Title
United Power Joins Southwest Power Pool
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/TransmissionSolar.jpg?itok=vn6mc-kQ
Thursday | June 23, 2022
Card Teaser
United Power is the first distribution utility in the Western Interconnection to join the SPP.
Brighton, CO - United Power, an electric cooperative based in Brighton, Colorado, is the first distribution utility in the Western Interconnection to join the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). SPP is a regional transmission organization (RTO), a nonprofit corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale electricity prices on behalf of its members.
“Since United Power is leaving our current wholesale power supplier in 2024, it is important that we seek out memberships and partnerships that will help us assure a reliable power source at the lowest cost possible,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “Our membership with SPP is one of the critical pieces we wanted in place as we move toward a new energy future for our members.”
SPP works as an aggregator of generation resources, dispatching the power where it is needed. The value of belonging to an RTO is multi-pronged for cooperatives like United Power. The power pool is charged with building reliability and predictability into their power marketplace and helping to reduce the risks that come with varying weather conditions. It is also committed to providing the lowest cost power available to serve its members, minute by minute.
The SPP is responsible for identifying power needs for the region it serves. Members of SPP will have an active role in determining where new transmission is built and will be able to have their interests represented directly.
“Membership matters. Our membership in SPP means we will have a meaningful say in the strategic direction of the organization,” stated Gabriel. “Members have an active role in determining how this new energy market develops and how the organization grows. We will be able to directly represent the interests of all United Power members.”
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.###
Title
United Power Kids Demonstrate Safety around Electricity
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/04_13_2018_ElectricalSafetyPosters.png?h=45932144&itok=ezUEsQ8H
Friday | April 13, 2018
Card Teaser
United Power recently asked elementary students in its service territory to help demonstrate electrical safety in its annual Electrical Safety Poster Contest.
United Power recently asked elementary students in its service territory to help demonstrate electrical safety in its annual Electrical Safety Poster Contest. Kids in grades kindergarten through fifth submitted creative and educational posters designed to teach family and friends how to stay safe around electricity. United Power will place winning poster designs on bus benches during the month of May, which is recognized as National Electrical Safety Month.
Employees at the member-owned cooperative voted to select the following winners from each grade for the 2018 Electrical Safety Poster Contest: Zariah McPherson from Reunion Elementary, Joey Seymour from Platteville Elementary, Maddilyn Griffis from Bromley East Charter School, Sofie Archer from Landmark Academy, Troy Wymer from Hoff Elementary, and Kaydence States from Bromley East Charter School.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to all the students who entered their creative safety messages. Look for winning safety posters to appear through the cooperative service territory for the month of May.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 83,000 homes and busineses along Colorado’s northern front range. To learn more about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative at Facebook.com/UnitedPower.
Title
United Power Kids Show Us How to Be Safe Around Electricity
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/2017_04_26_SafeAroundElectricity.jpg?itok=gfCnJKym
Wednesday | April 26, 2017
Card Teaser
United Power recently enlisted the help of elementary students to spread the importance of electrical safety through an Electrical Safety Poster Contest.
Announcing the Winners of the Electrical Safety Poster Contest
United Power recently enlisted the help of elementary students to spread the importance of electrical safety through an Electrical Safety Poster Contest. Kids in grades kindergarten through fifth created electrical safety posters that will be used through the service territory in May, which is recognized as National Electrical Safety Month.
United Power employees voted and selected the following winners of the 2017 Safety Poster Contest: Zariah McPhersonfrom Henderson Elementary, Rini Sugihara from Turnberry Elementary, Sofie Archer from Landmark Academy, Daniel Weber from Black Rock Elementary, Leticia Armendariz from Southeast Elementary, and Analisa Nygaard from Pennock Elementary.
Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to all of the students who entered their creative safety messages. Check out the winning posters below, and then watch for these winning safety posters to appear through the cooperative service territory for the month of May.
United Power Launches EV Charging Pilot Program
Monday | July 25, 2022
United Power has launched United EV, a new charging-as-a-service pilot program designed to provide cost-effective, at-home charging solutions for cooperative members with electric vehicles (EVs).
