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United Power Contributes $20,000 to Mesa Hotline School Relocation Fund
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Tuesday | September 27, 2022
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Historic hotline school faces relocation due to commercial development at current location.
Historic Hotline School Faces Relocation Due to Commercial Development
Brighton, CO – United Power’s Board of Directors approved a $20,000 contribution to the Mesa Hotline School’s relocation fund at its regular meeting in August. Mesa Hotline School provides training and education to lineworkers at cooperatives, municipal electric utilities, and even investor-owned utilities like Xcel Energy. The school learned it must find a new site for its campus due to commercial development at its existing location. The cooperative’s contribution will help the school meet approximately 20% of its relocation costs.
The Mesa Hotline School was formed in the 1960s at Mesa College following an inquiry from two cooperatives located on Colorado’s Western Slope, Empire Electric and Yampa Valley. Fast-growing local cooperatives needed a state-of-the-art facility that could provide the right kind of training and education for their lineworkers. The school enrolled its first class of 59 students in 1966. In the half century since, membership has grown from 15 members to nearly 80, representing electric utilities of all sizes throughout the country. In 2022, more than 100 instructors and volunteers helped provide training to approximately 600 lineworkers enrolled in the school’s various programs.
“The Mesa Hotline School has had a mutually beneficial relationship with United Power for many years,” said Brent Sydow, United Power’s Vice President of Operations. “Working foremen from United Power have invested hundreds of hours at the school teaching courses to both young and experienced lineworkers, and our lineworkers and apprentices have received the highest level of training through the school’s programs and course selections.”
Courses include underground and overhead equipment training, high tension stringing, and simulated high voltage training. Industry vendors also conduct training classes to showcase the latest tools and technology. Additionally, United Power utilizes the school’s educational materials to help progress its apprentice lineworkers toward qualification for the journeyman certification.
When the school received its notice about finding a new location, it began soliciting members for assistance. The relocation costs include site development, facility materials, training equipment, and more. The Mesa Hotline School launched a fundraising campaign this summer with the goal of raising $100,000 in preparation for its next class in May 2023. For more information about the hotline school, go to www.mesahotlineschool.com.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric cooperatives in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Director Candidates Announced
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Thursday | February 22, 2024
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Five candidates are running for election to the United Power Board of Directors in this year's Director Election.
Members Invited to Meet the Candidates Event on March 19Brighton, CO – Five candidates are running for election to the United Power Board of Directors. This year, four positions on the board are up for election. The director candidates are Stephen Whiteside (incumbent) in the Mountain District; Brian A. McCormick (incumbent) in the North District; Tim Erickson (incumbent) and Paige Wagner-Maul in the Central District; and Brad Case (incumbent) in the South District.
United Power will host a Meet the Candidates event at its Brighton Headquarters where members can learn more about each candidate vying to serve on the Board of Directors. The event is open to all members and does not require an RSVP. Event details are as follows:
Tuesday, March 19 at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
United Power Headquarters Office
500 Cooperative Way, Brighton, CO 80603
The Meet the Candidates event will be livestreamed here, with the event video available on the cooperative’s website the following day.
Directors represent all members and are therefore elected on an “at-large” basis. This means members may cast a vote for a director in each district and not just their own. United Power encourages all members to vote online or return their mail ballots prior to the April 16 deadline.
Statements from each of the candidates will be published in the cooperative’s newsletter, the United Newsline, delivered in March, and on its website. Director candidate contribution reports will also be available online.
A bylaw amendment is included on this year’s ballot regarding the length of a director’s term. A vote in favor of the amendment (“yes”) will lengthen the term from three years to four years.
Ballots will be mailed to all members on March 15, and online balloting opens through the member portal the same day. Members may vote electronically through their online account or via mail ballots. A drop box will be available for members to return their ballots in person at Riverdale Regional Park between noon and 4 p.m. the day of the Annual Meeting. Members may also vote in person beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Results of the director election will be announced at the 2024 Annual Meeting and 85th Anniversary Celebration, which will be held on April 17 at the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds and livestreamed on United Power’s website. Registration opens at 4:30 p.m. and on-site balloting closes at the beginning of the official business meeting at 6:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend and engage with cooperative leadership, connect with fellow members, and celebrate the cooperative’s 85th anniversary.
About United PowerUnited Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Employees Give Back
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Thursday | November 14, 2024
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Employees volunteered at eight “Here for Good” service projects in October.
Employees Volunteered at Eight “Here for Good” Service Projects in October
United Power is proud to support the service organizations that add value to the communities in its territory. Dozens of nonprofits and not-for-profits are helping meet a variety of needs for cooperative members, including mental health therapy, housing and food security, outdoor recreation, and more.
The cooperative recognized National Co-op Month in October and celebrated its commitment to communities by collaborating with eight of these organizations on employee service projects. More than 80 United Power employees participated.
“These organizations are the heart of our communities, and we are proud of the participation we received from employees,” said Julie Stewart, United Power’s Community Outreach Specialist. “The response from our employees was tremendous — they were excited to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
United Power employees completed several beautification and facility improvement projects that freed the organizations’ staff and volunteers to focus on more important tasks like programming and planning to support the clients they serve.
Some of the projects included staining wooden structures for protection from winter weather at Barr Lake and the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center; painting and updating community areas at Graceful Oaks Youth Ranch; removing old flooring for renovations at the Carbon Valley Help Center; and mud mitigation at Allegiance Ranch. Employees also sorted and organized food for redistribution at Pastor’s Pantry, the Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank, and Food for Hope.
“It was a lot of fun representing United Power in the community,” said Member Services Representative Julie Vogel. “I am really thankful we were able to do this.”
