Benefits of Driving Electric Vehicles Celebrated at United Power’s National Drive Electric Week Event
A free virtual event to learn more about electric vehicles and to ask an EV expert all your questions

Brighton, Colo. – Electric vehicle drivers, supporters, and intrigued United Power members are invited to attend United Power’s “United We Drive EV” webinar on Sun., Sept. 27th from 2-3 p.m.

During the live webinar, United Power will take members on a safe, virtual test drive of an electric vehicle. EV Outreach & Education expert, Nigel Zeid of Boulder Nissan will be on hand to walk you through the finer points of EV ownership, and United Power representatives will discuss how to make the most of an EV with United Power’s rates. Learn more and register for the free event at Drive EV Week.

“With more electric cars than ever before on the market and a larger, more accessible charging infrastructure, owning and driving an EV is within reach for more drivers,” said Joel Danforth, United Power New Business Director. “We want to help our members looking to make the transition to electric vehicles by providing trusted information, and information about rates and programs that make driving an EV even more attractive.”

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.

“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. 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.”

United Power’s event is one of almost 300 across the country where electric vehicle owners, government and community leaders are celebrating the clean-air benefits and cost-savings of electric cars by holding Drive EV Week educational and informational events.

For more information about United Power’s “United We Drive EV” event, visit: unitedpower.com/DriveEVWeek.

For a complete list of National Drive Electric Week events, visit: DriveElectricWeek.org

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About United Power: United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to nearly 95,000 meters at homes, business, and farms in Colorado's north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop

About Plug In America: Plug In America is the nation’s leading independent consumer voice for accelerating the use of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States. Formed as a non-profit in 2008, Plug In America provides practical, objective information collected from our coalition of plug-in vehicle drivers, through public outreach and education, policy work and a range of technical advisory services. Our expertise represents the world’s deepest pool of experience of driving and living with plug-in vehicles. The organization conceived National Drive Electric Week and has advanced workplace charging by pioneering ride-and-drive events at such leading corporations as Google, Mattel and Paramount Pictures. We drive electric. You can too. pluginamerica.org

About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with more than 2.4 million members and supporters and chapters in all 50 states. The Sierra Club’s national electric vehicles initiative advocates for a switch to EVs as one important way to reduce emissions and cut oil consumption. Sierra Club is proud to have been one of the three national groups organizing National Drive Electric Week since its inception in 2011. www.sierraclub.org/EVGuide.

About the Electric Auto Association: The Electric Auto Association, formed in 1967, is a nonprofit educational organization with 75 chapters worldwide that promotes the advancement and widespread adoption of electric vehicles. www.electricauto.org.

After several years operating a storefront in Fort Lupton, United Power is closing its office located on Dexter Street in the Fort Lupton Safeway shopping center. All United Power lobbies have been closed to the public since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the Fort Lupton office will not reopen. When conditions allow and offices reopen to the public, members who wish to conduct business in person will be able to visit our Brighton office, located just nine miles from Fort Lupton. The cooperative is also planning to open a self-serve payment kiosk in Fort Lupton to ensure members still have a local payment station that accepts cash, check, and card.

“The way our members want to conduct business with us is evolving. Before the pandemic, we were noticing a decline in the number of members visiting us in person. The pandemic stopped all in-person services, and our members quickly adapted to using remote tools to manage their accounts,” said Francis Ashu, Member Services Director. “Now more of our members are consistently interacting with us over the phone or online and leveraging self-serve payment options instead of visiting our front counters. Through these options, members have easy and safe access to account information from the comfort of their home, and we are able to provide the same level of quality service without the costs associated with operating a storefront location.”

Over the last few years, United Power has seen a steady increase in demand from members who prefer to use self-serve and digital account and payment options, and a corresponding reduction in visits to our offices. The co-op has responded by offering more ways for members to access their accounts and make quick and secure payments without visiting an office. Members can easily review account information and make payments through our online portal, mobile app and pay by phone features. Self-serve payment kiosks that accept cash, check and card payments are available in our Carbon Valley, Coal Creek and Brighton office with expanded hours beyond the business day. Since the pandemic related closures, our online, over the phone and self-serve support options have allowed United Power to continue to serve our members at a safe distance.

United Power member services representatives and other office personnel have also been working remotely while handling support inquiries. When employees return to the office, member services representatives from the Fort Lupton location will transfer to the Brighton Headquarters, and eventually in-person service will resume from the Brighton Headquarters lobby. The Brighton, Coal Creek and Carbon Valley offices house a consolidated mix of line crews, vehicle maintenance, member services, engineering and new construction teams. Whereas, the Fort Lupton office has been a member services-only storefront. Consolidating employee teams to these primary office locations will improve efficiency and save money for the cooperative and our members.

