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Maintaining A Standard
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Wednesday | November 26, 2025
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United Power consistently demonstrates excellence in system performance.
Reliability Outperforms National Averages Year-Over-Year
Members expect consistently reliable power from their electric utility. United Power has maintained a standard of excellence in system performance, delivering results that far exceed the national average year-over-year. The cooperative has continued to meet this standard while it navigated a power supply transition last year and is incorporating new, innovative projects that source and store power locally.
The cooperative’s exit from its wholesale power contract in May of 2024 meant bringing on new contracts from a mix of traditional and sustainable resources into the distribution system. Aside from celebrating United Power’s energy independence, the switch was successfully executed without any power disruptions, ensuring members can count on the cooperative to maintain its standards for reliability and resiliency across the distribution system.
United Power has collected 18 months of data since the transition, demonstrating consistent system reliability.
Measuring Reliability, By the Numbers
Electric utilities use a variety of key performance indicators to measure how effectively and efficiently their systems are operating. The most common indicator is known as the System Average Interruption Duration Index, or SAIDI. United Power also tracks the System Average Interruption Frequency Index, or SAIFI. These indicators are among the many used by utilities to analyze system performance and calculate outage expectations for an average member.
SAIDI is the measurement of cumulative outage time (in minutes) an average member would expect to experience over the course of a year. The national average across all electric utilities was 131 minutes in 2024 and nearly 240 minutes for cooperatives, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). United Power’s SAIDI score has stayed below 80 minutes each of the past three years and is just above 60 minutes through September of this year.
SAIFI measures the total number of outages an average member would expect to experience over the course of a year (frequency of outages experienced). United Power’s score of 0.90 in 2024 means the average meter experienced fewer than one outage throughout the year, again exceeding the national average across all electric utilities (1.07) and other cooperatives (1.61), per the EIA. Put another way, most United Power members were unlikely to experience more than one outage last year, and many did not experience an outage at all.
Another performance indicator used by utilities measures the system’s overall availability rate. The co-op’s three-year availability rate was between 98.8% and 99.9%.
“Our system’s performance is due to the great effort of our engineering and operations teams,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and CEO. “They are responsible for reviewing and interpreting data and developing strategies to improve the system. We are setting the standard for other utilities while meeting our members’ expectations.”
Building a Better System
United Power’s approach to maximizing system performance utilizes a comprehensive combination of design practices, proactive maintenance projects, and extensive integration of automated and smart field devices.
Outages are an intrinsic reality for electric utilities. United Power can mitigate them, but cannot guarantee they will not happen. Mitigation begins with building the system so that outages are recognized earlier, impact fewer members, and are restored quickly — and more importantly, safely. The cooperative designs the system with these steps in mind.
One of the ways this is accomplished is known as a “redundancy.” This essentially means that power can be rerouted from an alternate source to restore members during an outage while crews are investigating the cause or working on repairs. Most members are on a redundant system, which is part of why United Power’s average restoration times are also among the best in the country.
Another design strategy is “sectionalizing.” This means that when a fault results in an outage, depending on where it is located down the line, it may affect fewer members. Devices are installed in sections throughout the distribution system to limit outage impact.
United Power also deploys automated devices that collect system data. That information can help locate and clear faults to minimize outages and reduce restoration times or identify infrastructure that is not performing optimally and needs to be repaired. This data has been helpful in the cooperative’s maintenance plan, which proactively targets the worst-performing sections of the system to improve reliability and increase resiliency.
United Power outperforms other electric utilities across the various metrics used to evaluate system performance, but the cooperative regularly reviews emerging strategies and innovative technologies that can further improve reliability. Delivering safe and reliable power is the co-op’s core responsibility to members. You can be sure it is not taken lightly.
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March Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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Wednesday | March 5, 2025
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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.
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March Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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Thursday | February 29, 2024
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A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
I have spent much of my 30+ year career in the utility industry. Through the years, people have often asked me what the “best” business model is to provide electricity. There are basically three choices: investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and cooperatives like United Power.
I try to reflect on the various pluses and minuses of each business model when answering the question, but always come back to the same conclusion — cooperatives are the closest to their member-owners, focus clearly on the communities being served, and can make changes quickly as technology transforms the energy enterprise.
