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03/05/2025 - 02:01 PM
Title March Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq Wednesday | March 5, 2025 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. A member recently asked a very good question about the price of utility-scale solar and how that related to the overall plan we have for the future of our power supply, particularly in light of the new 162 MW Mountain Peak Power natural gas plant being constructed in Weld County (where we also have 11 MW of battery storage). What drove the question was the announcement of our latest solar plant, the 150 MW Byers Solar Farm being built in Adams County with cooperation from one of our long-time partners, Silicon Ranch. The question also reflected on the decision we executed last year to regain our independence as a cooperative. The raw cost of energy is just one piece in the puzzle of activities that guide the operations of an electric distribution cooperative like United Power. Energy needs to cover every minute of every hour of every day, with enough back-up capacity to ensure the lights stay on and our economy keeps flowing. Buying energy and capacity requires a mix of supply options over a variety of contracts, and United Power — with the support of TEA Solutions, a national energy marketing and risk management services provider for community-owned utilities — works to balance the system both in real time and over the course of years. Determining power supply is a multi-factored math and physics activity, coordinated at the local and regional levels. It involves not just the power supply but transmission, as well. The reality for much of the West is that congestion on the transmission system is a challenge for planning and operations, much like getting to a Broncos game in highway congestion. We are receiving numerous well-priced power supply offers for the coming years. Unfortunately, the pathway to “bring it home” limits our ability to take advantage of some of best deals on the market. There are plans for new transmission across the West — plans that we support — but the harsh reality is that it will take a decade or more to develop, permit, and build. We simply cannot wait and hope for new transmission in time to meet our growing demand. Given these challenges, United Power has devised a three-pronged approach to maintain power supply for our growing member base over the coming years, laid out in the recently-revised Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap). First, we are focusing on hyper-localization, which keeps generating resources inside our service territory. Local power means less need for transmission and fewer line losses (energy lost as electricity is transported from point-to-point due to resistance). Plus it contributes to local tax revenue. The Byers Solar Farm is a great example. Second, we are continuously improving our system as we evolve into a distribution system operator, which will allow us to use what we already have more effectively. Adding battery energy storage systems merges these first two concepts. We now have nearly 20% of our load in either four- or six-hour storage systems. Finally, we are preparing for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) West, a power market that will allow us to buy and sell power more efficiently. This is planned for Spring 2026, and United Power will be ready. We are living in a more dynamic energy market than any time in history, with more options than ever before. There is no single source of power that will supply all of our needs. That is why United Power truly believes in and acts on an “all of the above” energy strategy. Whether it is supporting nearly 13,000 residential solar systems, signing 30-year solar purchase power agreements, joining a market, or buying output from natural gas plants, the team works every day to anticipate and plan for your power needs. Just as we need a variety of transportation options — bicycles, cars, trucks, trains, and planes — so, too, do we need options in power supply. As always, please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions or comments. If you belong to a group that would like a United Power team member discuss the Roadmap at an upcoming meeting, please contact us.02/29/2024 - 10:14 AM
Title March Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP Thursday | February 29, 2024 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. I have spent much of my 30+ year career in the utility industry. Through the years, people have often asked me what the “best” business model is to provide electricity. There are basically three choices: investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and cooperatives like United Power. I try to reflect on the various pluses and minuses of each business model when answering the question, but always come back to the same conclusion — cooperatives are the closest to their member-owners, focus clearly on the communities being served, and can make changes quickly as technology transforms the energy enterprise. Commitment to our member-owners is deeply embedded in the cooperative mindset. Our employees work diligently each day to meet the needs of United Power members, while also anticipating future needs. This is why we have been able to handle the tremendous growth in our service territory across all the sectors we are proud to serve: residential, small