Read more >
Title
United Power Lineman Kelly Snow will Electrify Guatemalan Village Again
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Dec2018_NL_Guatemala_0.png?itok=mKvT37x-
Wednesday | April 10, 2019
Card Teaser
The lights will come on later this summer at an isolated village in north-central Guatemala, thanks to the efforts of a just-named team of Colorado linemen, including United Power’s Kelly Snow.
The lights will come on later this summer at an isolated village in north-central Guatemala, thanks to the efforts of a just-named team of Colorado linemen, including United Power’s Kelly Snow. Kelly was part of a similar project in 2018. Hear him tell his story about the 2018 Energy Trail Project.
The Colorado Rural Electric Association selected 10 volunteer linemen and one alternate from its member electric cooperatives to prepare to electrify the mountainous village of Sillab, Guatemala, this August. The Colorado crew will join 10 linemen from electric co-ops in Oklahoma on a joint project coordinated through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s philanthropic NRECA International Foundation.
“We’re excited to return to Guatemala on another CREA-sponsored project,” said CREA Executive Director Kent Singer. “Last year was the first time Colorado co-ops came together to sponsor a team of linemen to bring electricity to an area that has never had access to electricity before. It was a good experience for our crew and we were able to electrify two remote villages. This year, we have another team of outstanding co-op linemen willing to volunteer their time and expertise to bring much needed electricity to Sillab.”
The project site is in the department (state) of Alta Verapaz, near Guatemala’s border with Belize where villagers grow corn for themselves and generate some income from the production of cardamon seeds, peppers and coffee as well as a variety of spices.
The volunteers will spend three weeks building power lines along a 6 1/2-mile stretch of mountainous terrain where expected rainy weather, canyon crossings and steep hillsides will add to the challenge. Plans call for 60 poles and four transformers. Each of the 60 homes to be served will be equipped with four lightbulbs, four light switches and four electrical outlets.
The power lines will belong to a local utility, ADECORK (Associacion Para Desarollo Communitario Rax Kiche or Association for Community Development Rax Kiche). ADECORK will generate and distribute electric power to Sillab. The utility operates a small hydro power plant with a capacity of 75 kilowatts.
Colorado’s team members were selected through an application process and interviews with a committee of CREA staff members and two board members from CREA’s nonprofit Colorado Electric Educational Institute. Nine team members and one alternate were chosen. The 10th spot will be filled by CREA Director of Safety and Loss Control Dale Kishbaugh.
Volunteers selected for the project include: Jerid Bruna, Southeast Colorado Power Association, LaJunta; KJ Johnson, San Miguel Power Association, Ridgeway; Austin Maier, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, Fort Collins; Jason Matzke, Mountain View Electric Association, Limon/Falcon; Kenneth Murray, Mountain View Electric Association, Limon/Falcon; Jace Noe, Southeast Colorado Power Association, LaJunta; Rod Sherman, Holy Cross Energy, Glenwood Springs; Kelly Snow, United Power, Brighton; and Chris Stanworth, White River Electric Association, Meeker. Lucas Swoyer, Mountain View Electric, Limon/Falcon, was selected as the team alternate.
“We had a strong slate of applicants for the trip,” Singer said. “It is great to see how many of our co-op linemen were willing to leave their homes for so long to undertake such a grueling trip to help others in another country. This project will bring economic possibilities to these villages, as well as better access to education and enhanced safety and lifestyles.”
CREA is the statewide trade association for Colorado’s 22 electric distribution cooperatives and co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
NRECA International, an affiliate of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has been working in developing countries since 1962. Today more than 300 member electric cooperatives support its work through monetary contributions, material donations and sending hundreds of electric co-op lineworkers and employees aboard as volunteers.
Title
United Power Lineman to Help Power Guatemala
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/05_04_2018_Guatemala.png?itok=8ngelyuC
Friday | May 4, 2018
Card Teaser
United Power Journeyman Lineman, Kelly Snow, is among seven volunteer linemen selected by the Colorado Rural Electric Association to support a program to help electrify remote communities in northwestern Guatemala this fall.
United Power Journeyman Lineman, Kelly Snow, is among seven volunteer linemen selected by the Colorado Rural Electric Association to support a program to help electrify remote communities in northwestern Guatemala this fall.