Commitment to our member-owners is deeply embedded in the cooperative mindset. Our employees work diligently each day to meet the needs of United Power members, while also anticipating future needs. This is why we have been able to handle the tremendous growth in our service territory across all the sectors we are proud to serve: residential, small commercial, and large commercial/industrial. Our attitude and culture is to meet needs when and where they arise, based on the members’ time frame.
Members have an active voice in the utility’s future direction through the annual Director Election. The dedicated women and men on United Power’s Board of Directors spend many hours alongside management preparing for what is to come. This is particularly important with the rapidly changing environment we find ourselves in today.
The Board had the foresight to pilot the largest battery storage facility in the West in 2018. It provided understanding and experience in operating battery storage systems, and paved the way for the cooperative to add another 115 megawatts of battery storage to our system this spring and summer. This battery deployment ensures reliability and allows us to manage the system locally. We will be one of the first utilities in the nation to energize utility-scale batteries at our substations. Moving quickly and taking advantage of innovative technologies is a hallmark of the cooperative world, and certainly at United Power.
Our theme for this year — United Power’s 85th anniversary — is Here for Good. This captures our belief in building a reliable and resilient distribution system and our enduring presence in the communities we serve. United Power fosters local relationships and partners on economic development to support community growth. The cooperative also partners with members who want to give back to those less fortunate through Operation Round Up. More than 25,000 of you participate in the program, which has distributed more than $3 million since 1995. This is why the cooperative business model is so strong — the proximity to the people we serve as “members” and not just “customers.”
As a member, you are also an owner with a vested economic interest in United Power. A part of every monthly statement is an investment in your utility — a key difference in the three business models. Every year, the Board of Directors evaluates our financial condition and determines if we can return margins to members. In the last five years alone, we have returned more than $25 million to members. This only happens in the cooperative world (unless you own stock in an investor-owned utility, of course).
Electric cooperatives are based on seven principles: open and voluntary membership; democratic member control; members economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training, and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community. We take these principle to heart in everything we do at United Power.
My third anniversary at the helm of United Power is March 15. I am thankful every day to live and work in a community powered by an electric cooperative, and to work with the amazing women and men of this utility.
As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns. I enjoy hearing from our members and appreciate your continued support.
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March/April Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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Tuesday | March 1, 2022
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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.
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Mark A. Gabriel Announced as New GridWise Alliance Board Member
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Tuesday | December 6, 2022
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The GridWise Alliance announced nine new members to its Board of Directors, all strongly committed to advancing the organization's mission to articulate the benefits of grid modernization.
Washington D.C. - The GridWise Alliance announced nine new members to its Board of Directors today, all of whom are strongly committed to advancing the organization's mission to articulate the benefits of grid modernization.
“The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are further evidence of the increasing rate of change in the industry. GridWise Alliance and other organizations in the field will play a critical role, and bringing in leaders with fresh perspectives is critical,” said Gil Quiniones, CEO, ComEd and Chair of the GridWise Alliance. “Our new board members bring this type of innovative thinking and leadership to the Board of Directors and continue to ensure that it is at the forefront of our country’s energy transformation.”
The new GridWise Alliance Board members who will begin two-year terms, include:
Astrid Atkinson, CEO and Co-Founder, Camus Energy
Michelle Blaise, Senior Vice President Engineering and Project Management, ComEd
Russell Boyer, Global Energy Field Director, Dell Technologies
Michelle Fay, Partner, Guidehouse
Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO, United Power
Hanna Grene, Worldwide Power and Utilities Leader, Microsoft
Wade Lauer, Senior Vice President Transmission, North America, Siemens Energy Inc.
Deepa Poduval, Global Advisory Lead, Senior Vice President, Black & Veatch
Jeannie Salo, Vice President, Government Relations, Schneider Electric
“I am excited to work with the new Directors over the next two years, which will see historic investments in grid modernization in the U.S.,” said Karen Wayland, CEO of the GridWise Alliance. “The GridWise Board of Directors is a group of industry leaders who will help shape the trajectory of grid modernization across the country to enhance reliability, resilience, decarbonization and energy equity.”
The nine incoming Board members will join a group of 16 other Board Directors representing all areas of the electric grid industry. The full list of GridWise Board of Directors is easily accessible on the GridWise website.
