Incumbency in business has a rich history of companies that failed to plan for the future, even as the facts before them told a different story. It is why planning at United Power resulted in Our Cooperative Roadmap, preparing to continue to support our members with a reliable, resilient, and affordable distribution system.

Most of us can remember a time when almost every community had a Blockbuster video store. At its height, there were 9,000 brick and mortar Blockbuster stores. Then, along came Netflix, with a by-mail rental model. Seeing the future of an increasing digital society, Netflix shifted its strategy to online entertainment and moved a step further by creating its own content. Blockbuster’s response to the evolving Netflix model was to eliminate late fees on its DVD and VCR tape rentals. One company thrived and the other is no longer in business.

In the electric utility world, a similar transition is taking place with more of our members adding solar rooftops (nearly 9,000 thus far), home battery storage (110), electric vehicles (5,200), and dozens of other technologies from Alexa to smart thermostats. More than 700 members have added net metering to date in 2022. This is why United Power embraces technologies and is evolving to become a Distribution System Operator (DSO), which will help facilitate the revolution happening across our member base. Becoming a DSO will allow us to work with our members in controlling power and costs. It is why our team of energy experts is available to answer questions in an unbiased and neutral manner, and it is why we continue developing programs that help you manage your energy costs.

I recently had the opportunity to visit with several of our largest members to listen and understand the critical changes they are facing; how their corporate goals now involve environment, social, and governance requirements; and the criticality of reliable power to keep their businesses operating. Their goals align perfectly with those of United Power as we are “Transforming the Future.”

A big part of acting on the changes in the business is our decision to find a new power supply – one that is more cost effective, less carbon intensive, and keeps dollars in our communities. We held our Power Supply Forum on June 7 where we engaged our members in a conversation about the change which will take effect May 1, 2024. Also, as of June 1, we officially became a member of the Southwest Power Pool, which provides energy market services in Colorado and will allow us to eventually use the collective power as a DSO to better manage the cost of power.

In today’s economic environment we are all concerned with the rising cost of everything. As your cooperative, United Power will continue to find ways to lower costs while meeting member needs. We are there for you in offering energy efficiency audits, recommendations on weatherization, advice on adding solar or storage, as well as piloting programs for in-home electric vehicle charging and battery storage. Please contact us for any of your home or business needs. At United Power, we are working hard to be prepared for the changing demands of our members.

We have a great tradition of excellence, and I want every member to feel empowered to reach out to me and the United Power staff at any time. I welcome the opportunity to meet you where you are; do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Have a safe and healthy summer.

Red Flag Warning Procedure in Effect This Summer

To address the growing fire risk in Colorado, United Power has put in place new operating procedures. One of the latest precautions the cooperative has implemented is a Red Flag fire prevention procedure. The National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning when warm temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds are expected. When combined, these conditions produce an increased risk of fire danger. This alert is issued as a weather advisory and is often mentioned during the weather segment on local news. 

When a Red Flag Warning impacts United Power’s service area, the cooperative will adjust system settings and operating procedures to immediately stop the flow of power if any interference is detected. What this means is if a tree or foreign object contacts a power line, a substation device will open automatically and remain de-energized until a United Power crew has patrolled the power line. If no cause is found and no hazard has been reported, system operators will close the device and restore power. Crews will then patrol the line a second time. Inspecting energized lines may identify an issue and prevent another outage. 

These extra safety measures rely on our crews to complete labor-intensive inspections rather than remotely connecting to automated field devices, which may increase the duration of outages. United Power is committed to providing safe, reliable electric service to members, and recognizes extended outages are inconvenient. If an outage occurs during a Red Flag Warning, crews will work quickly and safely to restore power. 

United Power reminds members to report any power issues and outages. In many cases, member information can help our crews narrow their focus and identify the cause of an outage. 

Members who experience an outage or observe anything that seems out of the ordinary concerning power lines or electrical equipment should do the following:

• Stay clear of downed trees, downed power lines, or damaged equipment.
• Report outages by calling 303-637-1350 or online.
• Monitor our live outage map on our Outage Center.

More information about United Power’s fire mitigation plan and vegetation management efforts are available here.
 

Nothing affects your energy use and your bill like extremely low or extremely high temperatures. Especially when those temperatures stay high for an extended period, as we’ve experienced over the last month.

Heating and cooling are the largest contributors to your energy use, so when the temperature drastically rises, usage and bills go up. Your home’s age, how many people live there, and how cool you keep your home all play a part.

So, what can you do? United Power offers a variety of tools and programs to help you manage your budget and be more energy-efficient.

Monitor Your Daily Usage

Through the United Power mobile app and the Power Portal, you can watch for trends in your usage to see how much energy you’ve used before your bill arrives.

Make Your Smart Thermostat Work

Enroll your Nest or Honeywell smart thermostat in our Smart Rewards program and you’ll help us curb energy during peak times. This saves the cooperative from purchasing expensive peak power, reduces your energy use, and we pay you $25 at the end of the summer for participating.