The Colorado crew will join eight linemen from co-ops in Oklahoma on a joint project coordinated through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s philanthropic NRECA International Foundation.
“We’re very excited about this inaugural CREA-sponsored project in Guatemala,” said CREA Executive Director Kent Singer. “Our group includes outstanding co-op linemen, who will volunteer their time and expertise to bring much needed electricity to people and communities who have never experienced it before.”
The volunteers will build power lines in the village of Pie del Cerro and, potentially, in neighboring Tierra Blanca Salinas. Both communities are located far from larger population areas near a rain forest in the Ixcan region, close to the Mexican border. Collectively, the communities have about 100 households, five churches, two elementary schools and two health centers — all without access to reliable and affordable electricity. The local residents live in small one or two room homes without running water, refrigeration or the use of electronic appliances for household chores or business services. Farming is the local industry; they produce corn, beans cardamom seeds, cocoa and vegetables.
A local utility, Empresa Municipal Rural de Electricidad (EMRE), based in Playa Grande, Ixcan, will maintain the power lines once they are built. The project will consist of 130 poles and two transformers on 4.34 miles of primary line and 3.86 miles of secondary line. Most of the terrain will be flat, but about 1 mile of line will be built through dense rain forest growth. Each home will receive at least two light bulbs and two electrical outlets.
“We’re proud to have Kelly representing United Power on this very worthy project,” said Bryant Robbins, Chief Operations Officer. “Electrifying rural communities is the foundation that electric cooperatives were formed, and it’s part of our ongoing commitment to communities around the world.”
A selection committee consisting of CREA staff members and two board members from CREA’s Colorado Electric Educational Institute interviewed applicants and selected six co-op linemen and two alternates for the trip. The seventh spot will be filled by CREA Director of Safety and Loss Control Dale Kishbaugh.
“Thanks to all of the linemen who were interested in participating in this trip,” Singer said. “It is great to see how many of our co-op family were willing to leave their homes for an extended period for such a grueling trip to help others in another country. This project will bring economic possibilities to these villages, as well as better access to education and enhanced safety and lifestyles.”
Volunteers selected for the project include: Christian Baker, Holy Cross Energy, Glenwood Springs,Springs; Kris Barbee, Southeast Colorado Power Association, La Junta; Ben Ludington, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, Fort Collins; Kelly Snow, United Power, Brighton; Chet Stickler, Holy Cross, Glenwood Springs; and Nate Towne, Mountain Parks Electric, Granby.
Alternates are Chris Stanworth, White River Electric; and Baker McKonly, La Plata Electric Association, Durango.
CREA is the statewide trade association for Colorado’s 22 electric cooperatives and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
Title
United Power Lineman Traveling to Guatemala in September
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/05_04_2018_Guatemala_0.png?itok=kl_tk0ER
Monday | September 3, 2018
Card Teaser
Veteran United Power lineman Kelly Snow has been selected to join five other Colorado linemen and eight Oklahoma linemen to bring power to two remote jungle villages in Guatemala this September.
Veteran United Power lineman Kelly Snow has been selected to join five other Colorado linemen and eight Oklahoma linemen to bring power to two remote jungle villages in Guatemala this September.
The villages, Pel del Cerro and Tierra Blanca Salinas, are located in the Ixcán region of northwestern Guatemala and do not have access to reliable and affordable electricity. The communities are home to approximately 100 households, five churches, two elementary schools and two health centers.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to give back in such a rewarding way,” Kelly Snow said. “Most of us have never had to know a day without electricity. I can only imagine what it would mean to people who’ve never had it before. “
The fifteen member crew will install 130 poles, two transformers and more than eight miles of electrical line without the assistance of modern machinery over the course of the three week project. While most of the terrain will be flat, roughly one mile of the path passes through dense rain forest growth.
“I’ve worked in ice storms, blizzards and floods,” Snow said. “I am well aware of the difficulties of working in adverse conditions. It’s these kinds of challenges that make the project very appealing.”
The project is a joint effort between Colorado and Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives and made possible by NRECA International, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, whose mission is to increase individual and community access to electricity in all parts of the world. Over the past 50 years, NRECA International has provided electricity to more than 126 million people.
