When winter temperatures drop and storms hit, it can be challenging to stay safe and warm. Winter storm severity can vary depending on where you live, but United Power cares about your safety, and we want you to be prepared.

Heavy snow and wind can lead to downed power lines, leaving co-op members without power. During extremely low temperatures, this can be dangerous. During a power outage, our crews will continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power.

There are a few things you can do to prepare yourself:

Stay warm – Plan to use a safe alternate heating source, such as a fireplace or wood-burning stove during a power outage. These are great options to keep you and your loved ones warm, but exercise caution when using, and never leave the heating source unattended. If you are using gasoline-, propane- or natural gas-burning devices to stay warm, never use them indoors. Remember that fuel- and wood-burning sources of heat should always be properly ventilated. Always read the manufacturer’s directions before using.

Stay fed – The CDC recommends having several days’ supply of food that does not need to be cooked handy. Crackers, cereal, canned goods and bread are good options. Five gallons of water per person should also be available in the event of an extended power outage.

Stay safe – When an outage occurs, it usually means power lines are down or equipment is damaged. It is best not to travel during winter storms, but if you must, bring a survival kit along, and do not travel alone. If you encounter downed lines or debris in lines, always assume the lines are live. Stay as far away from the downed lines as possible, and report the situation to our dispatchers by calling 303-637-1350 if possible.

Winter weather can be unpredictable and dangerous, and planning ahead can often be the difference between life and death. United Power is ready for what Mother Nature has in store, and we want you to be ready, too. For more winter safety tips, visit www.ready.gov/winter-weather.

In the event of an outage, please know that our crews are working as quickly as is safely possible to restore your power.

If Your Power is Off

Verify that your entire house is out and that you haven’t just blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker.

If your power remains out for longer than a few minutes, or to report an electrical safety hazard, please call United Power’s Outage Line at 303-637-1350 or login to SmartHub. If the outage is widespread, our phone lines may be busy when you call.

When you call to report an outage, please provide as many details as possible. If you heard a loud bang, or your power is out but your neighbors have power, let us know. The information you supply will help us in our efforts to promptly restore electricity.

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.

In the years leading up to its 75th anniversary in 2013, United Power experienced unprecedented growth for an electric cooperative, more than doubling in size. The way the cooperative serves its members has changed with the development and advancement of technology available to both provide power for and communicate with its members. This is the final piece in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.

Following the addition of Brighton to the United Power family in 1993, the cooperative entered into a period of unprecedented growth. Since adding Brighton, United Power has grown more than five times in size, remaining one of the fastest growing cooperatives in the country over the past 25 years.

Much of United Power’s growth could be attributed to Denver’s continued northeast expansion. In the 1990s, construction on Denver International Airport was completed adjacent to the cooperative’s service territory and E-470 was extended into its southern quadrant. This provided greater access to the area, which offered affordable housing options and the opportunity to grow with the communities, mimicking the growth of Northglenn and Thornton years earlier.

Knowing it would serve new electrical loads from homes and businesses moving into the area, United Power pursued an active role with communities as they planned for future growth and planned infrastructure to support that growth.

As new residents flocked northeast to Brighton and its surrounding communities and north along the I-25 corridor, the cooperative outgrew the “typical” rural electric mold. The difference gave United Power new financial clout, allowing it to become the responsive utility the members and communities it served needed.

United Power constantly surveys technical innovations that can help better provide electric service that’s safe, reliable and cost-effective. The ongoing evolution of technology has created a cooperative that looks far different today than it did just a few years ago, and United Power has adopted a strategy placing it at the forefront of innovation among cooperatives across the country.

United Power has taken proactive steps to keep power flowing while providing members with the tools necessary to monitor and control their usage. Improvements to the cooperative’s infrastructure monitoring system, Supervisory Control and Data System (SCADA), provide more information related to outages and potential problems. The newly installed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) allows members to view detailed information related to their usage trends and history through the Power Portal.

Over the past few years, United Power has also installed innovative renewable programs as the technology has become easier and cheaper to obtain and install. From powering the country’s first community solar field to the state’s largest battery storage facility, the promise of a more efficient and economical future sits on the back of the innovations in technology that have helped to move the cooperative forward.

Over the past 80 years, United Power has grown from a small rural electric cooperative serving just over 100 members to a progressive urban cooperative with more than 90,000 meters. It has overcome a competitive buyout bid from the state’s largest investor-owned electric utility, and set the bar for other cooperatives to follow as it adopts new and innovative technology. United Power is proud to celebrate 80 years of serving its members and providing safe and reliable power.