“The co-op has a long history of partnership with the town of Fort Lupton and the town has always welcomed our storefront location. We thank you for your hospitality over the years,” said Bryant Robbins, Acting Chief Executive Officer. “Be assured that this office closure doesn’t diminish our commitment to serving the Fort Lupton community—we remain as dedicated as ever to providing you with co-op power and supporting the community you call home.”

United Power remains committed to serving the Fort Lupton area with more than just electricity. Our crews continue to be dispatched from our Carbon Valley Service Center and our Brighton Headquarters for outages, and you will still see us working in the area to conduct system maintenance. You’ll still see our employees involved in the community, and our name on banners at ball parks and as a supporter of local organizations and community events. As your electric cooperative, we’re here to power what matters, no matter where you live in the service territory.

Wildfires have devastated parts of Colorado this year, with several blazing across the state in August. Near Grand Junction, the Pine Gulch Fire is the largest on record for the state and another near Glenwood Springs had threatened to join the list. Near Fort Collins, a third fire has even threatened parts of Poudre Valley REA’s electrical infrastructure. Although not attributed to any utility electrical system, these fires demonstrate the importance of having a developed fire mitigation plan in place for utilities like United Power, who reviews and updates its plan annually. 

As your cooperative, United Power takes these growing threats seriously. Leadership at the cooperative has continuously embraced a proactive and progressive approach to wildfire prevention. United Power’s goal is the safety of its members and the protection of the communities they live in. 
United Power made preparations to enhance its existing fire mitigation plan in early 2013 with a change in facility design and placement, making them more accessible and clear of potential hazards. The implementation also included an expansive vegetation management policy to keep infrastructure clear of hazards that could be easily ignited in the event of a system failure (such as a fault or equipment malfunction leading to an outage). 

“As we reviewed our system design, we began to recognize the opportunity for better design methodology and the use of advanced technology to prepare for the unexpected,” said acting chief executive officer Bryant Robbins. “One of the things we heavily targeted was the prevention of wildfire risk on our system.” 

Members in Coal Creek Canyon, and those driving through, may have noticed crews installing new line in parts of the canyon. This new line is an insulated conductor known as Hendrix cable, which provides a high level of protection when contact is made, such as a tree falling into the line. The strength of the line along with the covered protection goes a long way in preventing fires caused by electrical equipment in the mountain service territory. The new line has been one of the more high profile and visible elements of the cooperative’s fire mitigation plan, but the team at United Power went much further in developing system improvements to mitigate the wildfire risk to members. 

Always looking for an opportunity to develop a better system, United Power became an early adopter of drone maintenance inspections and an industry leader in both system automation and the deployment of smart devices. 

“These technologies are among the most innovative forms of outage management currently available to utilities,” said Engineering Director Robert Maxwell. “Their design also allows them to stop the flow of electricity to faults that could develop into fires without this technology. We’re far ahead of the curve in utilizing the latest technology when compared not just to other cooperatives but also larger electric utilities.” 

Drones are able to quickly survey miles of line in a rapid period of time, freeing line crews to focus on preventable outages, which has been especially useful in the mountains where the terrain can often make pole inspections time consuming and difficult. The number of man hours saved and outages prevented from this innovative inspection format is incalculable.

Automated field devices further allow the system to identify and isolate problems to restore power quickly while minimizing the number of members affected and smart devices are able to immediately report problems back to the cooperative’s system operations. These improvements, along with the installation of advanced trip savers and fault detectors, help improve outage response and mitigate the potential for fires.

Although the current pandemic has interfered with many facets of our daily lives, United Power has continued to make progress implementing new technology onto its system to further mitigate the threat of wildfires. As the past month has shown throughout the state, a strategic fire mitigation plan is essential in Colorado. 

“Wildfire preparedness is a priority for United Power, and we’ve been able to blend our efforts to mitigate fire dangers with our efforts to prevent outages,” said Robbins. “As our numbers continue to improve, we’ll also continue looking for the best opportunities to better serve our members, both safely and affordably.”

For more information about United Power’s fire mitigation improvements, go to Fire Mitigation.

September is National Preparedness Month

Between a combination of a quiet storm season and other things consuming our thoughts over the course of 2020, preparing for a potential disaster situation may not be high on our list of priorities. However, natural disasters may come in an instant, and it’s important to make sure you and your family are prepared. Each September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recognizes National Preparedness Month to educate and empower Americans to take simple steps to prepare for and respond to potential emergencies that could affect us where we live, work and visit. This year’s theme, “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today,” touches on four distinct aspects of emergency preparation.

Make a plan. Expecting the unexpected begins with having a plan in place to respond, and those conversations can begin casually over a meal or strategically in a family meeting. If you have children, include them in the disaster planning process. Prepare with your friends, family and neighbors to develop communications plans. Finally, practice your plan.