commercial, and large commercial/industrial. Our attitude and culture is to meet needs when and where they arise, based on the members’ time frame. Members have an active voice in the utility’s future direction through the annual Director Election. The dedicated women and men on United Power’s Board of Directors spend many hours alongside management preparing for what is to come. This is particularly important with the rapidly changing environment we find ourselves in today. The Board had the foresight to pilot the largest battery storage facility in the West in 2018. It provided understanding and experience in operating battery storage systems, and paved the way for the cooperative to add another 115 megawatts of battery storage to our system this spring and summer. This battery deployment ensures reliability and allows us to manage the system locally. We will be one of the first utilities in the nation to energize utility-scale batteries at our substations. Moving quickly and taking advantage of innovative technologies is a hallmark of the cooperative world, and certainly at United Power. Our theme for this year — United Power’s 85th anniversary — is Here for Good. This captures our belief in building a reliable and resilient distribution system and our enduring presence in the communities we serve. United Power fosters local relationships and partners on economic development to support community growth. The cooperative also partners with members who want to give back to those less fortunate through Operation Round Up. More than 25,000 of you participate in the program, which has distributed more than $3 million since 1995. This is why the cooperative business model is so strong — the proximity to the people we serve as “members” and not just “customers.” As a member, you are also an owner with a vested economic interest in United Power. A part of every monthly statement is an investment in your utility — a key difference in the three business models. Every year, the Board of Directors evaluates our financial condition and determines if we can return margins to members. In the last five years alone, we have returned more than $25 million to members. This only happens in the cooperative world (unless you own stock in an investor-owned utility, of course). Electric cooperatives are based on seven principles: open and voluntary membership; democratic member control; members economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training, and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community. We take these principle to heart in everything we do at United Power. My third anniversary at the helm of United Power is March 15. I am thankful every day to live and work in a community powered by an electric cooperative, and to work with the amazing women and men of this utility. As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns. I enjoy hearing from our members and appreciate your continued support.03/01/2022 - 03:31 PM
Title March/April Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP Tuesday | March 1, 2022 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Looking ahead while focusing on the present is a challenge in today’s electric power industry. Whether it is changing regulations; the desire of more members to engage with us as their electric cooperative in new ways; the advancement of technologies; or simply the expectations of high quality, always on, reliable power, being prepared is key. Thanks to the hard work of staff at United Power, supported by our Board of Directors, we have created “Our Cooperative Roadmap,” or Roadmap, to document both where we are today and how we are looking toward the future. The Roadmap has four Guiding Principles: Reliability, Affordability, Flexibility, and Responsibility. Each of these principles embodies the elements most critical to us as we seek to prepare for the future while building and maintaining the important investments we have made on behalf of our members over the decades. These are the lenses through which we evaluate options such as reimagining our power supply, integrating new technologies, preparing for future markets, and supporting the needs of the workforce. Reliability Strive to deliver high-quality, uninterrupted service to our members through the design, operation, protection, and maintenance of a failure-resistant and resilient electric distribution system. Affordability Continually seek fair and equitable wholesale rates, manage distribution costs in a highly efficient manner, and responsibly allocate those costs across our membership with stable and transparent rate options. Flexibility Demonstrate maximum agility and adaptiveness through forward-looking plans; versatile, innovative programs and business models; and diverse power supply options as we respond to changes in our environment and the needs of our members and community. Responsibility Act honestly, ethically, sustainably, and in the best interest of our members and communities as we manage operations and secure resources. The Roadmap defines the working plan priorities for your cooperative and aligns the work of employees at United Power. The document will ensure continuity in our thinking and guide us as we make important resource decisions. The Roadmap also keeps us looking at the immediate opportunities and challenges we face. The criticality of electricity has never been more evident as a growing number of our members