These organizations are a reminder that the cooperative serves thriving communities thanks to our members’ spirits of service and commitment to giving back. Residents recognized an important need in their community and found a way to meet it, which resembles the very way electric cooperatives were formed more than 85 years ago. They are Here for Good, and so is United Power.
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United Power Energizes Generator at Gilpin County School
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Thursday | October 21, 2021
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The cooperative will hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new generator on Friday, November 5 at 10 a.m.
Project Also Provides Alternate Energy Option for Emergency Management
Brighton, CO - United Power, partnering with the Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management, placed a 625-kw diesel generator on the Gilpin County School District campus. The generator was installed as a safety enhancement to serve both the school and community members in the mountain territory.
“United Power is excited to partner with Gilpin County on this key project for community members adjacent to the school district campus,” stated Dean Hubbuck, United Power’s Chief Energy Resource Officer. “Completing the project prior to the winter season should provide security and peace of mind to the residents in the area and provide a much-needed resource in the event of an extended power interruption.”
In the event of power outage, Gilpin County is required to notify parents and send students home because the school district doesn’t have a back-up power option. The installation of the generator alleviates concerns for school administration officials and parents of students. Additionally, the generator can provide a longer window of service with abbreviated services at the school, allowing Emergency Management to activate the site as an emergency warming center during an extended power outage in the area.
United Power upgraded existing infrastructure to ensure the generator can provide power to the entire school campus, including school buildings, gym facilities, the bus barn, water storage and delivery systems, pumping stations and the Eagles’ Nest Daycare Center. The generator operates on Tier 4 Diesel, with is an ultra-clean, low sulfur fuel and incorporates advanced emission reduction technologies, which exceeds state requirements for emission levels.
The cooperative will hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new generator on Friday, November 5 at 10 a.m. Members of the public are invited to attend and learn more about this addition and the enhanced safety benefits it will offer to the residents. Please click here to RSVP.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric cooperatives in the nation, and in June joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900 square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options and reforming the traditional Generation and Transmission (G&T) business model. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
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United Power Enters Agreement with TEA Solutions
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Wednesday | June 7, 2023
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Contract will authorize TEA Solutions to coordinate United Power’s growing portfolio of power contracts
Contract will authorize TEA Solutions to coordinate United Power’s growing portfolio of power contracts
United Power, Inc. (United Power) and TEA Solutions entered into an agreement on June 1 to support United Power’s transition to new power suppliers. The Energy Authority (TEA), headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, provides public power entities with strategic perspective on deriving maximum value from their assets, and offers advisory services, advanced analytics, and renewable solutions. TEA Solutions, a sister company of The Energy Authority, was created to serve community-owned utilities such as cooperatives.
“This agreement marks an important strategic step toward United Power’s new energy future,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “United Power has been dedicated to building a new network of service providers and energy sources for the planned exit from our current power supplier next spring. This marks a vital step in the process, and we are proud to partner with a firm that has the expertise and experience to help us be successful in this significant endeavor.”
“We are honored to be chosen by United Power to be their strategic partner,” stated Joanie Teofilo, President and CEO of The Energy Authority and TEA Solutions. “We were created to support community-owned utilities and look forward to working with United Power to achieve its mission to provide efficient and reliable power to its members.”
United Power’s exit from its current wholesale power supply contract will be complete May 1, 2024. The cooperative is in the process of securing both the power contracts and strategic expertise necessary to capitalize on the changing energy marketplace, which in turn, will bring considerable value to its members.
“We are working to provide not only reliable power, but power that is more economically priced for our members,” stated Gabriel. “As the energy market expands west, we will be able to take advantage of available resources including clean, renewable energy generation, and increase our investment in local energy generation sources.”
To learn more about how United Power is moving into a new energy future, visit Power Supply.
About United PowerUnited Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Executes Letter of Commitment for Nearly $262 Million in New ERA Grant Funding
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Monday | December 30, 2024
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In September, the co-op was announced as an awardee for $261.6 million in grant funding to offset the cost of new, clean energy generation.
Brighton, CO – United Power executed a letter of commitment with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Services today for the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. In September, the cooperative was announced as an awardee for $261.6 million in grant funding to offset the cost of new generation for its transition to a strategic portfolio of clean energy that includes power purchase agreements that will provide more than 760 megawatts of renewable resources to its members by 2030. USDA staff is currently working with the cooperative to complete underwriting to fully fund the award.
The New ERA funding requires submission of a comprehensive Community Benefit Plan (CBP). United Power’s CBP was submitted and accepted in November, allowing the cooperative to move to the next step in the New ERA process.
“These grant funds will be used to offset a portion of the costs United Power has and will incur for seven different power purchase agreements,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and CEO. “The projects represent new, clean energy sources that have already significantly reduced our greenhouse gas emissions since the exit from our former wholesale power supplier on May 1. Additionally, the projects are bringing tax dollars and jobs to each of the areas where the systems are located.”
United Power’s CBP expands assistance to the communities it serves, with a commitment to invest an additional $1 million into a variety of community projects and programs. The goal of the CBP is to enhance life for members and communities through support of targeted programs, providing dollars for a wide range of needs. Assisting members on fixed incomes, investing in beneficial electrification efforts, supporting farmers and ranchers, and directing funding to communities where New ERA project facilities are located are all included in the extensive list of CBP initiatives.
The first initiative funded under the CBP is the award of four lineworker scholarships of $7,500 each. There is a critical need for trained lineworkers, and the scholarships will help to boost opportunities for students working toward certification at local colleges in Colorado.
“Receiving this scholarship means a lot to me,” said Kate Killinen, one of the United Power lineworker scholarship recipients. “It means that I can go through the Mesa Lineworker Program without going into any school debt and focus more on my studies rather than how to get the money I need to get through it. Receiving this scholarship will help my long-term career goals of working for an electric cooperative by helping me get through an amazing program that is the foundation to my whole career.”