The Colorado Rural Electric Association selected the seven-member team representing Colorado in Guatemala following interviews earlier this year. Snow has been with United Power for the past 15 years, and has more than 20 years combined experience.
“The Rural Electric Association was founded on the principal of bringing electricity to rural America,” Snow said. “It’s an inspiration to be a part of that foundation and spreading it to other countries.”
Title
United Power Linemen Wearing FR Face Masks
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/04_10_2020_UPFaceMasks.jpg?itok=STZXkLOa
Friday | April 10, 2020
Card Teaser
In recognition of a CDC recommendation to wear masks, United Power line crews are being given masks made locally from extra fire-resistant shirts.
On April 4th, the CDC officially began recommending more widespread use of cloth masks by people who do not show any symptoms of COVID-19. The aim of this recommendation is to reduce transmission of COVID-19 from people who are infected but not showing symptoms.
In recognition of the recommendation, a group of ingenious employees at United Power proposed having a local seamstress make cloth masks from extra yellow fire resistant shirts for our linemen. The first batch of masks were handed out to linemen earlier this week, and more are in production. Masks will be delivered to linemen at the Carbon Valley Service Center and Coal Creek offices once more are available.
Title
United Power Offices Closed for 4th of July
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Fireworks.jpg?h=93bf85dd&itok=2K4Cmpnz
Tuesday | July 2, 2024
Card Teaser
Offices will be closed on Thursday and reopen on Friday morning.
United Power's offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Our dispatch center and crews remain on-call 24 hours per day for outages and emergencies.
Members can access their account online, or pay by phone by calling 866-999-4485 24 hours per day.
We hope all of our members enjoy a relaxing and safe 4th of July holiday.
Title
United Power Offices Closed for President's Day
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/PresidentsDay.jpg?itok=uLINr26L
Thursday | February 13, 2020
Card Teaser
United Power's offices will be closed on Monday, February 17th in honor of President's Day.
United Power's offices will be closed on Monday, February 17th in honor of President's Day. Our dispatch center and crews remain on-call 24 hours per day for outages and emergencies.
Members can access their account online, or pay by phone by calling 866-999-4485 24 hours per day.
We hope all of our members enjoy a relaxing and safe President's Day.
Title
United Power Joins Southwest Power Pool
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/TransmissionSolar.jpg?itok=vn6mc-kQ
Thursday | June 23, 2022
Card Teaser
United Power is the first distribution utility in the Western Interconnection to join the SPP.
Brighton, CO - United Power, an electric cooperative based in Brighton, Colorado, is the first distribution utility in the Western Interconnection to join the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). SPP is a regional transmission organization (RTO), a nonprofit corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale electricity prices on behalf of its members.
“Since United Power is leaving our current wholesale power supplier in 2024, it is important that we seek out memberships and partnerships that will help us assure a reliable power source at the lowest cost possible,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “Our membership with SPP is one of the critical pieces we wanted in place as we move toward a new energy future for our members.”
SPP works as an aggregator of generation resources, dispatching the power where it is needed. The value of belonging to an RTO is multi-pronged for cooperatives like United Power. The power pool is charged with building reliability and predictability into their power marketplace and helping to reduce the risks that come with varying weather conditions. It is also committed to providing the lowest cost power available to serve its members, minute by minute.
The SPP is responsible for identifying power needs for the region it serves. Members of SPP will have an active role in determining where new transmission is built and will be able to have their interests represented directly.
“Membership matters. Our membership in SPP means we will have a meaningful say in the strategic direction of the organization,” stated Gabriel. “Members have an active role in determining how this new energy market develops and how the organization grows. We will be able to directly represent the interests of all United Power members.”
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.###
Title
United Power Kids Demonstrate Safety around Electricity
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/04_13_2018_ElectricalSafetyPosters.png?h=45932144&itok=ezUEsQ8H
Friday | April 13, 2018
Card Teaser
United Power recently asked elementary students in its service territory to help demonstrate electrical safety in its annual Electrical Safety Poster Contest.
United Power recently asked elementary students in its service territory to help demonstrate electrical safety in its annual Electrical Safety Poster Contest. Kids in grades kindergarten through fifth submitted creative and educational posters designed to teach family and friends how to stay safe around electricity. United Power will place winning poster designs on bus benches during the month of May, which is recognized as National Electrical Safety Month.
