Our Vision in a Rapidly Evolving Energy Industry
The electric utility industry is undergoing a significant refocus on everything from technology to power supply. The delivery model of today will look vastly different in the next decade. Grid technology is improving, energy markets are evolving, and member demands and expectations are changing. United Power must be prepared to adapt quickly and respond proactively to shifts in an ever-changing environment. We recognize the wealth of opportunities - and challenges - that come with these changes.
Our mission as your local electric cooperative is to safely and responsibly deliver reliable electricity and excellent service to our members. To continue delivering on that promise, we must identify the range of potential futures that we need to prepare for, harness our strengths, recognize where growth and investments are required, and develop innovative approaches to proactively address challenges.
It is, therefore, critical United Power ensures all the pieces work together to optimize financial investments, operating efficiencies, and resources. The intent of our cooperative roadmap is to document organizational objectives to create an alignment from the Board of Directors to every employee and, in turn, our members.
Empower and Engage with Members and Communities
Electric cooperatives are owned by the members they serve, which means the members are not just consumers but stakeholders in the cooperative’s success.
Provide Flexible, Affordable, Responsible Power and Services
As the needs of the distribution system have increased, so has the need for United Power to evolve and optimize the supply of power and services to its members.
Continuously Optimize the Electric Distribution System
The optimization of the electric distribution system is paramount as the cooperative confronts increasing demands and complexities driven by rapid electrification, the integration of DERs, and the evolving expectations of members.
Achieve and Maintain Business Agility and Resilience
Business agility and resilience are key investments of United Power’s strategic and operational plan.
Guiding Principles
The following guiding principles were used to develop this roadmap. They are the lenses through which United Power evaluates options, particularly when there are trade-offs.
Recent Roadmap Posts
United Power announces the publication of its first Social Responsibility report. The report recaps the cooperative’s accomplishments, performance, and progress in four defined areas – social, governance, safety and risk, and environmental. The inaugural report was approved by the United Power Board of Directors during the September board meeting, marking a significant milestone in the member-owned cooperative’s ongoing commitment to transparency, sustainability, and responsible management.
Each area of concentration is important to the overall operational and financial health of the cooperative, and utilities that measure performance in these areas consistently rank among the best in the country. The comprehensive report showcases United Power’s values of responsibility, integrity, and reliability, while outlining specific actions taken to support these tenets.
“We are excited to feature the many initiatives and accomplishments of the cooperative in this report,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and CEO. “While annual reports highlight the prior year’s performance and the cooperative’s financial position, the Social Responsibility report provides our members a deeper understanding of the actions we are taking to further our mission to provide the best possible service.”
Key highlights from United Power’s inaugural Social Responsibility report include:
- Social Impact. The report highlights the cooperative’s efforts to create a positive impact within the communities it serves. This includes both cooperative- and employee-supported initiatives; the promotion of tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion in the workforce; and the careful attention to the integrity of data and information.
- Governance Excellence. The co-op’s governance structure and practices are outlined, highlighting the cooperative regulatory model, member engagement in director elections, and the cooperative’s corporate behavior and codes of conduct around financial transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct.
- Safety and Risk Management. The report outlines the many ways the cooperative is building and maintaining a resilient and safe infrastructure to protect the communities it serves. Through a comprehensive wildfire mitigation and vegetation management strategy, a strong safety culture, and broad-based approach to addressing risk, the cooperative is actively working to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electricity.
- Environmental Responsibility. The cooperative’s innovative energy programs are highlighted, showing the depth of the co-op’s commitment to providing sustainable, flexible, and affordable power for members. Through efficiency measures and programs to make emerging technologies more readily accessible, United Power is paving the way for the evolving energy landscape.
Electric cooperatives have a long history of measuring success in these operational areas and are guided by a set of principles that emphasize social responsibility and transparency. United Power’s Our Cooperative Roadmap is the long-range action plan addressing how the co-op will tackle the challenges of the evolving utility landscape. The Social Responsibility report, which will be updated annually, will allow members to gain a greater understanding of the cooperative’s goals and accomplishments.
United Power Signs Power Purchase Agreement with OneEnergy
United Power Signs Power Purchase Agreement with Solar of Alamosa LLC
Denver-based firm to provide key power block for co-op’s future needs
Brighton, CO — United Power, Inc. (United Power), an electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern Front Range, and Guzman Energy (Guzman), a wholesale power provider dedicated to developing portfolios that meet their clients’ needs for economical, reliable power, announce the signing of a 15-year contract to deliver wholesale power to the cooperative.
The power supply agreement features fixed wholesale power pricing that provides the cooperative predictable and stable power supply costs. Under the agreement, Guzman will deliver approximately one-third of the cooperative’s power needs, beginning in May 2024.
“As we move forward with our plan to diversify our power portfolio, this contract is an important part of our strategy,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, President and CEO of United Power. “Guzman has an excellent track record of providing economical resources for cooperatives, and their commitment to integrating renewables will help us control costs while still keeping our eye on environmental impacts.”
United Power’s planned exit from its current power contract will take place May 1, 2024. The move was motivated by a desire to stabilize power costs and provide greater flexibility to the cooperative and its members.
“Wholesale power continues to be United Power’s largest expense, accounting for over 70% of our costs,” stated Gabriel. “Having more predictable power purchase costs will offer many benefits to United Power members today and into the future.”
“We are proud to contribute to United Power’s efforts to reduce power supply costs, gain greater control over generation mix, and contribute to more local, sustainable energy,” said Robin Lunt, Chief Commercial Officer at Guzman Energy. “We look forward to continued opportunities to support United Power and other cooperatives’ success.”
United Power serves nearly 110,000 meters and maintains and operates over 6,500 miles of distribution line. The 900-square mile service territory wraps around the north and west borders of the Denver International Airport. It includes the north and northeast metropolitan development corridors along Interstate 25, Interstate 76, State Highway 85, and E-470 and the Golden Gate and Coal Creek Canyons, two of Colorado's most iconic and historic mountain canyons. As a result of its geographic location, United Power’s system is experiencing significant demand and energy growth, averaging approximately 6% annually.
To learn more about United Power’s power supply transition, visit Power Supply.
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, and in June 2021 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. 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, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Guzman Energy
Guzman Energy is a wholesale power provider dedicated to communities in search of affordable and reliable energy. We partner with cooperatives, municipalities, companies, and tribes across North America to customize energy portfolios that make economic and environmental sense for today and tomorrow. Together, we are lighting the way forward. Visit www.guzmanenergy.com.
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