Who Is United Power?
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 100,000 homes and businesses along Colorado’s northern front range.
Our Mission
To safely and efficiently provide reliable electric power and outstanding service to our members.
Our Vision
Powering Lives, Powering Change, Powering the Future — the Cooperative Way.
Service Territory
United Power is a rural electric cooperative, providing electric service to homes and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The 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. In June 2021, the cooperative surpassed 100,000 meters representing more than 300,000 members.
United Power serves 900 square miles along the north central range of the Colorado Rockies. Our service territory wraps around the north and west borders of Denver International Airport, and includes the north metropolitan development corridors, including Interstate 25, Interstate 76, State Highway 85, and E-470.
Cooperative businesses, like United Power, are special because they are owned by the consumers they serve and because they are guided by a set of seven principles that reflect the best interests of those consumers.
Seven Cooperative Principles:
- Voluntary and Open Membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination.
- Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
- Members' Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership.
Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
- Autonomy & Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
- Education, Training & Information
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
- Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.
- Concern for Community
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.
United Power was originally founded as Union Rural Electric. The cooperative was incorporated in October of 1938 through the efforts of 26 original founders. Dubbed Union Rural Electric by the original founders, the name came to describe the “united” efforts of dozens of farmers from Adams, Boulder, Gilpin, Jefferson and Weld counties. Roughly a year after the cooperative was incorporated, construction began on 300 miles of distribution line that would serve 750 customers. Power first surged through the newly erected lines on January 29, 1940.
In 1952, Union Rural Electric joined with 24 other rural electric utilities to form Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Exhibiting extraordinary foresight, the move guaranteed an adequate source of electricity for the coming years of growth. The partnership between Tri-State and United Power remains strong today, as power generation continues to be a key part of the rural electric quotient.
In April of 1990, the cooperative name was changed to United Power, Inc., a visible sign of a new, more powerful entity emerging in the electric industry. By November of the same year, United Power had added over 6,000 new customers with the acquisition of the Platte Valley Division. The Platte Valley Division encompassed the cities of Fort Lupton, Hudson, Keenesburg and the surrounding rural lands. The 1993 acquisition of customers in the city of Brighton fueled a second surge of growth, adding an additional 6,000 meters. In June 2021, the cooperative became just the 31st co-op nationwide to surpass the 100,000 meter milestone.
The United Power Family
If you or your family are moving or have just settled in, United Power wants to be the first to welcome you! Listed below are links to the communities and counties served by United Power, where you can find information on local businesses, services, jobs, schools, churches, community events, recreational activities and more.
United Power serves seventeen different communities along the Colorado Front Range north and east of Denver and two mountain canyons. Towns we serve include:
United Power franchise communities span across parts of six Colorado counties, including:
United Power also serves areas close to the following communities:
Co-op by the Numbers |
|
---|---|
Number of Meters |
106,943 |
Miles of Line |
6,790 |
Number of Employees |
190 |
Avg. Monthly Bill |
Residential: $113.71 |
Avg. kWh per Member |
849 kWh |
Source of Revenue |
Residential: $126,699,088 |
Financial Information | Total Assets: $649,423,331 Cost of Purchased Power: $229,750,040 |
*As of Dec. 31, 2022 (from 2022 Annual Report)
STRONG PRINCIPLES RUN THROUGH EVERY CO-OP LINE


106943
Meters Served

190
Employees
*As of Dec. 31, 2022