1. 06/05/2019 - 12:19 PM
    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. 
  2. 05/04/2026 - 12:11 PM
    May Message from Mark A. Gabriel Monday | May 4, 2026 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >
  3. 05/01/2025 - 12:03 PM
    May Message from Mark A. Gabriel Thursday | May 1, 2025 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >
  4. 05/01/2024 - 08:21 AM
    Title May Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq Wednesday | May 1, 2024 Card Teaser 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.  
  5. 05/11/2023 - 03:19 PM
    May Message from Mark. A. Gabriel Monday | May 8, 2023 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >
  6. 07/13/2021 - 11:08 AM
    May/June Message from Mark A. Gabriel Monday | May 3, 2021 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >
  7. 03/13/2020 - 11:07 AM
    Member Choice Grants Friday | March 13, 2020 Member Choice Grants allow our members to nominate a nonprofit organization within the cooperative's service territory to receive grant funds from United Power. Read more >
  8. 01/12/2021 - 07:00 AM
    Member Choice Grants Renewed for 2021 Monday | January 11, 2021 Members will be able to nominate their favorite local nonprofits to receive grant funds from the cooperative through the program. Read more >
  9. 09/07/2022 - 12:16 PM
    Member Choice Grants Renewed for 2022 Wednesday | September 7, 2022 Nominate a local nonprofit to receive grant dollars from United Power by November 18. Read more >
  10. 03/08/2021 - 02:26 PM
    Member Choice Recipient Announced for First Round of 2021 Monday | March 8, 2021 Let Your Light Shine, located in Brighton, and the Highlandlake & Mead, Historical Society have been selected based on nominations submitted by members throughout the first part of the year. Read more >
  11. 07/19/2021 - 10:18 AM
    Title Member Choice Recipient Announced for Second Round of 2021 /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MemberChoice.jpg?itok=xQRicKHr Monday | July 19, 2021 Card Teaser Community Uplift Partnership, located in Commerce City, and the Soul Dog Rescue have been selected based on nominations submitted by members throughout the second part of the year. Nominations are Now Open for the Third Round of Grant Recipients The second-round recipients of Member Choice Grants for 2021 have been selected. United Power is proud to announce Commerce City’s Community Uplift Partnership (CUP) and Soul Dog Rescue, out of Fort Lupton, have been selected from nominations submitted by our members to receive grants this round. The cooperative introduced Member Choice Grants in early 2020, asking members to nominate nonprofit organizations within the service territory they would like to see us help support. The grant nomination process gives members a voice and helps ensure we are supporting causes they truly care about. United Power has received several dozen nominations for nonprofit organizations providing a variety of services for those in need within the communities we serve. To submit a nomination for round three, go to www.unitedpower.com/memberchoice. Community Uplift Partnership Young adults are some of the most vibrant people in our communities. Community Uplift Partnership (CUP) reminds them they have value beyond a paycheck, strengthens them to conquer barriers to employment opportunities that provide sustainable wages and equips them to make better decisions for the future of their families. Soul Dog Rescue Soul Dog Rescue is an animal rescue located in Fort Lupton with the mission to spay/neuter and protect animals. Soul Dog performs collaborative, targeted work, primarily through spay/neuter, in underserved regions in order to create sustainable change and promote cultural shifts regarding the treatment of animals. Nominations are now open for the third round of Member Choice Grants, which will be announced in an upcoming issue of the United Newsline. Submit a nomination at www.unitedpower.com/memberchoice.
  12. 12/28/2021 - 11:12 AM
    Title Member Choice Recipients Announced for Final Round of 2021 /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MemberChoice.jpg?itok=xQRicKHr Tuesday | December 28, 2021 Card Teaser High Country Auxiliary and the Mead High School Band have been selected based on nominations submitted by members throughout the final part of the year. The final round of Member Choice Grants for 2021 have been awarded. United Power is proud to announce Blawk Hawk’s High Country Auxiliary and the Mead High School Band have been selected from nominations submitted by our members to receive grants this round. The cooperative introduced Member Choice Grants in early 2020, asking members to nominate nonprofit organizations within the service territory they would like to see us help support. The grant nomination process gives members a voice and helps ensure we are supporting causes they truly care about. High Country Auxiliary High-Country Auxiliary has existed for more than 50 years to aid and support Timberline Fire Protection District, Gilpin County Animal Response Team, and other emergency service organizations within the district. This includes providing sustenance or purchasing items for first responders or providing scholarships for training classes. Mead High School Band The Mead High School Band takes great pride in offering a variety of performing ensembles, including an inclusive percussion ensemble for students with intellectual disabilities. The band seeks to balance performances in educational settings and festivals with performances in the Longmont and Mead communities.