work from home. The advances of technology require high quality, reliable power. And, as our communities grow, so too do the demands for more power. A good example in planning ahead and working for today lies in the investments your cooperative made in our fire mitigation plan. Several years ago, we began switching to covered cable in the mountains, undergrounded critical lines, and moved to an advanced breaker. While no plan can perfectly protect us from the unpredictability of wildfires, we were ready to respond during the recent events here in Colorado. Fortunately, our system was not impacted. The same is true as we ready our technologies to accept more distributed energy resources, storage, and solar on our system while preparing for the advent of a power market here in the west. We encourage members to read Our Cooperative Roadmap and engage in future discussions about it. The senior team and I welcome the opportunity to come and speak to community groups and will be posting several videos online that cover the Roadmap’s key elements. Our Cooperative Roadmap covers a wide range of areas – all designed with you, our member, in mind. Importantly, it helps define the cooperative’s future and keeps us on track today. As always, I welcome your comments, questions, and feedback on any topic, including the Roadmap. Please contact me here.12/06/2022 - 11:21 AM
Title Mark A. Gabriel Announced as New GridWise Alliance Board Member /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Grid_Layout.jpg?itok=QANx6rRH Tuesday | December 6, 2022 Card Teaser The GridWise Alliance announced nine new members to its Board of Directors, all strongly committed to advancing the organization's mission to articulate the benefits of grid modernization. Washington D.C. - The GridWise Alliance announced nine new members to its Board of Directors today, all of whom are strongly committed to advancing the organization's mission to articulate the benefits of grid modernization. “The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act are further evidence of the increasing rate of change in the industry. GridWise Alliance and other organizations in the field will play a critical role, and bringing in leaders with fresh perspectives is critical,” said Gil Quiniones, CEO, ComEd and Chair of the GridWise Alliance. “Our new board members bring this type of innovative thinking and leadership to the Board of Directors and continue to ensure that it is at the forefront of our country’s energy transformation.” The new GridWise Alliance Board members who will begin two-year terms, include:- Astrid Atkinson, CEO and Co-Founder, Camus Energy
- Michelle Blaise, Senior Vice President Engineering and Project Management, ComEd
- Russell Boyer, Global Energy Field Director, Dell Technologies
- Michelle Fay, Partner, Guidehouse
- Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO, United Power
- Hanna Grene, Worldwide Power and Utilities Leader, Microsoft
- Wade Lauer, Senior Vice President Transmission, North America, Siemens Energy Inc.
- Deepa Poduval, Global Advisory Lead, Senior Vice President, Black & Veatch
- Jeannie Salo, Vice President, Government Relations, Schneider Electric
06/05/2019 - 12:19 PM
Title May is National Electrical Safety Month /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MayJune_NL_ElectricalSafetyMonth.png?itok=1nCQoSiU Thursday | May 2, 2019 Card Teaser May is National Electrical Safety Month, and United Power is joining with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. If you are subscribed to newsletters or emails from any major electronics store, you have experienced firsthand the rapid advancement of technology over the past few years. Smart technology has evolved past our phone and thermostat to incorporate practically every aspect of our daily life. From entertainment to fitness, technology powers our lives. May is National Electrical Safety Month, and United Power is joining with the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. Safely managing electronic tools and toys may not cross our minds as we walk around with water resistant phones and watches, but improperly managing electronics can be dangerous. Staying aware of a few simple things can keep you and your family safe from electrical hazards. United Power offers the following tips to help identify and eliminate electrical hazards to protect yourself, your family, and your home:- Overloaded electrical circuits are a major cause of residential fires. Lower your risk of electrical fires by not overloading your home’s electrical system.
- Light bulbs come in a variety of wattages, and lamps work with specific watts. Only use light bulbs that meet (or are below) the maximum wattage listed on the lamp or fixture. Consider investing in LEDs, which use fewer watts while outputting the same amount of light and cost less to operate. Exceeding the wattage limit can cause overheating and potential fire hazards.
- Extension cords should not be used as a permanent solution. Contact a licensed electrician to install additional outlets.
- Never use electrical cords that feel warm to the touch or are damaged or frayed in any way.
- Frequently tripped circuit breakers and blown fuses are a clear warning sign of faulty electrical wiring. Contact a licensed electrician for an inspection.
- Be prepared, just in case. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Remember to test once a month!