Employees at the member-owned cooperative voted to select the following winners from each grade for the 2018 Electrical Safety Poster Contest: Zariah McPherson from Reunion Elementary, Joey Seymour from Platteville Elementary, Maddilyn Griffis from Bromley East Charter School, Sofie Archer from Landmark Academy, Troy Wymer from Hoff Elementary, and Kaydence States from Bromley East Charter School.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to all the students who entered their creative safety messages. Look for winning safety posters to appear through the cooperative service territory for the month of May.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 83,000 homes and busineses along Colorado’s northern front range. To learn more about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative at Facebook.com/UnitedPower.
Title
United Power Kids Show Us How to Be Safe Around Electricity
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/2017_04_26_SafeAroundElectricity.jpg?itok=gfCnJKym
Wednesday | April 26, 2017
Card Teaser
United Power recently enlisted the help of elementary students to spread the importance of electrical safety through an Electrical Safety Poster Contest.
Announcing the Winners of the Electrical Safety Poster Contest
United Power recently enlisted the help of elementary students to spread the importance of electrical safety through an Electrical Safety Poster Contest. Kids in grades kindergarten through fifth created electrical safety posters that will be used through the service territory in May, which is recognized as National Electrical Safety Month.
United Power employees voted and selected the following winners of the 2017 Safety Poster Contest: Zariah McPhersonfrom Henderson Elementary, Rini Sugihara from Turnberry Elementary, Sofie Archer from Landmark Academy, Daniel Weber from Black Rock Elementary, Leticia Armendariz from Southeast Elementary, and Analisa Nygaard from Pennock Elementary.
Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to all of the students who entered their creative safety messages. Check out the winning posters below, and then watch for these winning safety posters to appear through the cooperative service territory for the month of May.
United Power Launches EV Charging Pilot Program
Monday | July 25, 2022
United Power has launched United EV, a new charging-as-a-service pilot program designed to provide cost-effective, at-home charging solutions for cooperative members with electric vehicles (EVs).
Read more >
Title
United Power Lineman Kelly Snow will Electrify Guatemalan Village Again
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Dec2018_NL_Guatemala_0.png?itok=mKvT37x-
Wednesday | April 10, 2019
Card Teaser
The lights will come on later this summer at an isolated village in north-central Guatemala, thanks to the efforts of a just-named team of Colorado linemen, including United Power’s Kelly Snow.
The lights will come on later this summer at an isolated village in north-central Guatemala, thanks to the efforts of a just-named team of Colorado linemen, including United Power’s Kelly Snow. Kelly was part of a similar project in 2018. Hear him tell his story about the 2018 Energy Trail Project.
The Colorado Rural Electric Association selected 10 volunteer linemen and one alternate from its member electric cooperatives to prepare to electrify the mountainous village of Sillab, Guatemala, this August. The Colorado crew will join 10 linemen from electric co-ops in Oklahoma on a joint project coordinated through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s philanthropic NRECA International Foundation.
“We’re excited to return to Guatemala on another CREA-sponsored project,” said CREA Executive Director Kent Singer. “Last year was the first time Colorado co-ops came together to sponsor a team of linemen to bring electricity to an area that has never had access to electricity before. It was a good experience for our crew and we were able to electrify two remote villages. This year, we have another team of outstanding co-op linemen willing to volunteer their time and expertise to bring much needed electricity to Sillab.”
The project site is in the department (state) of Alta Verapaz, near Guatemala’s border with Belize where villagers grow corn for themselves and generate some income from the production of cardamon seeds, peppers and coffee as well as a variety of spices.
The volunteers will spend three weeks building power lines along a 6 1/2-mile stretch of mountainous terrain where expected rainy weather, canyon crossings and steep hillsides will add to the challenge. Plans call for 60 poles and four transformers. Each of the 60 homes to be served will be equipped with four lightbulbs, four light switches and four electrical outlets.
The power lines will belong to a local utility, ADECORK (Associacion Para Desarollo Communitario Rax Kiche or Association for Community Development Rax Kiche). ADECORK will generate and distribute electric power to Sillab. The utility operates a small hydro power plant with a capacity of 75 kilowatts.
