Brighton, CO – United Power is pleased to announce the hiring of Travis Storin as its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He will join the cooperative on Dec. 9.

“Travis brings a broad mix of expertise and experience to the cooperative,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and Chief Executive Officer. “His background demonstrates a unique ability to work with a variety of initiatives within a diverse operation. Coupled with his extensive management and accounting background, Travis will help to direct United Power as we continue our energy transition.”

Storin, a certified public accountant, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia. He joins the cooperative after nearly 10 years at the City of Fort Collins, where he rose to the position of Chief Financial Officer in 2020. During his time working for the city, he led a capital effort to fund its broadband internet startup, led a successful ballot initiative raising approximately $1 billion for municipal projects, and implemented large software automation efforts to streamline and enhance financial services operations. Storin also worked in financial planning and analysis at Kaiser Permanente in Georgia, and as a senior audit associate for KPMG, LLP. 

“Travis is the ideal candidate to fill this critical role on United Power’s leadership team,” said Gabriel. “After exiting our wholesale power contract earlier this year, it is vital that we have the right person in this key position. I am confident that Travis brings the leadership and expertise that our growing cooperative needs to continue to be successful. He is a talented addition to our team and will provide the oversight and guidance that our members expect.”

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, serving more than 113,000 meters. Its 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, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

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Employees Volunteered at Eight “Here for Good” Service Projects in October

United Power is proud to support the service organizations that add value to the communities in its territory. Dozens of nonprofits and not-for-profits are helping meet a variety of needs for cooperative members, including mental health therapy, housing and food security, outdoor recreation, and more.

The cooperative recognized National Co-op Month in October and celebrated its commitment to communities by collaborating with eight of these organizations on employee service projects. More than 80 United Power employees participated. 

“These organizations are the heart of our communities, and we are proud of the participation we received from employees,” said Julie Stewart, United Power’s Community Outreach Specialist. “The response from our employees was tremendous — they were excited to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”

United Power employees completed several beautification and facility improvement projects that freed the organizations’ staff and volunteers to focus on more important tasks like programming and planning to support the clients they serve. 

Some of  the projects included staining wooden structures for protection from winter weather at Barr Lake and the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center; painting and updating community areas at Graceful Oaks Youth Ranch; removing old flooring for renovations at the Carbon Valley Help Center; and mud mitigation at Allegiance Ranch. Employees also sorted and organized food for redistribution at Pastor’s Pantry, the Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank, and Food for Hope. 

“It was a lot of fun representing United Power in the community,” said Member Services Representative Julie Vogel. “I am really thankful we were able to do this.” 

These organizations are a reminder that the cooperative serves thriving communities thanks to our members’ spirits of service and commitment to giving back. Residents recognized an important need in their community and found a way to meet it, which resembles the very way electric cooperatives were formed more than 85 years ago. They are Here for Good, and so is United Power.

Smart Thermostat Rebate Expiring and Adjustment to EV Make-Ready Wiring Rebate

United Power members qualify for exclusive rebates on the purchase and set-up of beneficial electrification items and projects. Each year, the cooperative evaluates its rebate program and may recommend changes based on the benefit to the cooperative and its members. 

Most of the cooperative’s rebates will remain the same in the upcoming year, including the home efficiency and outdoor power rebates. However, a couple rebates will be discontinued or adjusted after Dec. 31, 2024. 

Smart Thermostat Rebates and Smart Rewards Benefits

Smart Rewards is a program that allows United Power to shift energy use during peak hours and saves the cooperative on expensive power purchases. Those savings are then passed on to the member. 

Enrollment in United Power’s Smart Rewards program is required to qualify for the smart thermostat rebate. Although the rebate will be discontinued for smart thermostats purchased in 2025, members may still participate in the Smart Rewards program and receive a $30 incentive, up from $25 in 2024, for each summer they are enrolled with a qualifying smart thermostat.