The CBP commitments will be distributed throughout the 10 years of the planned grant period and represent a substantial increase over the dollars already earmarked by the cooperative for its numerous annual community support efforts.
“As a cooperative, supporting our communities and investing in education have always been key directives in our annual planning,” said Gabriel. “We have been awarding scholarships, supporting education in our industry, and providing leadership and investment dollars to assistance organizations that serve our members for decades. Now we will be able to do even more.”
To learn more about United Power’s industry leading energy transition outlined in its long-term vision for the future, read Our Cooperative Roadmap.
About United PowerUnited Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, serving more than 113,000 meters. Its 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Files Complaint Against Tri-State in District Court
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Monday | November 23, 2020
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Complaint alleges Tri-State violated their bylaws and state statute to admit non-utility members.
United Power Files Complaint Against Tri-State In District Court Alleging They Violated Their Bylaws and State Statute to Admit Non-Utility Members
Brighton, CO – Today United Power filed a complaint in Adams County District Court, alleging that Tri-State Generation and Transmission violated Colorado State Statutes and their own Articles of Incorporation and bylaws to add a greenhouse, a cattle ranch, and a natural gas supplier to their membership. The addition of these non-utility entities allowed the power cooperative to seek oversight from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), temporarily suspending a year-long effort by United Power to establish a reasonable buyout cost to leave the cooperative. United Power has been battling their power supplier to receive a buyout number with the goal of providing lower cost power to its membership.
“It is our belief that a favorable ruling in District Court would force FERC to reconsider their decision to allow Tri-State to be FERC jurisdictional,” stated Bryant Robbins, acting CEO at United Power. “This would allow the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CoPUC) to affirm the decision of Administrative Law Judge Robert Garvey who, on July 10, 2020, ruled that Tri-State had discriminated against United Power and adopted United Power’s approach for calculating a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory exit fee.”
Tri-State’s questionable legal maneuvers opened the door for it to bypass the CoPUC and brought the organization under regulation from FERC. Tri-State is anticipating that the move will allow it to avoid the buyout methodology that was initially accepted by the CoPUC. In a hearing last month, the CoPUC found that it did not have jurisdiction to decide whether Tri-State’s corporate maneuvers were legal, but it invited United Power to return once the issue had been decided.
“This announcement should come as no surprise to anyone, especially Tri-State. This filing and subsequent ruling should determine, once and for all, whether Tri-State is lawfully FERC regulated. We feel strongly that it will be determined that they are not,” stated Robbins. “It is our hope that the District Court will recognize the importance of a quick decision on this matter. We also remain hopeful that ongoing discussions with Tri-State on possible solutions to our issues will be productive.”
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to more than 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.###
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United Power Files with PUC for Tri-State Exit Price
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Wednesday | November 6, 2019
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Cooperative Seeks More Renewable Energy, Lower Costs
United Power, a member-owned electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern front range, has been investigating its power supply options with Tri-State Generation & Transmission over the last several years, as is the fiduciary responsibility to its member-owners. As part of its investigation, United Power filed a request for the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to exercise its authority to establish a just, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory exit charge from Tri-State Generation & Transmission. Tri-State is a cooperative generation and transmission association headquartered in Westminster, Colorado which provides wholesale power to 40 utilities across four states, including United Power.
“United Power members deserve clean, affordable energy and we have an obligation as a cooperative to look out for the financial interests of our member-owners. We have been working for the last few years on solutions with Tri-State that would allow the co-op the flexibility to add local resources, or purchase lower cost power from other sources,” said John Parker, Chief Executive Officer for United Power. “Conversations regarding our power agreement with Tri-State have stalled and the cooperative is seeking out all possible alternatives to build in rate reductions and offer more renewable options to our energy mix.”
Power purchase agreements with Tri-State limit the purchase of additional power by United Power to just five percent of total power requirements. United Power, along with several other cooperatives, championed a bylaw change that would allow Tri-State member cooperatives to enter into partial requirement contracts. These new partial requirement contracts are an essential component of any successful plan to de-carbonize Colorado electricity generation consistent with Colorado state policy objectives by reducing United Power’s reliance on Tri-State’s high-priced, carbon-intensive power mix. Not only that, they would allow the cooperative to better meet demands for local renewable energy projects, and ultimately reduce costs for United Power members. Since the resolution was passed earlier this year, the two parties have been unable to come to agreements on proposed solutions, and recently Tri-State placed a moratorium on all partial power and buy-out conversations until mid-2020.
“By not allowing United Power to move forward in a timely manner to seek additional energy sources, Tri-State is effectively holding this cooperative and our members hostage,” said Parker. “We are seeking partial requirements and/or buy-out solutions that are in the financial interests of the Tri-State cooperative family, and mutually beneficial to the ratepayers we serve. A full disclosure of a fair and just exit package is the information United Power needs to evaluate and ultimately make effective choices for our members.”
Colorado’s Public Utilities Law gives the Commission broad jurisdiction over public utilities like Tri-State, thus United Power has asked for their intervention to obtain a fair exit price and pricing methodology from Tri-State.
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United Power Helps Light Navajo Nation
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Friday | August 23, 2024
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United Power lineworkers helped set 70 poles and string miles of line over six days in July. The weeks-long project brought power to more than 150 families.
Weeks–Long Initiative Brought Power to More Than 150 Families
“It is indescribably upsetting that anyone in this day and age should not have access to electricity.”
Apprentice Lineworker Isaiah Segoviano is one of two United Power employees who spent a week in July working in the grueling Arizona heat helping build the infrastructure necessary to supply hundreds of Navajo families with the life-changing resource of electricity. The mutual aid initiative, called Light Up Navajo, is aimed at connecting the people of the Navajo Nation to power, and is made possible by the cooperative efforts of more than 250 volunteers from 48 utilities across 16 states.
The Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized Native American reservation in the United States, occupying an area greater than 27,000 square miles across parts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Many of its residents are currently living without electricity because large land parcels, passed through several generations of Navajo tribal families, are in isolated locations that are often difficult and cost-prohibitive to serve.
Electric cooperatives uniquely understand the struggle for electrification. Before the Rural Electrification Act was passed in 1936, larger electric utilities ignored requests from American families living by the light of kerosene lamps in sparsely populated rural areas. Cooperatives were formed to power these rural areas, and while power was flowing to more than 90% of farms by the early 1950s, the Navajo Nation did not reap the same benefits. It would have to wait until 1959 before the Navajo Tribal Utilities Authority (NTUA) was founded. At the time of its creation, the NTUA was only a small water utility operating out of New Mexico. It has grown into the largest multi-utility owned and operated by an American Indian tribe but has had to play catch up to provide electrification for its vast territory.
The NTUA has conducted an ambitious years–long effort to provide electricity to nearly 7,800 homes within the territory, but more than 13,000 still remain without access. The Light Up Navajo initiative was launched in 2018 in coordination with the American Public Power Association to address the great needs of families living in the Navajo Nation. United Power’s Segoviano and Logan Steele, Troubleshooter, joined the initiative’s fifth project phase.
“We were working 12-hour shifts in 100-degree weather to set poles and string lights,” said Segoviano. “But at the end of the day, the people were so grateful, and it was heartwarming to witness families receive power for the first time in their lives.”
United Power sent two trucks and additional electrical equipment with Segoviano and Steele who helped set approximately 70 poles and string miles of line over six days in July. During the project’s 13-week window from mid-April to July, crews strung a total of 50 miles of line and provided power to 150 homes despite difficult terrain and extreme temperatures.
Light Up Navajo’s first phase was able to plant more than 3,400 poles and string nearly 60 miles of line to provide power to 233 homes in 2019. Subsequent phases and mutual aid programs have connected nearly 500 additional homes. NTUA has since been able to provide an additional 2,500 homes with electricity.
“The workers with NTUA expressed their gratitude to us for offering our availability to help with this project,” said Segoviano. “They said that we are their forever brothers.”
Electric cooperatives were established more than 85 years ago to bring electricity to unserved communities like those in the Navajo Nation. United Power has a long history of supporting projects designed to deliver power to difficult locations or remote communities, both locally and internationally. The cooperative sent a representative to help power mountain villages in Guatemala in 2018 and 2019. Everyone should have access to electricity and the life-changing opportunities it provides, and these projects demonstrate a tangible commitment to the co-op principles upon which United Power was founded.
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United Power Holds First-Ever Virtual Annual Meeting
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Wednesday | April 15, 2020
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In response to growing concerns about COVID-19 and for the health and safety of its members, United Power offered an alternate option to its traditional Annual Meeting.
United Power Holds First-Ever Virtual Annual Meeting Amid COVID-19 Concerns
2020 Virtual Annual Meeting Videos & Content
Brighton, CO – In response to growing concerns over the rapid spread of COVID-19 and for the health and safety of its members, United Power offered an alternate option to its traditional Annual Meeting format this year. The result was the co-op’s first-ever virtual “telephone town hall” style Annual Meeting held April 15, 2020.
The Annual Meeting, which had been previously scheduled at the Riverdale Regional Park, had a record participation of 569 members who pre-registered for the over-the-phone event. The virtual format offered United Power an optimal platform to educate members about the co-op’s activity over the past year and thank them for their hand in its success.
Since an in-person meeting could not be hosted, voting in this year’s director election was conducted via mail-in ballot only. Incumbents in United Power’s South and West Districts each won reelection in contested races. David E. Rose, South District, received 2,335 votes to retain his seat on the board. Stan Martin also received 1,833 votes in the South District. Greg Campbell and Phil Noble received 1,244 and 926 votes, respectively. In the West District, Virginia “Ginny” A. Buczek retained her seat after receiving 4,499 votes. James P. Menghi received 1,774 votes. Tamra K. Waltemath, Mountain District, and James Vigesaa, East District, who ran unopposed in this year’s election, received 5,770 and 5,741 votes.
The cooperative focused on innovations and improvements this past year that centered on driving member satisfaction through increased reliability and pursuing more affordable power. Upgrades to the cooperative’s system, including the installation of an industry-leading “smart grid,” reduced outage times and placed the cooperative among the top 10 percent of utilities nationwide in reliability. Meanwhile, the cooperative has made headlines for ongoing negotiations with its wholesale power provider, Tri State Generation & Transmission, that would allow it to pursue more affordable energy options.
“One of our biggest challenges is the affordability of our power supply,” said United Power Board Chairman James Vigesaa. “We’re trying to obtain the most affordable power for our members by looking at all our options, including our wholesale power costs and what other opportunities exist to offer a better value to our members.”
One project that did highlight another strong year for the cooperative was staffing the Carbon Valley Service Center, located just off I-25 near Firestone in the western part of its service territory. Crews began the transition over to the new facility in early 2019 and were quickly able to prove the facility’s worth during March’s bomb cyclone weather event.
“We’ve got what I consider a world-class dispatch center over there,” said Chief Executive Officer Bryant Robbins. “If we hadn’t had those things in place, the members we got back on in two hours might have taken three days.”
Even in this time of uncertainty, United Power continues to put its members first, looking for the best way to provide the same reliable power its members have come to expect.
“The most important thing to all of us, board members and employees, is that our focus needs to be on that member out there at the end of the line,” said Vigesaa. “Everything we do needs to enhance the safety, affordability and reliability for that member.”