About GridWise Alliance:
The GridWise Alliance leads a diverse membership of electricity industry stakeholders focused on accelerating innovation that delivers a more secure, reliable, resilient, and affordable grid to support decarbonization of the U.S. economy. For more information about the GridWise Alliance, visit: www.gridwise.org.
May is National Electrical Safety Month
Thursday | May 2, 2019
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.
Read more >
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May Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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Wednesday | May 1, 2024
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A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
There is never a good time to raise rates, but there is always a good reason. Raising rates ensures the financial stability of the utility, keeps borrowing costs low, and allows for continued investment in facilities. Sometimes there is a great reason to raise rates. For United Power, that great reason is freedom to do the right thing for our members and a restoration of local control.
More than 85 years ago, United Power’s founding board members decided electrification was in the best interest of their communities. Their goal required bold thinking and a bit of moxie. It took them two years to bring their idea of electrification to life but resulted in the lights going on for 110 homes and businesses in 1940. It introduced a vision for the future that is still being expanded today. The cooperative is now more than 100 times larger – far larger than those original founders could have ever imagined.
Two years ago, your intrepid Board of Directors began the initial steps to take our cooperative back, advocating for a new direction untethered to an organization that was not operating in our members’ best interests. The Board’s belief is bringing a new vision of the future, and we are expanding on that every day.
Operating as an independent entity allows United Power to manage its own destiny and focus on locally controlled generation and assets, while protecting members from costs that do not bring them value. Exiting our power contract prevents the cooperative from carrying a disproportionate burden of the supplier’s costs and investments and subsidizing others. Additionally, we want to incentivize generation and storage within our communities and increase reliability. Local generation contributes tax revenue that benefits our communities. Our new power supply will also immediately reduce our carbon intensity, helping us meet regulatory mandates.
The cost of this freedom is $627 million, broken down into an exit fee of roughly $450 million and a 40-year prepayment of approximately $180 million for the use of transmission facilities. This prepayment is a loan from United Power that will earn interest to the tune of more than $250 million, and it is for service that we would have needed to buy anyway. Most importantly, the cooperative will be free from debts and obligations over which we have no management or control.
The key question, of course, is what this exit will do to bills. There will be a small rate increase to pay for our freedom. Raising rates is never pleasant, and we understand this will be challenging for some. We are working on programs to minimize the impact, and we are committed to rate stabilization and potential answers for lowering them as we pay off our exit fees.
This resolution is really the end of the beginning for United Power’s exciting and bold vision for the future. This was outlined three years ago in Our Cooperative Roadmap, which envisioned a new set of power supplies, the move into power markets, increased levels of energy storage, and continuing our industry-leading innovation.
Innovation is not new at United Power. We were one of the first to have community solar, generate power from methane waste gas, and pioneer battery storage. Further, our rates and programs support members who add solar and storage, and electric vehicles are revolutionizing our backyard with more than 6,000 in our territory.
United Power received a grant to combine floating solar with storage in Fort Lupton to produce low-cost power and reduce water loss through evaporation. Golden Aluminum, one of the co-op’s largest industrial members, received $22.3 million to electrify their processes. And, we have been selected to apply for New ERA grant funding. If the application is successful, those funds will help stabilize and lower the cost of lower carbon resources.
Being an independent entity means we get to pick the right generating resources for our members, and help electrification efforts without constraints or paying for things that do not benefit the co-op.
There is a cost to our freedom, but operating independently is priceless. Bold thinking and a bit of moxie are making this happen. I am proud of the women and men of United Power. We are, and will remain, Here for Good.
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May Message from Mark. A. Gabriel
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Monday | May 8, 2023
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A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
My old boss used to have a saying, “Predicting rain is one thing, building the ark is another.” I am proud to say that your cooperative, with support from the Board of Directors, developed and is following Our Cooperative Roadmap — the ark for success now and into the future. This journey will continue the evolution of the electric business as we work to meet the needs of you, our members, wherever you are.
There continues to be a lot of talk about the energy transition — how the future will look, the challenges of changing power suppliers, and the issues with more people and businesses seeking alternative generation sources. Many of these conversations in the industry revolve around concerns for reliability, resilience, and of course affordability, three watchwords for all of us operating your cooperative.