Members who enroll in Smart Rewards and purchase a qualifying smart thermostat before Dec. 31, 2024 will still be able to submit a rebate application. 

EV Make-Ready Wiring and United EV

United Power members who are planning to install wiring for at-home electric vehicle (EV) charging qualify for rebates on installations completed through Dec. 31, 2024. 

Members who enroll in the cooperative’s United EV program will still qualify for make-ready wiring rebates in 2025. 

United EV helps members with the up-front costs of home charging, including a ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV charger, wiring rebates, and rates for smart charging. The program is available for a $19/month service charge. 
Rebate applications must be received within 90 days of purchase or installation. 

Rebate applications must be received within 90 days of purchase or installation. 

Members Invited to Celebrate Cooperative Contributions

Cooperatives are businesses wholly owned by the members they serve and designed to meet a community’s needs. They exist across a multitude of markets and industries, including food and agriculture, finance and banking, consumer retail, insurance, healthcare, and more. Electric distribution cooperatives like United Power were formed more than 85 years ago when farmers and business owners in rural areas of the country observed a need and found a way to meet it. Together, more than 900 electric cooperatives provide power to approximately 75% of the country’s landmass and make up more than 40% of the nation’s electric grid. 

This October, members are invited to join in recognizing National Co-op Month, a celebration of the contributions cooperatives make in our lives. What sets co-ops apart from their for-profit and investor-owned counterparts is the emphasis on serving members and empowering communities. United Power is deeply invested in providing resources to help each community on its lines establish their own unique visions for the future. 

As the communities United Power serves have grown, so too has the cooperative and its commitment to supporting those communities. The co-op has an active and visible presence in the cities and towns it serves. Employees live, work, play, and serve here. Their faces are recognizable on local chamber boards, at nonprofit fundraisers, and at fairs and festivals across the fast-growing communities in United Power’s 900–square–mile service territory. United Power puts money back into the community every year in the form of sponsorships, scholarships, and youth leadership development. 

The cooperative announced an increase of nearly $10,000 in scholarship awards in the spring and introduced two new lineworker scholarships of $7,500 each. In the summer, six local high school students were selected to represent the cooperative on youth leadership trips to Washington, D.C. and Steamboat Springs. In August, the cooperative was the presenting sponsor of the Adams County Fair, one of the largest county fairs in the country, in addition to supporting community celebrations in Fort Lupton, Frederick, Mead, Keenesburg, Gilpin County, and many more. 

While United Power exists to provide safe and reliable power, the cooperative is more than just your local energy provider. The co-op is Here for Good, supporting the economic development and prosperity of its communities and members.

United Power is pleased to announce the hiring of Susan Aldridge as the cooperative’s Director of Government Relations and Deputy General Counsel.

“Given her extensive background in land development and energy concerns, Susan will be a strong addition to our team,” stated Robin Z. Meidhof, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. “She brings a unique blend of experience and legal expertise that will help us as we work with our legislators locally and nationally to address key issues impacting United Power’s efforts to hyper-localize and meet the state’s clean energy mandates while ensuring we can serve our members reliable energy at affordable rates.”

Aldridge holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor and Masters in Public Administration from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel for a local reclamation/construction company whose primary customers are oil and gas, solar, and various land development businesses. Her work history includes both private practice and in-house counsel roles in addition to handling regulatory and external affairs in the oil and gas industry, focusing on land use regulation, local government permitting, compliance, stakeholder relations, and social investment. She is an avid champion of children, serving as a board member for the Two Angels Foundation, whose mission is increasing recreational opportunities for children with physical disabilities and served several years on the board of Tennyson Center for Children.

“United Power has built a leadership team that complements the goals of the cooperative,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power CEO and President. “Our focus on what our members need is paramount, and listening to our local leaders and community partners is key to the cooperative’s continued success. Susan is a talented addition to our team and will help strengthen our advocacy efforts at the statehouse and beyond.”