05/04/2026 - 12:11 PM
May Message from Mark A. Gabriel Monday | May 4, 2026 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >05/01/2025 - 12:03 PM
Title May Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq Thursday | May 1, 2025 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Several years ago, while working for the federal government, I had the opportunity to spend time aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The captain explained that aircraft carriers are focused on being a “forward projection of force.” I enjoyed my time with the crew of 4,000 and the leadership command team as they went about the complex duties of operating the finest example of U.S. power in the middle of the ocean. Part of my experience included a tailhook landing in a COD (carrier onboard delivery) plane that appears way too big to land on anything but a runway, as well as a catapult takeoff. When preparing for takeoff, there is a tremendous amount of noise, confusion, and turmoil. Once hooked onto the catapult, the noise cuts through your body and your vision blurs. The anticipation of the launch is an adrenaline rush. Then a strange thing happens; the noise disappears as the plane clears the runway, dips off the deck, and heads into the air. The flight at that point is quiet and smooth, heading toward its destination. There may be occasional turbulence, but flight plans are executed with great precision. A year ago, there was a lot of noise as your cooperative awaited takeoff on the catapult to independence. Like the catapult takeoff, silence quickly replaced the noise. The co-op’s flight plan — also known as Our Cooperative Roadmap — is being executed with great precision. United Power is the forward projection of force, taking action to meet the needs today and in the future. There are headwinds and tailwinds on the energy horizon. The West may find itself short of capacity, the critical back-up generation resource to ensure grid reliability. It, and specifically United Power, will also find it has plenty of energy thanks to more and more people adding their own generating resources, coupled with new solar and wind facilities. The headwinds and tailwinds mean there will be times of excess and inexpensive power and times when things are tight. Electricity has never been more important to our homes, businesses, and communities. United Power, like many other utilities, is finding the need to balance each new opportunity with the realities of power supply. We have created the LIT process to work with potential large commercial and industrial members, which focuses on three key items: location, investment, and timing. The good news for United Power is our history of ensuring growth pays its own way. The better news is that companies want to be in your cooperative’s territory. Part of United Power’s flight plan involves the strategy to hyper-localize generation and storage resources. This is one way we will maintain reliability, as well as add to the local tax base. We have added a new gas-fired power plant and 115 MW of battery storage located at substations across our system. The battery array is the largest in Colorado and most likely the West, allowing us to buy power when prices are low and use it when prices are high. As a matter of fact, this month marks the first time United Power actively managed the deployment of power from two of our battery systems to meet a contingency reserve need on the system. The batteries improve and support our grid and leverage the storage capacity for financial benefit. Our flight plan also includes becoming a distribution system operator (DSO), which allows the management of systems in concert with each other and not just individual pieces. As on the aircraft carrier, everything will be coordinated to manage costs and keep the lights on. This means members can offer their self-generation or storage to United Power as an aggregator that gets sold back to the market. It also means the possibility of smoothing out demand through the system to lower overall costs and the better use of resources in a capacity constrained world. For three days on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, I witnessed the tight coordination of people, safely navigating in open ocean while defending our nation. At United Power, I see the tight coordination of our tremendous staff, supported by the oversight of your Board who lead the cooperative. We have nailed the landing, cleared the takeoff, and are flying ahead. Full steam ahead.05/01/2024 - 08:21 AM
Title May Message from Mark A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq Wednesday | May 1, 2024 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. There is never a good time to raise rates, but there is always a good reason. Raising rates ensures the financial stability of the utility, keeps borrowing costs low, and allows for continued investment in facilities. Sometimes there is a great reason to raise rates. For United Power, that great reason is freedom to do the right thing for our members and a restoration of local control. More than 85 years ago, United Power’s founding board members decided electrification was in the best interest of their communities. Their goal required bold thinking and a bit of moxie. It took them two years to bring their idea of electrification to life but resulted in the lights going on for 110 homes and businesses in 1940. It introduced a vision for the future that is still being expanded today. The cooperative is now more than 100 times larger – far larger than those original founders could have ever imagined. Two years ago, your intrepid Board of Directors began the initial steps to take our cooperative back, advocating for a new direction untethered to an organization that was not operating in our members’ best interests. The Board’s