Colorado’s team members were selected through an application process and interviews with a committee of CREA staff members and two board members from CREA’s nonprofit Colorado Electric Educational Institute. Nine team members and one alternate were chosen. The 10th spot will be filled by CREA Director of Safety and Loss Control Dale Kishbaugh.
Volunteers selected for the project include: Jerid Bruna, Southeast Colorado Power Association, LaJunta; KJ Johnson, San Miguel Power Association, Ridgeway; Austin Maier, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, Fort Collins; Jason Matzke, Mountain View Electric Association, Limon/Falcon; Kenneth Murray, Mountain View Electric Association, Limon/Falcon; Jace Noe, Southeast Colorado Power Association, LaJunta; Rod Sherman, Holy Cross Energy, Glenwood Springs; Kelly Snow, United Power, Brighton; and Chris Stanworth, White River Electric Association, Meeker. Lucas Swoyer, Mountain View Electric, Limon/Falcon, was selected as the team alternate.
“We had a strong slate of applicants for the trip,” Singer said. “It is great to see how many of our co-op linemen were willing to leave their homes for so long to undertake such a grueling trip to help others in another country. This project will bring economic possibilities to these villages, as well as better access to education and enhanced safety and lifestyles.”
CREA is the statewide trade association for Colorado’s 22 electric distribution cooperatives and co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
NRECA International, an affiliate of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has been working in developing countries since 1962. Today more than 300 member electric cooperatives support its work through monetary contributions, material donations and sending hundreds of electric co-op lineworkers and employees aboard as volunteers.
Title
United Power Lineman to Help Power Guatemala
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/05_04_2018_Guatemala.png?itok=8ngelyuC
Friday | May 4, 2018
Card Teaser
United Power Journeyman Lineman, Kelly Snow, is among seven volunteer linemen selected by the Colorado Rural Electric Association to support a program to help electrify remote communities in northwestern Guatemala this fall.
United Power Journeyman Lineman, Kelly Snow, is among seven volunteer linemen selected by the Colorado Rural Electric Association to support a program to help electrify remote communities in northwestern Guatemala this fall.
The Colorado crew will join eight linemen from co-ops in Oklahoma on a joint project coordinated through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s philanthropic NRECA International Foundation.
“We’re very excited about this inaugural CREA-sponsored project in Guatemala,” said CREA Executive Director Kent Singer. “Our group includes outstanding co-op linemen, who will volunteer their time and expertise to bring much needed electricity to people and communities who have never experienced it before.”
The volunteers will build power lines in the village of Pie del Cerro and, potentially, in neighboring Tierra Blanca Salinas. Both communities are located far from larger population areas near a rain forest in the Ixcan region, close to the Mexican border. Collectively, the communities have about 100 households, five churches, two elementary schools and two health centers — all without access to reliable and affordable electricity. The local residents live in small one or two room homes without running water, refrigeration or the use of electronic appliances for household chores or business services. Farming is the local industry; they produce corn, beans cardamom seeds, cocoa and vegetables.
A local utility, Empresa Municipal Rural de Electricidad (EMRE), based in Playa Grande, Ixcan, will maintain the power lines once they are built. The project will consist of 130 poles and two transformers on 4.34 miles of primary line and 3.86 miles of secondary line. Most of the terrain will be flat, but about 1 mile of line will be built through dense rain forest growth. Each home will receive at least two light bulbs and two electrical outlets.
“We’re proud to have Kelly representing United Power on this very worthy project,” said Bryant Robbins, Chief Operations Officer. “Electrifying rural communities is the foundation that electric cooperatives were formed, and it’s part of our ongoing commitment to communities around the world.”
A selection committee consisting of CREA staff members and two board members from CREA’s Colorado Electric Educational Institute interviewed applicants and selected six co-op linemen and two alternates for the trip. The seventh spot will be filled by CREA Director of Safety and Loss Control Dale Kishbaugh.
“Thanks to all of the linemen who were interested in participating in this trip,” Singer said. “It is great to see how many of our co-op family were willing to leave their homes for an extended period for such a grueling trip to help others in another country. This project will bring economic possibilities to these villages, as well as better access to education and enhanced safety and lifestyles.”