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop. ###
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United Power Contributes $20,000 to Mesa Hotline School Relocation Fund
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Tuesday | September 27, 2022
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Historic hotline school faces relocation due to commercial development at current location.
Historic Hotline School Faces Relocation Due to Commercial Development
Brighton, CO – United Power’s Board of Directors approved a $20,000 contribution to the Mesa Hotline School’s relocation fund at its regular meeting in August. Mesa Hotline School provides training and education to lineworkers at cooperatives, municipal electric utilities, and even investor-owned utilities like Xcel Energy. The school learned it must find a new site for its campus due to commercial development at its existing location. The cooperative’s contribution will help the school meet approximately 20% of its relocation costs.
The Mesa Hotline School was formed in the 1960s at Mesa College following an inquiry from two cooperatives located on Colorado’s Western Slope, Empire Electric and Yampa Valley. Fast-growing local cooperatives needed a state-of-the-art facility that could provide the right kind of training and education for their lineworkers. The school enrolled its first class of 59 students in 1966. In the half century since, membership has grown from 15 members to nearly 80, representing electric utilities of all sizes throughout the country. In 2022, more than 100 instructors and volunteers helped provide training to approximately 600 lineworkers enrolled in the school’s various programs.
“The Mesa Hotline School has had a mutually beneficial relationship with United Power for many years,” said Brent Sydow, United Power’s Vice President of Operations. “Working foremen from United Power have invested hundreds of hours at the school teaching courses to both young and experienced lineworkers, and our lineworkers and apprentices have received the highest level of training through the school’s programs and course selections.”
Courses include underground and overhead equipment training, high tension stringing, and simulated high voltage training. Industry vendors also conduct training classes to showcase the latest tools and technology. Additionally, United Power utilizes the school’s educational materials to help progress its apprentice lineworkers toward qualification for the journeyman certification.
When the school received its notice about finding a new location, it began soliciting members for assistance. The relocation costs include site development, facility materials, training equipment, and more. The Mesa Hotline School launched a fundraising campaign this summer with the goal of raising $100,000 in preparation for its next class in May 2023. For more information about the hotline school, go to www.mesahotlineschool.com.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric cooperatives in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Director Candidates Announced
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Thursday | February 22, 2024
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Five candidates are running for election to the United Power Board of Directors in this year's Director Election.
Members Invited to Meet the Candidates Event on March 19Brighton, CO – Five candidates are running for election to the United Power Board of Directors. This year, four positions on the board are up for election. The director candidates are Stephen Whiteside (incumbent) in the Mountain District; Brian A. McCormick (incumbent) in the North District; Tim Erickson (incumbent) and Paige Wagner-Maul in the Central District; and Brad Case (incumbent) in the South District.
United Power will host a Meet the Candidates event at its Brighton Headquarters where members can learn more about each candidate vying to serve on the Board of Directors. The event is open to all members and does not require an RSVP. Event details are as follows:
Tuesday, March 19 at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
United Power Headquarters Office
500 Cooperative Way, Brighton, CO 80603
The Meet the Candidates event will be livestreamed here, with the event video available on the cooperative’s website the following day.
Directors represent all members and are therefore elected on an “at-large” basis. This means members may cast a vote for a director in each district and not just their own. United Power encourages all members to vote online or return their mail ballots prior to the April 16 deadline.
Statements from each of the candidates will be published in the cooperative’s newsletter, the United Newsline, delivered in March, and on its website. Director candidate contribution reports will also be available online.
A bylaw amendment is included on this year’s ballot regarding the length of a director’s term. A vote in favor of the amendment (“yes”) will lengthen the term from three years to four years.
Ballots will be mailed to all members on March 15, and online balloting opens through the member portal the same day. Members may vote electronically through their online account or via mail ballots. A drop box will be available for members to return their ballots in person at Riverdale Regional Park between noon and 4 p.m. the day of the Annual Meeting. Members may also vote in person beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Results of the director election will be announced at the 2024 Annual Meeting and 85th Anniversary Celebration, which will be held on April 17 at the Riverdale Regional Park & Fairgrounds and livestreamed on United Power’s website. Registration opens at 4:30 p.m. and on-site balloting closes at the beginning of the official business meeting at 6:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend and engage with cooperative leadership, connect with fellow members, and celebrate the cooperative’s 85th anniversary.
About United PowerUnited Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Employees Give Back
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Thursday | November 14, 2024
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Employees volunteered at eight “Here for Good” service projects in October.
Employees Volunteered at Eight “Here for Good” Service Projects in October
United Power is proud to support the service organizations that add value to the communities in its territory. Dozens of nonprofits and not-for-profits are helping meet a variety of needs for cooperative members, including mental health therapy, housing and food security, outdoor recreation, and more.
The cooperative recognized National Co-op Month in October and celebrated its commitment to communities by collaborating with eight of these organizations on employee service projects. More than 80 United Power employees participated.
“These organizations are the heart of our communities, and we are proud of the participation we received from employees,” said Julie Stewart, United Power’s Community Outreach Specialist. “The response from our employees was tremendous — they were excited to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
United Power employees completed several beautification and facility improvement projects that freed the organizations’ staff and volunteers to focus on more important tasks like programming and planning to support the clients they serve.
Some of the projects included staining wooden structures for protection from winter weather at Barr Lake and the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center; painting and updating community areas at Graceful Oaks Youth Ranch; removing old flooring for renovations at the Carbon Valley Help Center; and mud mitigation at Allegiance Ranch. Employees also sorted and organized food for redistribution at Pastor’s Pantry, the Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank, and Food for Hope.
“It was a lot of fun representing United Power in the community,” said Member Services Representative Julie Vogel. “I am really thankful we were able to do this.”