A distribution cooperative like United Power stands at the crossroads of a changing energy industry. It needs to transition from a simple distribution operator to managing a system that is agnostic to inputs and flexible enough to handle both centralized power and local generation. Very few central power stations are being built today, more fossil fuel generation facilities are closing, and transmission projects lag needs. A distribution system operator (DSO) will be counted on to manage a more complex, yet interlocked, system. This will empower you as members and monetize investments in a shared energy economy.
We are focused on staying closely tied to the economic drivers of the communities we serve to bring tax dollars, revenue, and well-paying job opportunities. We must be good stewards of our resources and build on the solid partnerships with our local businesses. I am proud to say that these partnerships are the cornerstone of the cooperative business model.
Providing high quality and reliable service is crucial because businesses matter. We are restructuring some staff to focus on business and community partnerships — our key accounts. This will allow us to be more responsive, anticipate needs in areas such as power quality, and leverage available grant dollars and tax incentives. Another benefit in controlling our power supply will allow us to craft rates that work for these members.
As a member-owned cooperative, the concept of “meeting you where you are,” aligns with our goal of delivering mutual value. It has the added benefit of keeping investments in the communities we serve while ensuring the reliability and resiliency required in today’s environment. The quiet transition to localized grids, combined with the advancements in management tools and software, returns to continue the electricity enterprises’ original intent of bringing light, motive power, and comfort to the communities being served.
Our Cooperative Roadmap makes sure we are invested in the technological changes our members are navigating in our industry. More members want to self-generate or make energy efficient upgrades to their homes. Others are investing in technologies that will change the way we interface with members. United Power must continue supporting technologies that reduce costs for all members. Programs such as United EV, Smart Rewards for thermostats, energy efficiency rebates, and solar interconnections give members control over how they use power. We are here to support members who want to produce their own power and provide financial incentives that align with our goals of affordability and system control. These programs are aimed at sharing savings with our members when they participate in programs that can reduce our costs.
What does this mean in practice? United Power provides the people and tools to help members make decisions about their own energy use, power generation, use of technologies, and safe integration of batteries and solar panels. It means we are continuously scanning the horizon to make sure our distribution system is ready for tomorrow and safe for today.
We are not just predicting the rain of change but building the ark to ensure we sail into this bright new future.
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Maintaining A Standard
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Wednesday | November 26, 2025
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United Power consistently demonstrates excellence in system performance.
Reliability Outperforms National Averages Year-Over-Year
Members expect consistently reliable power from their electric utility. United Power has maintained a standard of excellence in system performance, delivering results that far exceed the national average year-over-year. The cooperative has continued to meet this standard while it navigated a power supply transition last year and is incorporating new, innovative projects that source and store power locally.
The cooperative’s exit from its wholesale power contract in May of 2024 meant bringing on new contracts from a mix of traditional and sustainable resources into the distribution system. Aside from celebrating United Power’s energy independence, the switch was successfully executed without any power disruptions, ensuring members can count on the cooperative to maintain its standards for reliability and resiliency across the distribution system.
United Power has collected 18 months of data since the transition, demonstrating consistent system reliability.
Measuring Reliability, By the Numbers
Electric utilities use a variety of key performance indicators to measure how effectively and efficiently their systems are operating. The most common indicator is known as the System Average Interruption Duration Index, or SAIDI. United Power also tracks the System Average Interruption Frequency Index, or SAIFI. These indicators are among the many used by utilities to analyze system performance and calculate outage expectations for an average member.
SAIDI is the measurement of cumulative outage time (in minutes) an average member would expect to experience over the course of a year. The national average across all electric utilities was 131 minutes in 2024 and nearly 240 minutes for cooperatives, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). United Power’s SAIDI score has stayed below 80 minutes each of the past three years and is just above 60 minutes through September of this year.
SAIFI measures the total number of outages an average member would expect to experience over the course of a year (frequency of outages experienced). United Power’s score of 0.90 in 2024 means the average meter experienced fewer than one outage throughout the year, again exceeding the national average across all electric utilities (1.07) and other cooperatives (1.61), per the EIA. Put another way, most United Power members were unlikely to experience more than one outage last year, and many did not experience an outage at all.
Another performance indicator used by utilities measures the system’s overall availability rate. The co-op’s three-year availability rate was between 98.8% and 99.9%.
