Fall is rapidly upon us, and we have successfully managed our first summer as an independent electric cooperative. It has been a hot summer and despite naysayers, the amazingly dedicated women and men of United Power have led us through this significant transition.

United Power’s loads continue to grow. Combining new sources of power and innovative technology, we have managed the system in a new and exciting way. As of May 1, we immediately reduced our carbon intensity by 26%, all while setting new peak loads, month over month. Our investment in nearly 80 MW of battery energy storage systems paid for itself just two weeks after the official ribbon cutting in July. On Aug. 2, we hit an all-time historical peak of nearly 650 MW. The true load had we not deployed battery storage — and initiated demand response — would have been 719 MW! This is up from the 2023 peak of 634 MW. The batteries meant we were able to buy lower cost and lower carbon power at night and use it during peak hours from 4–8 p.m. instead of purchasing expensive fossil fuel alternatives.

There is tremendous value in having a diverse portfolio of generation and large-scale storage resources. As United Power members, you do not have to wait until the end of the decade for the energy transition, as other cooperatives are doing. We are living it now with a wide range of power suppliers — 26 at last count — bringing a lower carbon and more flexible energy supply. Hydropower, wind, solar, storage, and gas allow us to have a balanced energy portfolio.

An increasing number of our members are adding solar, storage, and electric vehicles to their lives, and we support these efforts, happily providing critical analytical tools to make sure these decisions are being made with the best and most neutral information possible. United Power fully supports an “all of the above” strategy whether we provide the resource or not. One of United Power’s critical goals, as outlined in Our Cooperative Roadmap, is to continually optimize our electric system enabling all technologies to operate seamlessly.  For help in these and other energy savings opportunities, click here.

In addition to the change in power suppliers, United Power is adding intelligence to how we operate and monitor the grid through advanced systems, including:

• A new outage management system, giving us visibility and insight into our operations,
• Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI),
• Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), the system our operators use to monitor real time performance,
• and a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS).

These tools are all part of our drive to become a Distribution System Operator as we prepare for the evolving energy enterprise. In recognition of our commitment to innovation, knowledge sharing, and moving the industry forward, United Power was just honored with the Survalent Industry Innovation Award.

I am particularly excited about several developments that support our members and critical community resources thanks to the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act and Empower Rural America (New ERA) Program.

• United Power has been awarded $700,000 to place batteries in four fire stations across the service territory to improve reliability.
• We will receive $6.4 million to supply Fort Lupton’s Water Treatment Facility with floating solar and storage.
• Golden Aluminum is receiving $22.5 million to convert some of their equipment from natural gas to electric power.

We are also in the final stages of seeking a large New ERA grant that can help in our transition to lower carbon resources.

All of these exciting changes happen thanks to the dedication of our employees and support from your Board of Directors. As always, I welcome your questions, comments and concerns.  

United Power is pleased to announce the hiring of Jenna Hirsch to the newly created position of Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety, and Risk.

“Jenna is an exciting hire for the cooperative,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “Her background in the electric industry is extensive, and the cooperative’s ongoing focus on the safety of both our employees and the public warrants strong leadership in this area.”

Hirsch holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a Master of Science in Health and Safety from the University of Denver. Most recently, she served as the Director of Safety and Loss Control for the Colorado Rural Electric Association, providing support and oversight of safety programs for rural electric cooperatives across the state. Her diverse work history includes safety work with the electric generation and transmission industry and in the oil and gas sector.

“United Power’s focus on safety underpins every initiative of the cooperative,” said Gabriel. “The importance of our safety culture is outlined in detail in both our guiding document, Our Cooperative Roadmap, and in the cooperative’s Social Responsibility Report. Any conversation we have at United Power – with leadership, among employees, or with our board – is built on this overarching concept of ‘safety first.’ I am confident that Jenna will bring the innovation and careful oversight we need to this critical aspect of our industry.”