belief is bringing a new vision of the future, and we are expanding on that every day. Operating as an independent entity allows United Power to manage its own destiny and focus on locally controlled generation and assets, while protecting members from costs that do not bring them value. Exiting our power contract prevents the cooperative from carrying a disproportionate burden of the supplier’s costs and investments and subsidizing others. Additionally, we want to incentivize generation and storage within our communities and increase reliability. Local generation contributes tax revenue that benefits our communities. Our new power supply will also immediately reduce our carbon intensity, helping us meet regulatory mandates. The cost of this freedom is $627 million, broken down into an exit fee of roughly $450 million and a 40-year prepayment of approximately $180 million for the use of transmission facilities. This prepayment is a loan from United Power that will earn interest to the tune of more than $250 million, and it is for service that we would have needed to buy anyway. Most importantly, the cooperative will be free from debts and obligations over which we have no management or control. The key question, of course, is what this exit will do to bills. There will be a small rate increase to pay for our freedom. Raising rates is never pleasant, and we understand this will be challenging for some. We are working on programs to minimize the impact, and we are committed to rate stabilization and potential answers for lowering them as we pay off our exit fees. This resolution is really the end of the beginning for United Power’s exciting and bold vision for the future. This was outlined three years ago in Our Cooperative Roadmap, which envisioned a new set of power supplies, the move into power markets, increased levels of energy storage, and continuing our industry-leading innovation. Innovation is not new at United Power. We were one of the first to have community solar, generate power from methane waste gas, and pioneer battery storage. Further, our rates and programs support members who add solar and storage, and electric vehicles are revolutionizing our backyard with more than 6,000 in our territory. United Power received a grant to combine floating solar with storage in Fort Lupton to produce low-cost power and reduce water loss through evaporation. Golden Aluminum, one of the co-op’s largest industrial members, received $22.3 million to electrify their processes. And, we have been selected to apply for New ERA grant funding. If the application is successful, those funds will help stabilize and lower the cost of lower carbon resources. Being an independent entity means we get to pick the right generating resources for our members, and help electrification efforts without constraints or paying for things that do not benefit the co-op. There is a cost to our freedom, but operating independently is priceless. Bold thinking and a bit of moxie are making this happen. I am proud of the women and men of United Power. We are, and will remain, Here for Good.05/11/2023 - 03:19 PM
Title May Message from Mark. A. Gabriel /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP Monday | May 8, 2023 Card Teaser A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. My old boss used to have a saying, “Predicting rain is one thing, building the ark is another.” I am proud to say that your cooperative, with support from the Board of Directors, developed and is following Our Cooperative Roadmap — the ark for success now and into the future. This journey will continue the evolution of the electric business as we work to meet the needs of you, our members, wherever you are. There continues to be a lot of talk about the energy transition — how the future will look, the challenges of changing power suppliers, and the issues with more people and businesses seeking alternative generation sources. Many of these conversations in the industry revolve around concerns for reliability, resilience, and of course affordability, three watchwords for all of us operating your cooperative. A distribution cooperative like United Power stands at the crossroads of a changing energy industry. It needs to transition from a simple distribution operator to managing a system that is agnostic to inputs and flexible enough to handle both centralized power and local generation. Very few central power stations are being built today, more fossil fuel generation facilities are closing, and transmission projects lag needs. A distribution system operator (DSO) will be counted on to manage a more complex, yet interlocked, system. This will empower you as members and monetize investments in a shared energy economy. We are focused on staying closely tied to the economic drivers of the communities we serve to bring tax dollars, revenue, and well-paying job opportunities. We must be good stewards of our resources and build on the solid partnerships with our local businesses. I am proud to say that these partnerships are the cornerstone of the cooperative business model. Providing high quality and reliable service is crucial because businesses matter. We are restructuring some staff to focus on business and community partnerships — our key accounts. This will allow us to be more responsive, anticipate needs in areas such as power quality, and leverage available grant dollars and tax incentives. Another benefit in controlling our power supply will allow us to craft rates that work for these members. As a member-owned cooperative, the concept of “meeting you where you are,” aligns with our goal of delivering mutual value. It has the added benefit of keeping investments in the communities we serve while ensuring the reliability and resiliency required in today’s environment. The quiet transition to localized