Volunteers selected for the project include: Christian Baker, Holy Cross Energy, Glenwood Springs,Springs; Kris Barbee, Southeast Colorado Power Association, La Junta; Ben Ludington, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, Fort Collins; Kelly Snow, United Power, Brighton; Chet Stickler, Holy Cross, Glenwood Springs; and Nate Towne, Mountain Parks Electric, Granby.
Alternates are Chris Stanworth, White River Electric; and Baker McKonly, La Plata Electric Association, Durango.
CREA is the statewide trade association for Colorado’s 22 electric cooperatives and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
Title
United Power Lineman Traveling to Guatemala in September
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/05_04_2018_Guatemala_0.png?itok=kl_tk0ER
Monday | September 3, 2018
Card Teaser
Veteran United Power lineman Kelly Snow has been selected to join five other Colorado linemen and eight Oklahoma linemen to bring power to two remote jungle villages in Guatemala this September.
Veteran United Power lineman Kelly Snow has been selected to join five other Colorado linemen and eight Oklahoma linemen to bring power to two remote jungle villages in Guatemala this September.
The villages, Pel del Cerro and Tierra Blanca Salinas, are located in the Ixcán region of northwestern Guatemala and do not have access to reliable and affordable electricity. The communities are home to approximately 100 households, five churches, two elementary schools and two health centers.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to give back in such a rewarding way,” Kelly Snow said. “Most of us have never had to know a day without electricity. I can only imagine what it would mean to people who’ve never had it before. “
The fifteen member crew will install 130 poles, two transformers and more than eight miles of electrical line without the assistance of modern machinery over the course of the three week project. While most of the terrain will be flat, roughly one mile of the path passes through dense rain forest growth.
“I’ve worked in ice storms, blizzards and floods,” Snow said. “I am well aware of the difficulties of working in adverse conditions. It’s these kinds of challenges that make the project very appealing.”
The project is a joint effort between Colorado and Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives and made possible by NRECA International, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, whose mission is to increase individual and community access to electricity in all parts of the world. Over the past 50 years, NRECA International has provided electricity to more than 126 million people.
The Colorado Rural Electric Association selected the seven-member team representing Colorado in Guatemala following interviews earlier this year. Snow has been with United Power for the past 15 years, and has more than 20 years combined experience.
“The Rural Electric Association was founded on the principal of bringing electricity to rural America,” Snow said. “It’s an inspiration to be a part of that foundation and spreading it to other countries.”
Title
United Power Linemen Wearing FR Face Masks
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/04_10_2020_UPFaceMasks.jpg?itok=STZXkLOa
Friday | April 10, 2020
Card Teaser
In recognition of a CDC recommendation to wear masks, United Power line crews are being given masks made locally from extra fire-resistant shirts.
On April 4th, the CDC officially began recommending more widespread use of cloth masks by people who do not show any symptoms of COVID-19. The aim of this recommendation is to reduce transmission of COVID-19 from people who are infected but not showing symptoms.
In recognition of the recommendation, a group of ingenious employees at United Power proposed having a local seamstress make cloth masks from extra yellow fire resistant shirts for our linemen. The first batch of masks were handed out to linemen earlier this week, and more are in production. Masks will be delivered to linemen at the Carbon Valley Service Center and Coal Creek offices once more are available.
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United Power Offices Closed for 4th of July
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Tuesday | July 2, 2024
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Offices will be closed on Thursday and reopen on Friday morning.
United Power's offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Our dispatch center and crews remain on-call 24 hours per day for outages and emergencies.
Members can access their account online, or pay by phone by calling 866-999-4485 24 hours per day.
We hope all of our members enjoy a relaxing and safe 4th of July holiday.
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United Power Offices Closed for President's Day
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Thursday | February 13, 2020
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United Power's offices will be closed on Monday, February 17th in honor of President's Day.
United Power's offices will be closed on Monday, February 17th in honor of President's Day. Our dispatch center and crews remain on-call 24 hours per day for outages and emergencies.
Members can access their account online, or pay by phone by calling 866-999-4485 24 hours per day.
We hope all of our members enjoy a relaxing and safe President's Day.
