Brighton, CO – The NextGen Cooperative Alliance is set to name United Power President and Chief Executive Officer Mark A. Gabriel to its board of directors later this month. NextGen is a coalition of leaders from distribution cooperatives leading the charge to restore local control over power supply decisions. Gabriel will become one of the organization’s founding board members.
“I am honored to represent United Power on the NextGen board of directors,” said Gabriel. “United Power has been leading the charge advancing policy to shift away from a decades-old model. NextGen was formed precisely for the purpose of advancing the future interests of cooperatives like United Power and its members, which requires re-envisioning and transforming current relationships with power providers.”
The coalition of CEOs that make up NextGen represent cooperatives across the nation leading the way in expanding power supply options, reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model and developing better, more principled relationships with power providers. Their goal is to ensure distribution cooperatives are properly positioned for a secure and cost-effective future.
The NextGen Cooperative Alliance brings together co-op leaders to accomplish goals that restore power to members without being committed to any singular solution. These goals include:
• Restoring local control over power options and decisions regarding their own power supplies. • Positioning power supplies for the future, which includes increasing clean energy, facilitating stable rates and driving local economic development. • Removing barriers that prevent or discourage local innovation. • Restoring and strengthening cooperative principles of democratic governance, ensuring board directors prioritize the members who elected them.
NextGen was formed so cooperative leaders can work together to establish more equitable and flexible agreements with power providers, according to the website. It is dedicated to providing a collective advocacy voice, educational tools and networking opportunities to all distribution cooperatives seeking more autonomy and control over power supply.
“United Power has been working toward a mutually beneficial relationship with Tri-State Generation & Transmission that allows us to be responsive to our members and take advantage of a competitive energy marketplace,” Gabriel said. “What we need is a new G&T structure to address the energy needs of the future and help cooperatives better serve their members. NextGen brings together leaders from distribution co-ops facing similar push back from G&Ts determined to maintain current contracts that no longer make sense in the current energy marketplace.”
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 cooperatives in the nation, and in June joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
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