“Our system’s performance is due to the great effort of our engineering and operations teams,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and CEO. “They are responsible for reviewing and interpreting data and developing strategies to improve the system. We are setting the standard for other utilities while meeting our members’ expectations.”
Building a Better System
United Power’s approach to maximizing system performance utilizes a comprehensive combination of design practices, proactive maintenance projects, and extensive integration of automated and smart field devices.
Outages are an intrinsic reality for electric utilities. United Power can mitigate them, but cannot guarantee they will not happen. Mitigation begins with building the system so that outages are recognized earlier, impact fewer members, and are restored quickly — and more importantly, safely. The cooperative designs the system with these steps in mind.
One of the ways this is accomplished is known as a “redundancy.” This essentially means that power can be rerouted from an alternate source to restore members during an outage while crews are investigating the cause or working on repairs. Most members are on a redundant system, which is part of why United Power’s average restoration times are also among the best in the country.
Another design strategy is “sectionalizing.” This means that when a fault results in an outage, depending on where it is located down the line, it may affect fewer members. Devices are installed in sections throughout the distribution system to limit outage impact.
United Power also deploys automated devices that collect system data. That information can help locate and clear faults to minimize outages and reduce restoration times or identify infrastructure that is not performing optimally and needs to be repaired. This data has been helpful in the cooperative’s maintenance plan, which proactively targets the worst-performing sections of the system to improve reliability and increase resiliency.
United Power outperforms other electric utilities across the various metrics used to evaluate system performance, but the cooperative regularly reviews emerging strategies and innovative technologies that can further improve reliability. Delivering safe and reliable power is the co-op’s core responsibility to members. You can be sure it is not taken lightly.
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March Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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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.
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March Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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Thursday | February 29, 2024
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A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
I have spent much of my 30+ year career in the utility industry. Through the years, people have often asked me what the “best” business model is to provide electricity. There are basically three choices: investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and cooperatives like United Power.
I try to reflect on the various pluses and minuses of each business model when answering the question, but always come back to the same conclusion — cooperatives are the closest to their member-owners, focus clearly on the communities being served, and can make changes quickly as technology transforms the energy enterprise.
Commitment to our member-owners is deeply embedded in the cooperative mindset. Our employees work diligently each day to meet the needs of United Power members, while also anticipating future needs. This is why we have been able to handle the tremendous growth in our service territory across all the sectors we are proud to serve: residential, small commercial, and large commercial/industrial. Our attitude and culture is to meet needs when and where they arise, based on the members’ time frame.
Members have an active voice in the utility’s future direction through the annual Director Election. The dedicated women and men on United Power’s Board of Directors spend many hours alongside management preparing for what is to come. This is particularly important with the rapidly changing environment we find ourselves in today.
The Board had the foresight to pilot the largest battery storage facility in the West in 2018. It provided understanding and experience in operating battery storage systems, and paved the way for the cooperative to add another 115 megawatts of battery storage to our system this spring and summer. This battery deployment ensures reliability and allows us to manage the system locally. We will be one of the first utilities in the nation to energize utility-scale batteries at our substations. Moving quickly and taking advantage of innovative technologies is a hallmark of the cooperative world, and certainly at United Power.
Our theme for this year — United Power’s 85th anniversary — is Here for Good. This captures our belief in building a reliable and resilient distribution system and our enduring presence in the communities we serve. United Power fosters local relationships and partners on economic development to support community growth. The cooperative also partners with members who want to give back to those less fortunate through Operation Round Up. More than 25,000 of you participate in the program, which has distributed more than $3 million since 1995. This is why the cooperative business model is so strong — the proximity to the people we serve as “members” and not just “customers.”
As a member, you are also an owner with a vested economic interest in United Power. A part of every monthly statement is an investment in your utility — a key difference in the three business models. Every year, the Board of Directors evaluates our financial condition and determines if we can return margins to members. In the last five years alone, we have returned more than $25 million to members. This only happens in the cooperative world (unless you own stock in an investor-owned utility, of course).
Electric cooperatives are based on seven principles: open and voluntary membership; democratic member control; members economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training, and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community. We take these principle to heart in everything we do at United Power.
My third anniversary at the helm of United Power is March 15. I am thankful every day to live and work in a community powered by an electric cooperative, and to work with the amazing women and men of this utility.
As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns. I enjoy hearing from our members and appreciate your continued support.
