example.
Second, we are continuously improving our system as we evolve into a distribution system operator, which will allow us to use what we already have more effectively. Adding battery energy storage systems merges these first two concepts. We now have nearly 20% of our load in either four- or six-hour storage systems.
Finally, we are preparing for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) West, a power market that will allow us to buy and sell power more efficiently. This is planned for Spring 2026, and United Power will be ready.
We are living in a more dynamic energy market than any time in history, with more options than ever before. There is no single source of power that will supply all of our needs. That is why United Power truly believes in and acts on an “all of the above” energy strategy. Whether it is supporting nearly 13,000 residential solar systems, signing 30-year solar purchase power agreements, joining a market, or buying output from natural gas plants, the team works every day to anticipate and plan for your power needs. Just as we need a variety of transportation options — bicycles, cars, trucks, trains, and planes — so, too, do we need options in power supply.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions or comments. If you belong to a group that would like a United Power team member discuss the Roadmap at an upcoming meeting, please contact us.
Title
March/April Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP
Tuesday | March 1, 2022
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
Looking ahead while focusing on the present is a challenge in today’s electric power industry. Whether it is changing regulations; the desire of more members to engage with us as their electric cooperative in new ways; the advancement of technologies; or simply the expectations of high quality, always on, reliable power, being prepared is key.
Thanks to the hard work of staff at United Power, supported by our Board of Directors, we have created “Our Cooperative Roadmap,” or Roadmap, to document both where we are today and how we are looking toward the future. The Roadmap has four Guiding Principles: Reliability, Affordability, Flexibility, and Responsibility. Each of these principles embodies the elements most critical to us as we seek to prepare for the future while building and maintaining the important investments we have made on behalf of our members over the decades. 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.
Reliability
Strive to deliver high-quality, uninterrupted service to our members through the design, operation, protection, and maintenance of a failure-resistant and resilient electric distribution system.
Affordability
Continually seek fair and equitable wholesale rates, manage distribution costs in a highly efficient manner, and responsibly allocate those costs across our membership with stable and transparent rate options.
Flexibility
Demonstrate maximum agility and adaptiveness through forward-looking plans; versatile, innovative programs and business models; and diverse power supply options as we respond to changes in our environment and the needs of our members and community.
Responsibility
Act honestly, ethically, sustainably, and in the best interest of our members and communities as we manage operations and secure resources.
The Roadmap defines the working plan priorities for your cooperative and aligns the work of employees at United Power. The document will ensure continuity in our thinking and guide us as we make important resource decisions.
The Roadmap also keeps us looking at the immediate opportunities and challenges we face. The criticality of electricity has never been more evident as a growing number of our members work from home. The advances of technology require high quality, reliable power. And, as our communities grow, so too do the demands for more power.
A good example in planning ahead and working for today lies in the investments your cooperative made in our fire mitigation plan. Several years ago, we began switching to covered cable in the mountains, undergrounded critical lines, and moved to an advanced breaker. While no plan can perfectly protect us from the unpredictability of wildfires, we were ready to respond during the recent events here in Colorado. Fortunately, our system was not impacted.
The same is true as we ready our technologies to accept more distributed energy resources, storage, and solar on our system while preparing for the advent of a power market here in the west.
We encourage members to read Our Cooperative Roadmap and engage in future discussions about it. The senior team and I welcome the opportunity to come and speak to community groups and will be posting several videos online that cover the Roadmap’s key elements.
Our Cooperative Roadmap covers a wide range of areas – all designed with you, our member, in mind. Importantly, it helps define the cooperative’s future and keeps us on track today. As always, I welcome your comments, questions, and feedback on any topic, including the Roadmap. Please contact me here.
Title
May is National Electrical Safety Month
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MayJune_NL_ElectricalSafetyMonth.png?itok=1nCQoSiU
Thursday | May 2, 2019
Card Teaser
May is National Electrical Safety Month, and United Power is joining with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety.
If you are subscribed to newsletters or emails from any major electronics store, you have experienced firsthand the rapid advancement of technology over the past few years. Smart technology has evolved past our phone and thermostat to incorporate practically every aspect of our daily life. From entertainment to fitness, technology powers our lives.
May is National Electrical Safety Month, and United Power is joining with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. Safely managing electronic tools and toys may not cross our minds as we walk around with water resistant phones and watches, but improperly managing electronics can be dangerous. Staying aware of a few simple things can keep you and your family safe from electrical hazards.
United Power offers the following tips to help identify and eliminate electrical hazards to protect yourself, your family, and your home:
Overloaded electrical circuits are a major cause of residential fires. Lower your risk of electrical fires by not overloading your home’s electrical system.
Light bulbs come in a variety of wattages, and lamps work with specific watts. Only use light bulbs that meet (or are below) the maximum wattage listed on the lamp or fixture. Consider investing in LEDs, which use fewer watts while outputting the same amount of light and cost less to operate. Exceeding the wattage limit can cause overheating and potential fire hazards.
Extension cords should not be used as a permanent solution. Contact a licensed electrician to install additional outlets.
Never use electrical cords that feel warm to the touch or are damaged or frayed in any way.
Frequently tripped circuit breakers and blown fuses are a clear warning sign of faulty electrical wiring. Contact a licensed electrician for an inspection.
Be prepared, just in case. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Remember to test once a month!
Find out more about how to stay safe around electricity from ESFI.