These organizations are a reminder that the cooperative serves thriving communities thanks to our members’ spirits of service and commitment to giving back. Residents recognized an important need in their community and found a way to meet it, which resembles the very way electric cooperatives were formed more than 85 years ago. They are Here for Good, and so is United Power.
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United Power Energizes Generator at Gilpin County School
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Thursday | October 21, 2021
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The cooperative will hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new generator on Friday, November 5 at 10 a.m.
Project Also Provides Alternate Energy Option for Emergency Management
Brighton, CO - United Power, partnering with the Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management, placed a 625-kw diesel generator on the Gilpin County School District campus. The generator was installed as a safety enhancement to serve both the school and community members in the mountain territory.
“United Power is excited to partner with Gilpin County on this key project for community members adjacent to the school district campus,” stated Dean Hubbuck, United Power’s Chief Energy Resource Officer. “Completing the project prior to the winter season should provide security and peace of mind to the residents in the area and provide a much-needed resource in the event of an extended power interruption.”
In the event of power outage, Gilpin County is required to notify parents and send students home because the school district doesn’t have a back-up power option. The installation of the generator alleviates concerns for school administration officials and parents of students. Additionally, the generator can provide a longer window of service with abbreviated services at the school, allowing Emergency Management to activate the site as an emergency warming center during an extended power outage in the area.
United Power upgraded existing infrastructure to ensure the generator can provide power to the entire school campus, including school buildings, gym facilities, the bus barn, water storage and delivery systems, pumping stations and the Eagles’ Nest Daycare Center. The generator operates on Tier 4 Diesel, with is an ultra-clean, low sulfur fuel and incorporates advanced emission reduction technologies, which exceeds state requirements for emission levels.
The cooperative will hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new generator on Friday, November 5 at 10 a.m. Members of the public are invited to attend and learn more about this addition and the enhanced safety benefits it will offer to the residents. Please click here to RSVP.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric cooperatives in the nation, and in June joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900 square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options and reforming the traditional Generation and Transmission (G&T) business model. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
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United Power Enters Agreement with TEA Solutions
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Wednesday | June 7, 2023
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Contract will authorize TEA Solutions to coordinate United Power’s growing portfolio of power contracts
Contract will authorize TEA Solutions to coordinate United Power’s growing portfolio of power contracts
United Power, Inc. (United Power) and TEA Solutions entered into an agreement on June 1 to support United Power’s transition to new power suppliers. The Energy Authority (TEA), headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, provides public power entities with strategic perspective on deriving maximum value from their assets, and offers advisory services, advanced analytics, and renewable solutions. TEA Solutions, a sister company of The Energy Authority, was created to serve community-owned utilities such as cooperatives.
“This agreement marks an important strategic step toward United Power’s new energy future,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “United Power has been dedicated to building a new network of service providers and energy sources for the planned exit from our current power supplier next spring. This marks a vital step in the process, and we are proud to partner with a firm that has the expertise and experience to help us be successful in this significant endeavor.”
“We are honored to be chosen by United Power to be their strategic partner,” stated Joanie Teofilo, President and CEO of The Energy Authority and TEA Solutions. “We were created to support community-owned utilities and look forward to working with United Power to achieve its mission to provide efficient and reliable power to its members.”
United Power’s exit from its current wholesale power supply contract will be complete May 1, 2024. The cooperative is in the process of securing both the power contracts and strategic expertise necessary to capitalize on the changing energy marketplace, which in turn, will bring considerable value to its members.
“We are working to provide not only reliable power, but power that is more economically priced for our members,” stated Gabriel. “As the energy market expands west, we will be able to take advantage of available resources including clean, renewable energy generation, and increase our investment in local energy generation sources.”
To learn more about how United Power is moving into a new energy future, visit Power Supply.
About United PowerUnited Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Executes Letter of Commitment for Nearly $262 Million in New ERA Grant Funding
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Monday | December 30, 2024
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In September, the co-op was announced as an awardee for $261.6 million in grant funding to offset the cost of new, clean energy generation.
Brighton, CO – United Power executed a letter of commitment with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Services today for the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. In September, the cooperative was announced as an awardee for $261.6 million in grant funding to offset the cost of new generation for its transition to a strategic portfolio of clean energy that includes power purchase agreements that will provide more than 760 megawatts of renewable resources to its members by 2030. USDA staff is currently working with the cooperative to complete underwriting to fully fund the award.
The New ERA funding requires submission of a comprehensive Community Benefit Plan (CBP). United Power’s CBP was submitted and accepted in November, allowing the cooperative to move to the next step in the New ERA process.
“These grant funds will be used to offset a portion of the costs United Power has and will incur for seven different power purchase agreements,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and CEO. “The projects represent new, clean energy sources that have already significantly reduced our greenhouse gas emissions since the exit from our former wholesale power supplier on May 1. Additionally, the projects are bringing tax dollars and jobs to each of the areas where the systems are located.”
United Power’s CBP expands assistance to the communities it serves, with a commitment to invest an additional $1 million into a variety of community projects and programs. The goal of the CBP is to enhance life for members and communities through support of targeted programs, providing dollars for a wide range of needs. Assisting members on fixed incomes, investing in beneficial electrification efforts, supporting farmers and ranchers, and directing funding to communities where New ERA project facilities are located are all included in the extensive list of CBP initiatives.
The first initiative funded under the CBP is the award of four lineworker scholarships of $7,500 each. There is a critical need for trained lineworkers, and the scholarships will help to boost opportunities for students working toward certification at local colleges in Colorado.
“Receiving this scholarship means a lot to me,” said Kate Killinen, one of the United Power lineworker scholarship recipients. “It means that I can go through the Mesa Lineworker Program without going into any school debt and focus more on my studies rather than how to get the money I need to get through it. Receiving this scholarship will help my long-term career goals of working for an electric cooperative by helping me get through an amazing program that is the foundation to my whole career.”