Enroll in Pay As You Go

Never receive a bill after the fact. With Pay As You Go, you pay for electricity the same way you pay for gas or groceries, keeping you well informed of how much energy you’re using and what it is costing daily.

Energy-Saving Tips

Check out these energy-saving tips to help lower your bill:

• Keep your thermostat setting as high as you can. Every degree below 78 can increase your bill three percent or more.
• Have your air conditioner serviced regularly and don’t forget to change the filters. Dirty filters reduce air flow and cause your system to work harder, which can increase your cooling costs and lead to costly repairs.
• Plug those leaks! Use weather stripping, caulk or foam insulation to fill in the leaks around windows, doors, or under your sinks where the pipes go into the wall.
• Block the sun! During the day, close your blinds or curtains, especially on windows that face the sun to avoid extra heat gain.

Brighton, Colo. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this week issued four initial decisions as part of the rate settlement proceedings between United Power, an electric cooperative headquartered in Brighton, Colo., and its wholesale power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State). 

On May 26, FERC Administrative Law Judge Scott Hempling handed down decisions in the cooperative’s favor on three of four issues and ordered Tri-State to give United Power significant refunds concerning energy storage resources (i.e., battery storage). 

As one of the settling parties, United Power agreed to the rate settlement at FERC after four key issues were reserved and set for hearing this spring: transmission and delivery system cost unbundling, direct assignment of non-networked delivery facilities (cost causation), energy storage resources, and the discriminatory nature of Tri-State’s Board Policy 119 (BP 119) regarding community solar programs.

“These rulings are significant as they will provide long term benefits to all Tri-State cooperative and their members, in identifying and controlling system costs and assuring the costs are allocated to those who benefit,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and Chief Executive Officer. “The decision will also impact Tri-State’s claims in the contract termination payment methodology currently awaiting FERC decision, and guide the future work of Tri-State’s rate design committee as the ruling dictates rate structure, ultimately mandating more transparency to all Tri-State members.”

Under the rulings in favor of United Power, FERC determined that Tri-State must unbundle its rates into generation, transmission, and each of the six ancillary services, assuring that the costs of each element are properly identified and disclosed. The FERC judge also determined that Tri-State’s 2023 come-back filing must explain the integration status of each element using appropriate accounting and engineering data, allocating the associated costs accordingly so that facilities used to deliver electric power are properly identified and the costs allocated to those who use them known as “cost causation.” Further, it was found that Tri-State’s special policy for certain community solar programs (BP 119) is unduly discriminatory. This results from a cost-benefit ratio that varies widely depending on a member’s size. Judge Hempling characterized this mismatch of costs and benefits under BP 119 as “textbook undue discrimination.”

A split decision was issued regarding energy storage resources. It was found that Tri-State improperly charged United Power and must provide refunds from September 2019 forward. Judge Hempling specifically ruled that Tri-State cannot use board policies to manipulate the contract and filed rate terms. He also ruled that Tri-State’s inconsistent treatment of energy storage resources is unduly discriminatory, but resolution of that issue was outside the scope of the proceeding. 

“The reserved issues before FERC are ahead of the rate settlement case being heard in Washington, D.C., and final rulings on these issues bring United Power closer to our contract termination payment determination,” said Gabriel. “We are pleased with the fair outcomes of these rulings by FERC and look forward to the day when United Power has more control of the power supply mix serving our members.”

United Power filed a non-conditional Notice of Intent to Withdraw from Tri-State, effective May 1, 2024, and simultaneously issued a request for proposals for up to 600 MW of wholesale electric supply. A ruling from the presiding FERC judge on exit fees for Tri-State members is expected by the end of the summer, with a final decision expected in 2023.

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.

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Five Directors Earn Gold Certificate; Two Earn CCD

United Power’s Board of Directors is committed to continuing education opportunities that enable them to govern the cooperative more effectively and stay informed about industry changes. In the past few months, several directors have completed or renewed director certifications through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The cooperative’s two newest directors, Stephen Whiteside and Brad Case, received their Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) certificates late last year, and Dave Rose earned his Director Gold certification. Directors Tim Erickson, James Vigesaa, Ginny Buczek, and Elizabeth Martin have also recently renewed their Director Gold certificates.

NRECA’s three-step Director Education Program is designed to teach essential skills and knowledge through a series of educational courses. The first step in the process is the CCD, which helps prepare directors to fulfill their fiduciary duty as elected officials on behalf of their membership. Once the program has been completed, directors can proceed to the Board Leadership Certificate (BLC). Directors who have completed both the CCD and BLC, plus an additional three BLC credits, are eligible to earn Director Gold certification. To maintain Director Gold certification, directors must earn at least three credits from approved continuing education courses within a two-year period.

All of United Power’s directors are committed to achieving the highest levels of certification and professional training for the benefit of the cooperative and the members they represent. As of February, all eleven directors have completed at least the CCD certification and nine directors have received Director Gold certification.