United Power is dedicated to keeping our members’ lights on. That wouldn’t be possible without the help of our skilled linemen, who work each day behind the scenes to improve our system and prevent outages before they happen. On April 18th, we will join in celebrating National Lineman Appreciation Day, honoring the hard work, innovation and dedication of America’s electrical lineworkers.

Linemen must be prepared to face daily situations that may be less than ideal, regularly tasked with resolving intricate and hazardous problems in unknown or perilous conditions.

During the past year, our linemen have had to help restore power to members following severe hail storms and high winds, which caught many offguard. When severe weather hits our service territory, our linemen are ready to assess the situation and begin the process of restoring power. When the skies are clear and the wind is calm, our linemen are monitoring our system and making improvements to prevent outages where possible.

Our linemen are on call 24 hours a day, ready to respond to any situation in any type of weather. So next time you lose power, rest assured a highly trained United Power crew is on the way, dedicated to getting the lights back on quickly and safely.

Without our linemen, the power that makes our member’s homes comfortable wouldn’t be possible. We invite our members to take a moment to thank our United Power linemen for the work they do. Use #ThankALineman on social media to show your support, or take a moment to drop a kind note in the mail.

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

United Power will be celebrating a special cooperative milestone at its Annual Meeting & Director Election on April 17, 2019. The Brighton-headquartered electric utility will join a short list of rural electric cooperatives celebrating 80 years of providing safe and reliable power. The meeting will include a special tribute to United Power’s history and highlight the communities it serves.

All members are invited to connect with cooperative leadership at the annual meeting, enjoy the company of fellow cooperative members and have a chance to win one of several door prizes. United Power’s Annual Meeting will be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds/Regional Park located at 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601.

There are four candidates vying for a position on the cooperative’s board of directors. One seat in the East, West and South districts is up for election this year. Profiles of the 2019 candidates are included in this issue of the United Newsline.

Ballot packets will be mailed out to members in late March, and include profiles of each candidate. Members may cast their ballots in person at the Annual Meeting, drop them at a United Power office or mail them postage-paid prior to the deadline in the voting envelope.

While candidates live in and represent a geographic area of our territory, they are elected “at-large,” which means members should vote for one candidate in each district. Please follow voting and signature instructions carefully to ensure you return a valid ballot.

Member registration will be open from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Members who did not mail in their ballot or chose not to vote prior to the meeting will be issued a ballot and be able to cast their votes in the Director election. After members have cast their ballot, they can enjoy a barbecue dinner with us, visit the educational exhibit booths and be entertained by musician Dave Connelly.

The official business meeting of the members will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include reports from the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer John Parker and a report from the Board Treasurer. Election results will be announced prior to adjournment and door prize drawings will conclude the meeting. To learn more about the Annual Meeting, or the candidates running for a seat on the cooperative’s board of directors, keep reading this issue, or visit www.unitedpower.com.

Director Election Ballots to Be Mailed in March

United Power will celebrate its 80^th Anniversary at the 2019 Annual Meeting of members on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at the Adams County Fairground and Regional Park Complex. Registration and balloting open at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The annual business meeting will include a barbecue dinner, director election, cooperative update, anniversary celebration, and door prizes. All United Power members are invited to attend the annual business meeting of the not-for-profit electric cooperative and cast their ballots in the 2019 Director Election.

A seat in the East, West and South director districts will be up for a three-year term in the 2019 Director Election. Nominations by written petition were due to the cooperative on Friday, Feb. 15. The candidates running in the 2019 Director Election are as follows:

District E (East):
Elizabeth Martin

District S (South):
Keith E. Alquist, II
Bradley J. Case

District W (West):
Ursula J. Morgan

United Power will host four Meet the Candidate Forums where members can learn more about each candidate.

• March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Adams County Fairgrounds
• March 19 at 7:30 a.m. at Fort Lupton Recreation Center
• March 21 at 7:30 a.m. at Coal Creek Canyon Community Center
• March 22 at 7:30 a.m. at E.L.F. Grill

In addition, profiles provided by each candidate will be included in the ballot packets mailed to all members at the end of March. Members should return their ballots via postage-paid mail prior to Apr. 15, or vote in person at the Annual Meeting on Apr. 17.  Members may also return ballots in a ballot drop-box located at each of United Power’s offices. Ballot drop boxes will close at 2 p.m. on Apr. 17.

To learn more about the candidates, for more information about the Meet the Candidate Forums, or for more information about the cooperative’s 80^th Annual Meeting please visit the Annual Meeting page.