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March/April Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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Tuesday | March 1, 2022
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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.
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Mark A. Gabriel Announced as New GridWise Alliance Board Member
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Tuesday | December 6, 2022
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The GridWise Alliance announced nine new members to its Board of Directors, all strongly committed to advancing the organization's mission to articulate the benefits of grid modernization.
Washington D.C. - The GridWise Alliance announced nine new members to its Board of Directors today, all of whom are strongly committed to advancing the organization's mission to articulate the benefits of grid modernization.
“The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are further evidence of the increasing rate of change in the industry. GridWise Alliance and other organizations in the field will play a critical role, and bringing in leaders with fresh perspectives is critical,” said Gil Quiniones, CEO, ComEd and Chair of the GridWise Alliance. “Our new board members bring this type of innovative thinking and leadership to the Board of Directors and continue to ensure that it is at the forefront of our country’s energy transformation.”
The new GridWise Alliance Board members who will begin two-year terms, include:
Astrid Atkinson, CEO and Co-Founder, Camus Energy
Michelle Blaise, Senior Vice President Engineering and Project Management, ComEd
Russell Boyer, Global Energy Field Director, Dell Technologies
Michelle Fay, Partner, Guidehouse
Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO, United Power
Hanna Grene, Worldwide Power and Utilities Leader, Microsoft
Wade Lauer, Senior Vice President Transmission, North America, Siemens Energy Inc.
Deepa Poduval, Global Advisory Lead, Senior Vice President, Black & Veatch
Jeannie Salo, Vice President, Government Relations, Schneider Electric
“I am excited to work with the new Directors over the next two years, which will see historic investments in grid modernization in the U.S.,” said Karen Wayland, CEO of the GridWise Alliance. “The GridWise Board of Directors is a group of industry leaders who will help shape the trajectory of grid modernization across the country to enhance reliability, resilience, decarbonization and energy equity.”
The nine incoming Board members will join a group of 16 other Board Directors representing all areas of the electric grid industry. The full list of GridWise Board of Directors is easily accessible on the GridWise website.
About GridWise Alliance:
The GridWise Alliance leads a diverse membership of electricity industry stakeholders focused on accelerating innovation that delivers a more secure, reliable, resilient, and affordable grid to support decarbonization of the U.S. economy. For more information about the GridWise Alliance, visit: www.gridwise.org.
May is National Electrical Safety Month
Thursday | May 2, 2019
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.
Read more >
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May Message from Mark A. Gabriel
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Wednesday | May 1, 2024
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A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
There is never a good time to raise rates, but there is always a good reason. Raising rates ensures the financial stability of the utility, keeps borrowing costs low, and allows for continued investment in facilities. Sometimes there is a great reason to raise rates. For United Power, that great reason is freedom to do the right thing for our members and a restoration of local control.
More than 85 years ago, United Power’s founding board members decided electrification was in the best interest of their communities. Their goal required bold thinking and a bit of moxie. It took them two years to bring their idea of electrification to life but resulted in the lights going on for 110 homes and businesses in 1940. It introduced a vision for the future that is still being expanded today. The cooperative is now more than 100 times larger – far larger than those original founders could have ever imagined.
Two years ago, your intrepid Board of Directors began the initial steps to take our cooperative back, advocating for a new direction untethered to an organization that was not operating in our members’ best interests. The Board’s belief is bringing a new vision of the future, and we are expanding on that every day.
Operating as an independent entity allows United Power to manage its own destiny and focus on locally controlled generation and assets, while protecting members from costs that do not bring them value. Exiting our power contract prevents the cooperative from carrying a disproportionate burden of the supplier’s costs and investments and subsidizing others. Additionally, we want to incentivize generation and storage within our communities and increase reliability. Local generation contributes tax revenue that benefits our communities. Our new power supply will also immediately reduce our carbon intensity, helping us meet regulatory mandates.
The cost of this freedom is $627 million, broken down into an exit fee of roughly $450 million and a 40-year prepayment of approximately $180 million for the use of transmission facilities. This prepayment is a loan from United Power that will earn interest to the tune of more than $250 million, and it is for service that we would have needed to buy anyway. Most importantly, the cooperative will be free from debts and obligations over which we have no management or control.