Build a Kit. Gather supplies for several days, considering the unique needs of your family. Include items such as food, water and any necessary medications or pet items. You may also include items such as a first aid kit, flashlight and/or radio. Remember to update your kit regularly.

Prepare for Disasters. Different areas and regions are impacted by different natural disasters. In Colorado, we can experience devastating floods, debilitating blizzards or even strong tornadoes. Make sure your disaster plan above includes steps for each potential event. Be mindful of disasters that could also occur during travel or on vacations.

Teach Youth About Preparedness. It’s important to teach your children about emergency preparation, such as how to communicate in the event of separation or what to do if you’re away. They should know how to communicate with you, their friends and emergency responders. Provide sufficient information and carefully walk through individual steps of your disaster plan or have them practice building their own emergency kits.

For more information on National Preparedness Month, including sample emergency communications plans, organizations you can volunteer with during disasters and more, visit www.ready.gov.

Operations at United Power have Continued Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

It’s been more than three months since United Power closed its office locations to walk-in visitors and moved over half of the co-op’s employees to remote work locations in an effort to mitigate the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 to both members and employees. The preemptive nature of the cooperative’s office closure allowed it to continue operations at a safe distance while many other businesses were temporarily closing or stopping nonessential services. Over the past few weeks, many businesses have been able to gradually reopen in phases as virus numbers started to drop in Colorado, but United Power has continued to work hard on behalf of its members throughout this time. 

As the summer inches to a close and the beginning of a new school year approaches, uncertainty remains, especially as coronavirus cases are again on the rise across the country. United Power continues to closely monitor the situation and plan carefully for the future, remembering to put members’ needs at the forefront of decision-making processes. Here are just a few of the many essential functions the co-op has continued to provide members. 

Get Cooperative Updates on the Website

The United Power website exists as a free resource to learn more about the cooperative, its activities and opportunities available to you and your family as a member. It’s also been a tremendous resource for members to get updates about the cooperative’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Regular updates containing pertinent information detail how United Power is taking actionable approaches to the situation. Members can learn more about the United Power coronavirus response here.

In addition to timely updates about pandemic response, the website connected members to the cooperative’s first-ever virtual annual meeting and to assistance and resources for members who have been economically impacted. For members seeking the most up-to-date and relevant information from United Power, the cooperative’s website has answers to many of your questions and is also updated with new information as it becomes available. 

Shopping For A New Appliance?

Lots of time at home may have given you ample opportunity to consider whether to replace an old appliance, such as a dishwasher or refrigerator. Certain ENERGY STAR appliances qualify for exclusive member rebates through United Power. (Confused about shopping for the most energy efficient appliances? Learn more about navigating the process on Page 7.) Rebate applications must be returned within 120 days of purchase, but United Power has you covered. Our online rebate application is quick, simple and delivered directly to the cooperative’s energy management team. All you need is a little information about your new appliance and a few photos to confirm it meets ENERGY STAR requirements. 

More information about appliance rebates and qualifying products can be found on our appliance rebate page. For a full list of available rebates, go to 
our programs and rebates page. Don’t forget other energy management services are also still available, which can be found on the website. 

Growing Rapidly

United Power has experienced unprecedented growth in the past few years. The cooperative has continued to outpace nationwide growth averages and is one of the fastest growing co-ops in the country, due in large part to its location in relation to Denver. It provides power to some of the nation’s fastest growing suburban communities, as well as several fast-growing industrial corridors. In 2019, the cooperative added 5,999 new meters and is on pace for another strong year in 2020. While many business have been impacted by the current pandemic it has not slowed the growth of construction projects in the cooperative’s service territory.  

The new construction team at United Power continued to process and design applications for new service throughout the pandemic. 

Convenient Ways to Pay

Although United Power office locations remain closed at this time, members who prefer cash payments may still do so using payment kiosks in Brighton, Carbon Valley and Coal Creek. Any member, however, may also take advantage of a half dozen alternative payment methods United Power offers. Payment options include Auto Pay, ensuring your payment is made on-time every month, and Pay Now, a quick way to make a one-time payment using just your account number and a form of payment, among others. A full list of available payment and billing options is available here. 

For Account Assistance, Call Member Services

United Power’s Member Service Representatives have continued to work regularly scheduled hours for member convenience throughout the pandemic. Spending more time at home during quarantine means you’ve likely become even more aware of energy needs in your home. If you have questions about your account, are interested in available member programs and rebates or need to report an outage, representatives are available to take your call during business hours Monday – Friday at 303-637-1300. Outages can be reported via the phone line even after hours.

For further COVID-19 updates, check the United Power website regularly.