Keeping the lights on is a never-ending responsibility. This past month, the United Power service territory was hit hard by the strongest storm in state history resulting in numerous outages and long days for our linemen. The rapid response linemen made to restore power to members affected by strong winds and blinding snow illustrates the danger of their responsibility.

Over the course of this past year, United Power members have been no stranger to severe weather. Summer brought us severe thunder storms, including high winds, large hail and lightning, resulting in significant damage to personal property and United Power’s infrastructure, while severe winter weather has contributed to many outages over the past few months.

Whether threatening clouds dot the horizon or snow blankets the ground, our linemen are prepared to respond. They’re on call 24 hours a day, regardless of weather. Without our linemen, the electricity we expect and rely on to power our lives wouldn’t be possible.

Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day, celebrated each year on April 18 to pay homage to the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to keep the lights on. We invite our members to take a moment to thank our United Power linemen for the work they do.

Drop a kind note in the mail, through email at unitednewsline@unitedpower.com or thank them on our social media (use the hashtag #ThankALineman) to show your appreciation. If you see them in the field, remember they could be restoring power to you, a family member or your neighbor. Drive attentively and give them plenty of clearance to do their work safely.

Linemen are the backbone of United Power. What they do, they do for you.

United Power
Thank A Lineman
500 Cooperative Way
Brighton, CO 80603

Brighton, Colo. — United Power celebrated a special cooperative milestone with members at its Annual Meeting & Director Election on April 17, 2019. The Brighton-headquartered electric utility joined a short list of rural electric cooperatives that have been providing safe and reliable power for 80 years. United Power highlighted its connection with the communities it serves with a special member video featuring long-term members throughout the territory.

More than 381 registered members attended the Annual Meeting and voted in the director election. South District incumbent, Keith E. Alquist II, retained his seat, receiving 2940 votes. Bradley J. Case also received 2745 votes in the South District election. Elizabeth Martin, East District, and Ursula J. Morgan, West District, retained their seats with 5362 and 5342 votes, respectively.

Over the course of the past year, United Power built on and completed some exciting, previously announced projects. The cooperative powered the state’s largest battery storage project in December, which is expected to save nearly $1 million each year. As the cooperative’s membership continues to grow, and with the acquisition of Frederick Power & Light, United Power also began to renovate and man its new building out west, the Carbon Valley Service Center.

“The new facility gives us the ability to respond to outages in the western part of our service territory more quickly,” said John Parker, United Power Chief Executive Officer. “These projects are aimed at driving United Power toward the future and continuing to think of our members first.”

In honor of Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18^th, United Power presented a special video covering lineman Kelly Snow, who went to Guatemala with a team of fellow linemen from Oklahoma and Colorado. Over a three-week period, linemen brought power to two remote jungle villages that had never had electricity. Later this year, Snow will return to Guatemala with a new team of linemen to bring power to two new villages.

“Cooperation among cooperatives is one of our core principles,” Snow said. “Cooperatives were established to bring electricity to rural communities, and those who others didn’t want to serve. Being able to represent United Power in Guatemala is a huge honor, and I’m excited to be going back.”

United Power has been and will continue to be a partner in the communities it has served for the past 80 years. As the cooperative moves forward, it continues to have an eye on the future and look for the best way to bring safe and reliable power to its members.

United Power offices will have modified business hours on Wednesday, April 17 as employees prepare and set up for our Annual Meeting. 

United Power lobbies will open from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17th. 

The Annual Meeting will be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds beginning at 4:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend the meeting for dinner, director election, co-op update and door prizes.

The lights will come on later this summer at an isolated village in north-central Guatemala, thanks to the efforts of a just-named team of Colorado linemen, including United Power’s Kelly Snow. Kelly was part of a similar project in 2018. Hear him tell his story about the 2018 Energy Trail Project.

The Colorado Rural Electric Association selected 10 volunteer linemen and one alternate from its member electric cooperatives to prepare to electrify the mountainous village of Sillab, Guatemala, this August. The Colorado crew will join 10 linemen from electric co-ops in Oklahoma on a joint project coordinated through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s philanthropic NRECA International Foundation.

“We’re excited to return to Guatemala on another CREA-sponsored project,” said CREA Executive Director Kent Singer. “Last year was the first time Colorado co-ops came together to sponsor a team of linemen to bring electricity to an area that has never had access to electricity before. It was a good experience for our crew and we were able to electrify two remote villages. This year, we have another team of outstanding co-op linemen willing to volunteer their time and expertise to bring much needed electricity to Sillab.”

The project site is in the department (state) of Alta Verapaz, near Guatemala’s border with Belize where villagers grow corn for themselves and generate some income from the production of cardamon seeds, peppers and coffee as well as a variety of spices.

The volunteers will spend three weeks building power lines along a 6 1/2-mile stretch of mountainous terrain where expected rainy weather, canyon crossings and steep hillsides will add to the challenge. Plans call for 60 poles and four transformers. Each of the 60 homes to be served will be equipped with four lightbulbs, four light switches and four electrical outlets.

The power lines will belong to a local utility, ADECORK (Associacion Para Desarollo Communitario Rax Kiche or Association for Community Development Rax Kiche). ADECORK will generate and distribute electric power to Sillab. The utility operates a small hydro power plant with a capacity of 75 kilowatts.

Colorado’s team members were selected through an application process and interviews with a committee of CREA staff members and two board members from CREA’s nonprofit Colorado Electric Educational Institute. Nine team members and one alternate were chosen. The 10th spot will be filled by CREA Director of Safety and Loss Control Dale Kishbaugh.

Volunteers selected for the project include: Jerid Bruna, Southeast Colorado Power Association, LaJunta; KJ Johnson, San Miguel Power Association, Ridgeway; Austin Maier, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, Fort Collins; Jason Matzke, Mountain View Electric Association, Limon/Falcon; Kenneth Murray, Mountain View Electric Association, Limon/Falcon; Jace Noe, Southeast Colorado Power Association, LaJunta; Rod Sherman, Holy Cross Energy, Glenwood Springs; Kelly Snow, United Power, Brighton; and Chris Stanworth, White River Electric Association, Meeker. Lucas Swoyer, Mountain View Electric, Limon/Falcon, was selected as the team alternate.

“We had a strong slate of applicants for the trip,” Singer said. “It is great to see how many of our co-op linemen were willing to leave their homes for so long to undertake such a grueling trip to help others in another country. This project will bring economic possibilities to these villages, as well as better access to education and enhanced safety and lifestyles.”

CREA is the statewide trade association for Colorado’s 22 electric distribution cooperatives and co-op power supplier Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

NRECA International, an affiliate of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has been working in developing countries since 1962. Today more than 300 member electric cooperatives support its work through monetary contributions, material donations and sending hundreds of electric co-op lineworkers and employees aboard as volunteers.