Member Choice Grants, introduced earlier this year, allowed United Power to provide support for causes and organizations members care about. We asked our members to nominate nonprofits in the co-op service territory they would like to see us support through three rounds of grant presentations in 2020. During this difficult year, our members recognized the needs of others and focused on organizations that met essential needs, such as food insecurity, mental health and positive recreation.

United Power is proud to announce the two nonprofits receiving $1,000 Member Choice Grants for the third and final round of presentations.

Pastor’s Pantry

Pastor’s Pantry, operating out of Whispering Pines Church, was founded in 2001 as a resource for anyone in need in Coal Creek Canyon. It provides both food and essential items, and is open every Thursday from 3 - 5 p.m. or by appointment.

Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center

CTRC offers more than a dozen equine-assisted classes for individuals with a broad range of behavioral, emotional and physical disabilities, and helps more than 500 riders each year. CTRC is currently celebrating its annual fundraiser, Paint the Pony.

Nigel Zeid of Boulder Nissan addresses some of the most common concerns and hesitations United Power members may be feeling about the possibility of purchasing an electric vehicle:

Can an electric vehicle meet my range needs?

With ranges north of 250 miles, electric vehicles today are more than sufficient to manage the average driver’s daily commute.

Use your trip odometer to monitor a typical day’s commuting. You can more than likely go the whole day without a charge, and charging stations are becoming more accessible if you need a refill.

Where am I suppose to charge my electric vehicle?

Most people can recharge enough using an outlet in their garage overnight, but charging infrastructure is also growing rapidly.

Your home is already equipped to charge your EV overnight—just like you would charge your cell phone. For most vehicles, an electrician can make a simple upgrade to the outlets in your garage to decrease charge times without purchasing any special charging equipment.

What will it do to my electric bill?

Not as much as you might think. And between saving on gas and maintenance, your electric vehicle will be much cheaper to operate.

Li-on batteries are more contained than regular vehicles where the danger is often fires started by spilled fluids.

But aren’t electric vehicles more expensive?

Electric vehicles are a bit more expensive, but with rebates and incentives, they are just as affordable. And don’t forget your other savings.

Several Federal and State tax credits are available for Colorado drivers.

So electric vehicles are affordable, but are they safe?

Electric vehicles often come standard with enhanced safety features that are only available on higher trims or packages of other vehicles. 

Use the Savings Calculator on our ChooseEV page to estimate your gas savings, then check out United Power’s Time of Day rate to see how much you can save by charging overnight.

What once seemed like a hopeful concept for the future has become a reality. Today, you’re more likely to see multiple electric vehicles while you’re driving to work or the grocery store than not, and it’s becoming more common for gas stations and public spaces to install charging stations to accommodate electric vehicle drivers. You probably support a business with an electric vehicle fleet or know someone who has invested in either an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid.

“It’s safe to say electric vehicle adoption has far outpaced our expectations,” said Tyler Bain, a United Power electrical engineer and longtime EV driver. “A sizeable number of EV drivers live in United Power’s service territory, and there’s still a lot of opportunity for growth – for both us and potential EV drivers.”

Why has there been so much recent growth in electric vehicles? Nigel Zeid of Boulder Nissan explains it has a lot to do with understanding and education. Many potential buyers face concerns and hesitations about integrating an electric vehicle into their daily lives.

“There’s a perception that electric vehicles aren’t capable of meeting the average person’s needs,” Zeid says. “Every main concern can be boiled down to that root perception, which is an incorrect one. With a little information, we can turn hesitation into excitement. Electric vehicles have all the benefits of any other vehicle without much of the cost.”

Range anxiety, for example, is one of the hardest barriers for people to overcome, Zeid says. He recommends using your vehicle’s trip odometer to calculate how far you commute in a given day, either to and from work or for various other errands. People usually drive far less than they estimate, and that can demonstrate how range anxiety is typically more psychological than reality.

The growth also has to do with pricing and availability. There are more options at more price points available today than there have been in any year prior. Many major car brands have announced new and upcoming electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Some will even come as a trim option on already popular models for a small premium, which can be more than offset by current state and federal rebates and incentives.

Join United Power from September 26 — October 4 for National Drive EV Week as the cooperative and Zeid walk you through the finer points of EV ownership and much more. Follow our journey and find out more at Drive EV Week.

Members Show Support for One Another through Operation Round-Up Foundation.

Every month thousands of United Power members voluntarily have their bills rounded up to the next whole dollar through an organization known as Operation Round-Up. In a normal year, a board made up of fellow members of the cooperative would redistribute donated funds to nonprofits throughout the area to help provide meals, living assistance and other services to those in need.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year has been anything but normal. The resulting fallout from proactive plans to prevent the spread of the virus impacted many of the cooperative’s members. In an effort to ensure impacted members were able to receive the same level of services from area nonprofits experiencing a surge in number of clients, Operation Round-Up responded by going above and beyond, while also maintaining its commitment to several partner organizations.

Recognizing an immediate need in the service territory, the foundation’s board in May issued grants to the Weld County Food Bank and Food Bank of the Rockies, which both have sizeable reach to the cooperative’s members. In the following months, another grant was issued to Pastor’s Pantry, a food bank located in Coal Creek Canyon. The combined distribution of meals from the food banks was greater than 100,000 in May and June alone.

These grants were made in addition to on-going support to several groups providing essential services to community members over the past few years, including Almost Home in Brighton, Catholic Charities in Ft. Lupton, Carbon Valley Help Center in Firestone and Canyon Cares in Coal Creek Canyon. The quarterly contributions to these organizations allow them to continue providing assistance to members who may need help paying utilities, rent or other expenses, which has been especially meaningful during this pandemic.

It’s members like you who make these contributions possible. Operation Round-Up is entirely funded through voluntary member donations. Your donations allow the foundation to distribute thousands of dollars to organizations that provide these services. However, this unusual year has stretched it to its limits, and the foundation needs your help to continue meeting these needs.

“As a longtime board member, I can say our board truly believes in the purpose of Operation Round-Up,” said Dale McCall, president of the foundation’s board. “But we couldn’t do what we do without the support from our members or the staff at United Power who are responsible for getting others to believe in our purpose, as well.”

A crippling nationwide pandemic was an interesting way for Operation Round-Up to celebrate its 25th anniversary, but provided a grand stage to show how generous member support has been for the foundation. Since its inception in 1995, it has distributed more than $2 million in assistance to members in need.

Donations average just $.50 per billing statement, or just $6/year. To show your support and sign up for Operation Round-Up, go to www.unitedpower.com. To increase your contribution or make a one-time donation, please call our Member Services team at 303-637-1300.