The key question, of course, is what this exit will do to bills. There will be a small rate increase to pay for our freedom. Raising rates is never pleasant, and we understand this will be challenging for some. We are working on programs to minimize the impact, and we are committed to rate stabilization and potential answers for lowering them as we pay off our exit fees.
This resolution is really the end of the beginning for United Power’s exciting and bold vision for the future. This was outlined three years ago in Our Cooperative Roadmap, which envisioned a new set of power supplies, the move into power markets, increased levels of energy storage, and continuing our industry-leading innovation.
Innovation is not new at United Power. We were one of the first to have community solar, generate power from methane waste gas, and pioneer battery storage. Further, our rates and programs support members who add solar and storage, and electric vehicles are revolutionizing our backyard with more than 6,000 in our territory.
United Power received a grant to combine floating solar with storage in Fort Lupton to produce low-cost power and reduce water loss through evaporation. Golden Aluminum, one of the co-op’s largest industrial members, received $22.3 million to electrify their processes. And, we have been selected to apply for New ERA grant funding. If the application is successful, those funds will help stabilize and lower the cost of lower carbon resources.
Being an independent entity means we get to pick the right generating resources for our members, and help electrification efforts without constraints or paying for things that do not benefit the co-op.
There is a cost to our freedom, but operating independently is priceless. Bold thinking and a bit of moxie are making this happen. I am proud of the women and men of United Power. We are, and will remain, Here for Good.
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May Message from Mark. A. Gabriel
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Monday | May 8, 2023
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A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
My old boss used to have a saying, “Predicting rain is one thing, building the ark is another.” I am proud to say that your cooperative, with support from the Board of Directors, developed and is following Our Cooperative Roadmap — the ark for success now and into the future. This journey will continue the evolution of the electric business as we work to meet the needs of you, our members, wherever you are.
There continues to be a lot of talk about the energy transition — how the future will look, the challenges of changing power suppliers, and the issues with more people and businesses seeking alternative generation sources. Many of these conversations in the industry revolve around concerns for reliability, resilience, and of course affordability, three watchwords for all of us operating your cooperative.
A distribution cooperative like United Power stands at the crossroads of a changing energy industry. It needs to transition from a simple distribution operator to managing a system that is agnostic to inputs and flexible enough to handle both centralized power and local generation. Very few central power stations are being built today, more fossil fuel generation facilities are closing, and transmission projects lag needs. A distribution system operator (DSO) will be counted on to manage a more complex, yet interlocked, system. This will empower you as members and monetize investments in a shared energy economy.
We are focused on staying closely tied to the economic drivers of the communities we serve to bring tax dollars, revenue, and well-paying job opportunities. We must be good stewards of our resources and build on the solid partnerships with our local businesses. I am proud to say that these partnerships are the cornerstone of the cooperative business model.
Providing high quality and reliable service is crucial because businesses matter. We are restructuring some staff to focus on business and community partnerships — our key accounts. This will allow us to be more responsive, anticipate needs in areas such as power quality, and leverage available grant dollars and tax incentives. Another benefit in controlling our power supply will allow us to craft rates that work for these members.
As a member-owned cooperative, the concept of “meeting you where you are,” aligns with our goal of delivering mutual value. It has the added benefit of keeping investments in the communities we serve while ensuring the reliability and resiliency required in today’s environment. The quiet transition to localized grids, combined with the advancements in management tools and software, returns to continue the electricity enterprises’ original intent of bringing light, motive power, and comfort to the communities being served.
Our Cooperative Roadmap makes sure we are invested in the technological changes our members are navigating in our industry. More members want to self-generate or make energy efficient upgrades to their homes. Others are investing in technologies that will change the way we interface with members. United Power must continue supporting technologies that reduce costs for all members. Programs such as United EV, Smart Rewards for thermostats, energy efficiency rebates, and solar interconnections give members control over how they use power. We are here to support members who want to produce their own power and provide financial incentives that align with our goals of affordability and system control. These programs are aimed at sharing savings with our members when they participate in programs that can reduce our costs.
What does this mean in practice? United Power provides the people and tools to help members make decisions about their own energy use, power generation, use of technologies, and safe integration of batteries and solar panels. It means we are continuously scanning the horizon to make sure our distribution system is ready for tomorrow and safe for today.
We are not just predicting the rain of change but building the ark to ensure we sail into this bright new future.