The CBP commitments will be distributed throughout the 10 years of the planned grant period and represent a substantial increase over the dollars already earmarked by the cooperative for its numerous annual community support efforts.
“As a cooperative, supporting our communities and investing in education have always been key directives in our annual planning,” said Gabriel. “We have been awarding scholarships, supporting education in our industry, and providing leadership and investment dollars to assistance organizations that serve our members for decades. Now we will be able to do even more.”
To learn more about United Power’s industry leading energy transition outlined in its long-term vision for the future, read Our Cooperative Roadmap.
About United PowerUnited Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, serving more than 113,000 meters. Its 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.###
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United Power Files Complaint Against Tri-State in District Court
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Monday | November 23, 2020
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Complaint alleges Tri-State violated their bylaws and state statute to admit non-utility members.
United Power Files Complaint Against Tri-State In District Court Alleging They Violated Their Bylaws and State Statute to Admit Non-Utility Members
Brighton, CO – Today United Power filed a complaint in Adams County District Court, alleging that Tri-State Generation and Transmission violated Colorado State Statutes and their own Articles of Incorporation and bylaws to add a greenhouse, a cattle ranch, and a natural gas supplier to their membership. The addition of these non-utility entities allowed the power cooperative to seek oversight from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), temporarily suspending a year-long effort by United Power to establish a reasonable buyout cost to leave the cooperative. United Power has been battling their power supplier to receive a buyout number with the goal of providing lower cost power to its membership.
“It is our belief that a favorable ruling in District Court would force FERC to reconsider their decision to allow Tri-State to be FERC jurisdictional,” stated Bryant Robbins, acting CEO at United Power. “This would allow the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CoPUC) to affirm the decision of Administrative Law Judge Robert Garvey who, on July 10, 2020, ruled that Tri-State had discriminated against United Power and adopted United Power’s approach for calculating a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory exit fee.”
Tri-State’s questionable legal maneuvers opened the door for it to bypass the CoPUC and brought the organization under regulation from FERC. Tri-State is anticipating that the move will allow it to avoid the buyout methodology that was initially accepted by the CoPUC. In a hearing last month, the CoPUC found that it did not have jurisdiction to decide whether Tri-State’s corporate maneuvers were legal, but it invited United Power to return once the issue had been decided.
“This announcement should come as no surprise to anyone, especially Tri-State. This filing and subsequent ruling should determine, once and for all, whether Tri-State is lawfully FERC regulated. We feel strongly that it will be determined that they are not,” stated Robbins. “It is our hope that the District Court will recognize the importance of a quick decision on this matter. We also remain hopeful that ongoing discussions with Tri-State on possible solutions to our issues will be productive.”
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to more than 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.###
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United Power Files with PUC for Tri-State Exit Price
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Wednesday | November 6, 2019
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Cooperative Seeks More Renewable Energy, Lower Costs
United Power, a member-owned electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern front range, has been investigating its power supply options with Tri-State Generation & Transmission over the last several years, as is the fiduciary responsibility to its member-owners. As part of its investigation, United Power filed a request for the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to exercise its authority to establish a just, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory exit charge from Tri-State Generation & Transmission. Tri-State is a cooperative generation and transmission association headquartered in Westminster, Colorado which provides wholesale power to 40 utilities across four states, including United Power.
“United Power members deserve clean, affordable energy and we have an obligation as a cooperative to look out for the financial interests of our member-owners. We have been working for the last few years on solutions with Tri-State that would allow the co-op the flexibility to add local resources, or purchase lower cost power from other sources,” said John Parker, Chief Executive Officer for United Power. “Conversations regarding our power agreement with Tri-State have stalled and the cooperative is seeking out all possible alternatives to build in rate reductions and offer more renewable options to our energy mix.”
Power purchase agreements with Tri-State limit the purchase of additional power by United Power to just five percent of total power requirements. United Power, along with several other cooperatives, championed a bylaw change that would allow Tri-State member cooperatives to enter into partial requirement contracts. These new partial requirement contracts are an essential component of any successful plan to de-carbonize Colorado electricity generation consistent with Colorado state policy objectives by reducing United Power’s reliance on Tri-State’s high-priced, carbon-intensive power mix. Not only that, they would allow the cooperative to better meet demands for local renewable energy projects, and ultimately reduce costs for United Power members. Since the resolution was passed earlier this year, the two parties have been unable to come to agreements on proposed solutions, and recently Tri-State placed a moratorium on all partial power and buy-out conversations until mid-2020.
“By not allowing United Power to move forward in a timely manner to seek additional energy sources, Tri-State is effectively holding this cooperative and our members hostage,” said Parker. “We are seeking partial requirements and/or buy-out solutions that are in the financial interests of the Tri-State cooperative family, and mutually beneficial to the ratepayers we serve. A full disclosure of a fair and just exit package is the information United Power needs to evaluate and ultimately make effective choices for our members.”
Colorado’s Public Utilities Law gives the Commission broad jurisdiction over public utilities like Tri-State, thus United Power has asked for their intervention to obtain a fair exit price and pricing methodology from Tri-State.
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United Power Helps Light Navajo Nation
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Friday | August 23, 2024
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United Power lineworkers helped set 70 poles and string miles of line over six days in July. The weeks-long project brought power to more than 150 families.
Weeks–Long Initiative Brought Power to More Than 150 Families
“It is indescribably upsetting that anyone in this day and age should not have access to electricity.”
Apprentice Lineworker Isaiah Segoviano is one of two United Power employees who spent a week in July working in the grueling Arizona heat helping build the infrastructure necessary to supply hundreds of Navajo families with the life-changing resource of electricity. The mutual aid initiative, called Light Up Navajo, is aimed at connecting the people of the Navajo Nation to power, and is made possible by the cooperative efforts of more than 250 volunteers from 48 utilities across 16 states.
The Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized Native American reservation in the United States, occupying an area greater than 27,000 square miles across parts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Many of its residents are currently living without electricity because large land parcels, passed through several generations of Navajo tribal families, are in isolated locations that are often difficult and cost-prohibitive to serve.
Electric cooperatives uniquely understand the struggle for electrification. Before the Rural Electrification Act was passed in 1936, larger electric utilities ignored requests from American families living by the light of kerosene lamps in sparsely populated rural areas. Cooperatives were formed to power these rural areas, and while power was flowing to more than 90% of farms by the early 1950s, the Navajo Nation did not reap the same benefits. It would have to wait until 1959 before the Navajo Tribal Utilities Authority (NTUA) was founded. At the time of its creation, the NTUA was only a small water utility operating out of New Mexico. It has grown into the largest multi-utility owned and operated by an American Indian tribe but has had to play catch up to provide electrification for its vast territory.
The NTUA has conducted an ambitious years–long effort to provide electricity to nearly 7,800 homes within the territory, but more than 13,000 still remain without access. The Light Up Navajo initiative was launched in 2018 in coordination with the American Public Power Association to address the great needs of families living in the Navajo Nation. United Power’s Segoviano and Logan Steele, Troubleshooter, joined the initiative’s fifth project phase.
“We were working 12-hour shifts in 100-degree weather to set poles and string lights,” said Segoviano. “But at the end of the day, the people were so grateful, and it was heartwarming to witness families receive power for the first time in their lives.”
United Power sent two trucks and additional electrical equipment with Segoviano and Steele who helped set approximately 70 poles and string miles of line over six days in July. During the project’s 13-week window from mid-April to July, crews strung a total of 50 miles of line and provided power to 150 homes despite difficult terrain and extreme temperatures.
Light Up Navajo’s first phase was able to plant more than 3,400 poles and string nearly 60 miles of line to provide power to 233 homes in 2019. Subsequent phases and mutual aid programs have connected nearly 500 additional homes. NTUA has since been able to provide an additional 2,500 homes with electricity.
“The workers with NTUA expressed their gratitude to us for offering our availability to help with this project,” said Segoviano. “They said that we are their forever brothers.”
Electric cooperatives were established more than 85 years ago to bring electricity to unserved communities like those in the Navajo Nation. United Power has a long history of supporting projects designed to deliver power to difficult locations or remote communities, both locally and internationally. The cooperative sent a representative to help power mountain villages in Guatemala in 2018 and 2019. Everyone should have access to electricity and the life-changing opportunities it provides, and these projects demonstrate a tangible commitment to the co-op principles upon which United Power was founded.
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United Power Holds First-Ever Virtual Annual Meeting
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Wednesday | April 15, 2020
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In response to growing concerns about COVID-19 and for the health and safety of its members, United Power offered an alternate option to its traditional Annual Meeting.
United Power Holds First-Ever Virtual Annual Meeting Amid COVID-19 Concerns
2020 Virtual Annual Meeting Videos & Content
Brighton, CO – In response to growing concerns over the rapid spread of COVID-19 and for the health and safety of its members, United Power offered an alternate option to its traditional Annual Meeting format this year. The result was the co-op’s first-ever virtual “telephone town hall” style Annual Meeting held April 15, 2020.
The Annual Meeting, which had been previously scheduled at the Riverdale Regional Park, had a record participation of 569 members who pre-registered for the over-the-phone event. The virtual format offered United Power an optimal platform to educate members about the co-op’s activity over the past year and thank them for their hand in its success.
Since an in-person meeting could not be hosted, voting in this year’s director election was conducted via mail-in ballot only. Incumbents in United Power’s South and West Districts each won reelection in contested races. David E. Rose, South District, received 2,335 votes to retain his seat on the board. Stan Martin also received 1,833 votes in the South District. Greg Campbell and Phil Noble received 1,244 and 926 votes, respectively. In the West District, Virginia “Ginny” A. Buczek retained her seat after receiving 4,499 votes. James P. Menghi received 1,774 votes. Tamra K. Waltemath, Mountain District, and James Vigesaa, East District, who ran unopposed in this year’s election, received 5,770 and 5,741 votes.
The cooperative focused on innovations and improvements this past year that centered on driving member satisfaction through increased reliability and pursuing more affordable power. Upgrades to the cooperative’s system, including the installation of an industry-leading “smart grid,” reduced outage times and placed the cooperative among the top 10 percent of utilities nationwide in reliability. Meanwhile, the cooperative has made headlines for ongoing negotiations with its wholesale power provider, Tri State Generation & Transmission, that would allow it to pursue more affordable energy options.
“One of our biggest challenges is the affordability of our power supply,” said United Power Board Chairman James Vigesaa. “We’re trying to obtain the most affordable power for our members by looking at all our options, including our wholesale power costs and what other opportunities exist to offer a better value to our members.”
One project that did highlight another strong year for the cooperative was staffing the Carbon Valley Service Center, located just off I-25 near Firestone in the western part of its service territory. Crews began the transition over to the new facility in early 2019 and were quickly able to prove the facility’s worth during March’s bomb cyclone weather event.
“We’ve got what I consider a world-class dispatch center over there,” said Chief Executive Officer Bryant Robbins. “If we hadn’t had those things in place, the members we got back on in two hours might have taken three days.”
Even in this time of uncertainty, United Power continues to put its members first, looking for the best way to provide the same reliable power its members have come to expect.
“The most important thing to all of us, board members and employees, is that our focus needs to be on that member out there at the end of the line,” said Vigesaa. “Everything we do needs to enhance the safety, affordability and reliability for that member.”
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop. ###
