In October, lights went on for the first time in two villages nestled deep in the jungles of northwest Guatemala. After weeks of grueling manual labor in adverse conditions far from home, line crews from Oklahoma and Colorado completed work on a project to provide the villages of Pie del Cerro and Tierra Blanca Salinas the gift of electricity. 

Between long days caused by the lack of major equipment and staving off dehydration brought on by dense jungle humidity, crews often returned to their rooms late in the evening exhausted – ready to do it again the next day. 

“Nothing came easy,” United Power lineman Kelly Snow said. “We had to gut it out each and every day. But even on the worst days, everyone showed up and gave it their all. We came to accomplish something, and we did.”

Line crews were stationed in the small city of Playa Grande, located roughly 300 miles from Guatemala City. Each morning, crews loaded into trucks and traversed dirt-packed and often jarring roads to the villages they’d be powering nearly an hour away.  

Once there, work had to be completed without the use of specialized tools or mechanical equipment, and vehicles were to be used for transportation only. 

Snow, who’s experienced the worst working conditions as a lineman in Colorado’s Front Range, said it’s hard to prepare for the difficulties of working in a third world country.

“It’s like stepping back in time,” he said. “We talked to others who were on projects before us and looked at all the photos, but there are still elements of the unknown. It’s hot and humid the whole time; hard to stay hydrated.”

Despite the harsh working conditions, crews were able to complete the first half of the project in just over a week – providing power to the first of the two villages – and the whole project on time.

“I’m proud to have been a part of this project to provide power to these families and kids,” Snow said. “It gives these kids the chance to continue their studies, and maybe even opens the door for computers or cell phones one day.”

Brief reprieves gave Snow and other linemen an opportunity to spend some time building relationships with villagers, playing games with the children and exploring the nearby jungle and lakes. 

Above and beyond providing electricity, the crews were also able to gift each household with two-year water filters and each school with a laptop and wheelchair.

“The Rural Electric Association was founded on the principal of bringing electricity to rural America,” Snow said just before the project. “It’s an inspiration to be a part of that foundation and spreading it to other countries.”

New Rates will be Effective Jan. 1, 2019

United Power’s Board of Directors approved a rate change for 2019 that separates energy and demand charges and includes a modest 1.5-2% rate increase for most members. The new rates will be effective with January 1, 2019 electric use, so members will see these changes reflected on their February 2019 bills. 

Since the cooperative began using the advanced metering infrastructure several years ago, we are now able to better measure every member’s impact on the electric system. The new rates break apart the blended rate members have paid in the past, incorporating both an energy charge and a demand charge. 

The new rates allow United Power to more fairly charge members for both their energy consumption and their impact on the delivery grid. 

“We always weigh multiple factors when considering a rate change,” stated Dean Hubbuck, Director of Power Supply and Rates. “The board takes several months to really evaluate our extensive cost of service study, and then considers our budget when setting rates for the coming year.  We are pleased that the rate increase is small, and that members will have more ways to manage their energy bill.”

There have been multiple articles in previous issues of the United Newsline talking about how demand is determined, and how to reduce it. Additionally, the actual demand was added to most bills earlier this year with a zero amount, so members could begin to see how their actions affect their demand.  

The new rate structure will assign a one-dollar per kW charge to the demand component, and members will see a corresponding drop in the cost of the energy. Now members can affect their electric bill in two different ways – reducing their demand by staggering their use of appliances and by simply using less energy. So, while rates are increasing next year, the change in the rate structure gives members more power to control their bill than in the past.

The changes to the rates affect all existing residential, time of use and small commercial rates. The rate change also includes the addition of a new Smart Choice Rate that takes the demand concept a step further. 

This new Smart Choice Rate provides two different peak demand charges, and a much lower energy charge than with any other rate. The higher demand charges and lower energy charges may work well for a member who is willing to shift their demand throughout the day and night, and actively monitor their use. 

In the past year United Power has rolled out access to the Power Portal, a way for members to look at their energy use in near real time (Read more about the Power Portal). The portal provides information about how the member is using power in 15-minute increments.  This is a powerful tool to help members manage their energy use and see how they are impacting the power grid. Used in tandem with the demand rates, the Power Portal will provide the information members need to make good energy choices.

“By using the Power Portal and monitoring how they use appliances in their homes, members will have a greater ability to manage their energy costs than at any time in the past,” stated Hubbuck. “We think we have a new rate structure that really meets the needs of our members – whether they want to take an active role in keeping their costs down, or if they simply want a fair rate they don’t have to think about.”

In October, United Power connected its 3,000th member-owned rooftop solar installation, celebrating a significant milestone for the cooperative. 

United Power has seen rapid growth and adoption of solar power as a renewable energy option among its members over the past few years. According to the 2017 Smart Electric Power Association (SEPA), only Xcel Energy ranks higher in connected solar among electric utilities in Colorado. United Power also ranked 5th among cooperatives nationally for connected solar.

Member-owned solar connections account for more than 3 percent of United Power’s total meters, and produce almost 30 million kWhs of energy annually. 

Since powering Sol Partners, Colorado’s first community solar farm, in 2009, United Power has been at the forefront of adopting solar energy projects that both reduce carbon emissions and make economic sense. 

Today, the cooperative has four utility-scale solar farms powering our members. These systems provide local solar energy 
system-wide, purchased at a predictable cost – providing an environmental benefit and adding some rate stability for members.