grids, combined with the advancements in management tools and software, returns to continue the electricity enterprises’ original intent of bringing light, motive power, and comfort to the communities being served. Our Cooperative Roadmap makes sure we are invested in the technological changes our members are navigating in our industry. More members want to self-generate or make energy efficient upgrades to their homes. Others are investing in technologies that will change the way we interface with members. United Power must continue supporting technologies that reduce costs for all members. Programs such as United EV, Smart Rewards for thermostats, energy efficiency rebates, and solar interconnections give members control over how they use power. We are here to support members who want to produce their own power and provide financial incentives that align with our goals of affordability and system control. These programs are aimed at sharing savings with our members when they participate in programs that can reduce our costs. What does this mean in practice? United Power provides the people and tools to help members make decisions about their own energy use, power generation, use of technologies, and safe integration of batteries and solar panels. It means we are continuously scanning the horizon to make sure our distribution system is ready for tomorrow and safe for today. We are not just predicting the rain of change but building the ark to ensure we sail into this bright new future.07/13/2021 - 11:08 AM
May/June Message from Mark A. Gabriel Monday | May 3, 2021 A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer. Read more >01/12/2021 - 07:00 AM
Title Member Choice Grants Renewed for 2021 /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MemberChoice.jpg?h=45932144&itok=xQRicKHr Monday | January 11, 2021 Card Teaser Members will be able to nominate their favorite local nonprofits to receive grant funds from the cooperative through the program. United Power members will once again be able to nominate their favorite local nonprofits to receive grant funds from the cooperative through the 2021 Member Choice Grant program. Within our service territory, there are many nonprofits that bring value to the communities we serve. Member Choice Grants, originally introduced in 2020, give our members a voice in what nonprofit organizations they’d like to see us support. The grant funds will help them continue to work toward accomplishing their mission and ensures we are supporting causes our members truly care about. This past year, our members recognized the needs of others who were trying to navigate difficult circumstances and focused their nominations on organizations that met essential needs. These organizations included food and clothing banks, mental health resources and positive recreation. Recipients of grant awards are determined based on member nominations throughout the year. Nominations are now open, and recipients will be announced in three rounds in the cooperative’s newsletter. For more information on Member Choice Grants and past recipients or to nominate a nonprofit that serves United Power members to receive grant funds, go to Member Choice.09/07/2022 - 12:16 PM
Title Member Choice Grants Renewed for 2022 /sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/EarlyFall2022_MemberChoice.jpg?itok=a3kXaAbk Wednesday | September 7, 2022 Card Teaser Nominate a local nonprofit to receive grant dollars from United Power by November 18. Electric cooperatives are unique from for-profit electric utilities, which are governed by investor decisions that boost revenue and profits. Instead, co-ops are defined by a set of core principles, chief among them a commitment to the communities they serve. United Power is an active supporter and participant in community events and programs, but depends on knowledge from members like you to ensure it is supporting causes you care about. The co-op launched Member Choice grants to provide a way for members to put their community knowledge into action – by nominating area nonprofits for United Power grant dollars. Nominating a local nonprofit for Member Choice grants allows you to have a voice in what organizations the cooperative is supporting. United Power has distributed more than $10,000 to nonprofits within its service territory through Member Choice grants since its launch in 2020. The first grants were awarded to local food banks early in the pandemic. Members recognized the need for additional resources at food banks as many families lost their source of income. Members also nominated nonprofits that provided for mental health needs and outdoor recreation. The cooperative renewed Member Choice grants for three rounds in 2021. Recipients provided a variety of needs, including animal rescue and adoption, youth job force training and empowerment, and ending the cycle of homelessness. Member Choice grants have been renewed again for 2022. Your nominations will help six worthy organizations receive a total of $12,000 in grant dollars to continue providing services to the communities they reach. To receive a Member Choice grant, nominated organizations must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit operating within the cooperative’s service territory and serving United Power members. Ineligible nonprofits include organizations that further religious doctrine or support the interests of political parties. United Power began accepting new Member Choice grant nominations in August. Nominations must be received by November 18 to ensure consideration for the next round of grants. Recipients will be notified at the end of November and posted in the cooperative’s December newsletter and on its website. For the nomination form, qualification requirements, and previous winners, please go to our Member Choice Grants page.