United Power is pleased to see the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) thoughtful and comprehensive order in the Stated Rate proceeding. The cooperative looks forward to Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s (Tri-State) revised formula rate filing, also referred to as the Come-Back Filing, incorporating FERC’s clear guidance. FERC’s order directs Tri-State to unbundle the costs of services in its wholesale power service rate to its utility members, such as United Power, and to ensure that any transmission cost allocation is consistent with cost causation principles outlined in Order No. 888. FERC confirmed that Tri-State, having voluntarily become FERC jurisdictional, is bound by FERC policies and precedents and cannot claim that its membership structure allows it to impose rates or terms that are not just and reasonable.
 
Of note, FERC also determined that Tri-State's Board Policy 119 was unjust and unreasonable because utility members that do not participate in community solar projects should not bear more costs than those members that do participate in the community solar program. Further, FERC required Tri-State to make a compliance filing, outlining how it will reimburse United Power for overcharges related to transmission/delivery demand charges assessed on battery storage resources.
 
United Power looks forward to receiving the Commission’s guidance on our other related filings. Final decisions from FERC will ensure that United Power exits Tri-State by May 1, 2024, with the ability not only to purchase power from multiple new suppliers, but to develop cleaner generation that is sourced locally while keeping rates affordable and maintaining the high reliability our members expect.

Separately, United Power is pleased with the Adams County decision denying Tri-State’s request for reconsideration of the Court’s July 28th order concerning Tri-State’s motion for summary judgment (MSJ). The Court has not yet responded to Tri-State’s appeal of the Court’s MSJ. In its appeal, Tri-State argues “[t]he duty of good faith and fair dealing is not implied in a cooperative’s bylaws.” United Power continues to believe that Tri-State has a duty to treat all its members fairly and to deal with them in good faith.

Three local high school students traveled to Washington, D.C. in June where they represented United Power on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. The Youth Tour and upcoming Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp are opportunities for high school students to build relationships with other leaders among their peers and develop important leadership skills they can model in their communities and schools. It is also a great addition to any college resume. 

Electric Cooperative Youth Tour
Washington, D.C.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has a proud history dating back to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) annual meeting in 1957. The keynote speaker, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, suggested sending youth to the nation’s capital to “see what the flag stands for and represents.”

During the summer Youth Tour, cooperatives from across the country send more than 1,300 students to Washington. The week-long “tour” includes meetings with locally elected officials in Congress and tours of historical monuments in and around the capital. Students also learn the value of the cooperatives they represent. This year, United Power sponsored three ambitious and exemplary high school students to participate on the Youth Tour — Gisell Mora, Weld Central High School, Sydney Dawson, Eagle Ridge Academy, and Johanni Delgado, The Academy of Charters. 

Before departing for Washington, students from Colorado and Wyoming toured the state capitol in Denver, participated in a high-voltage safety demonstration at United Power’s headquarters in Brighton, and heard presentations about cooperative career paths.

“This was a fantastic opportunity, and I am so grateful to United Power for providing it,” said Dawson. “Being able to see the capital and meet all my representatives in Congress was a surreal experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.”

At the conclusion of Youth Tour, peers elect one student to represent their state on the Youth Leadership Council. The student selected as delegate participates in the NRECA annual meeting the following March with other delegates from across the country. Last year, United Power’s Youth Tour representative Elizabeth Clement was selected as the Colorado delegate on the 2022 Youth Leadership Council. 

“I could not recommend this trip more because you get to see so many things in such a short amount of time and you learn so much,” Clement said. “I did not even realize how much I was learning until the last day. I grew as a person on this trip.” 

Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp
Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Students depart for the Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp in mid-July. While camp takes place in the mountains outside Steamboat Springs, it is not a camp in the traditional sense. There are cabins and catered meals instead of tents and fires. Students representing co-ops in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma spend a week managing their own cooperative, including the election of directors, to learn the value of the principles that guide co-op business practices and decisions.

Days are filled with cooperative-focused activities, leadership training seminars, and collaborative group projects. However, being a part of a cooperative is not all business. In between activities, campers enjoy some Colorado fun, like rafting down the Colorado River or exploring Fish Creek Falls in Steamboat Springs.

This year, three local students will represent United Power at the Youth Leadership Camp — Natalie & Sylvia Ingegneri, Niwot High School, and Rachael Schmidt, Frederick High School. 

Applications for youth opportunities, including scholarships and representation at next year’s Youth Tour or Youth Camp, will be available in early December. Follow us on social media for updates on all of our youth programs.
 

Brighton, Colo. – United Power, one of the nation’s fastest growing electric distribution cooperatives, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on June 23 for additional wholesale electric power products. The RFP seeks projects of up to 300 MW to supplement the general wholesale power contracts the cooperative has already secured in advance of its exit from its current power supplier next May. Resources sought through this RFP are targeted for deployment and/or purchase in 2025-29. 

“This newest RFP continues our commitment to building a comprehensive power supply, not just for when we exit, but as we grow into the future,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO of United Power. “We are very interested in not only purchasing power, but in developing new, cleaner generation that is sourced locally. This will help to assure we continue to provide the reliability our members expect, while keeping costs as low as possible.”

Open to both new and existing resources, the RFP is soliciting power sources that will help the cooperative meet longer term environmental goals as well as the expected system growth. Additionally, the RFP seeks strategic partnerships with developers who can plan and execute distributed energy resources on United Power’s local distribution system. 

United Power serves nearly 110,000 meters and maintains and operates over 6,500 miles of distribution line. The 900-square mile service territory wraps around the north and west borders of the Denver International Airport and includes the north metropolitan development corridors along Interstate 25, Interstate 76, State Highway 85, and E-470. As a result of its geographic location, United Power’s system is experiencing significant demand and energy growth, averaging approximately 6% annually. 

United Power has contracted with The Energy Authority (TEA), a national energy marketing and risk management services provider, to issue the RFP and administer the RFP process. Commitments of intent to participate in the RFP are due by July 10. Respondents must submit proposals via TEA’s RFP Marketplace (rfpmarketplace.teainc.org) by July 24. 

Questions about the RFP or RFP process may be directed to UPIRFP@teainc.org.

About United Power

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 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, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

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