Industry Standard in System Reliability
Monday | February 14, 2022
Since altering its maintenance practices a few years ago, United Power’s reliability has significantly improved, as have its outage numbers.
Read more >
Title
January Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq
Monday | January 6, 2025
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
Alice:“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”Cheshire Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
This quote from Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is often paraphrased, “If you don’t know where you are going, then any road will get you there.” It speaks to the fact that a lack of direction can create challenges instead of opportunities and simply reinforces the status quo.
Having strategic direction, especially in times of significant societal and technological change, is critical. That is why the amazing team at United Power, supported by your Board of Directors, has unveiled the second version of Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap). This document gives the co-op its direction and helps us screen activities in — as well as out.
The Roadmap v1.0 led us to where we are today. We have reduced our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 26% since May 1 and successfully raised $700 million to evolve as an independent utility and meet the needs of our communities and more than 113,000 members. The Roadmap helped us obtain $261 million through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program to support the transition to a cleaner energy supply and hyper-localize our resources. It clarified our technology investments, how we interact with members, and our role in supporting our communities.
Much has changed nearly three years after we unveiled the initial Roadmap. The western United States is edging closer to a power market and new power sources have come online. More members are adding solar panels and purchasing electric vehicles. But much has also remained the same, such as Colorado’s goal of 80% reduction in GHG emissions over 2005 levels by 2030 — a goal we will meet or exceed by helping members such as those in the oil and gas industry achieve their targets simply by electrifying the production facilities.
The Roadmap v2.0 maintains its focus on four critical areas that lie at the heart of what we do as a member-owned electric cooperative:
Empower and Engage with Members and Communities. This critical element ties directly to United Power’s Community Benefit Plan through New ERA. Our dedicated focus on supporting communities and members made creating the benefit plan a simple task for our team.
Provide Flexible, Affordable, Responsible Power and Services. United Power’s hyperlocalization strategy has resulted in significant deployment of battery energy storage systems, with more than 110 MWs spread across nine substations. It already proved valuable during last summer’s peak. This industry-leading deployment means we can benefit from times when power prices are low, using the stored energy when demand (and prices) are high.
Continuously Optimize the Electric Distribution System. As we move toward becoming a distribution system operator (DSO), focusing on local generation and control, our system investments are made with your future needs in mind. We installed a new outage management system in 2024 that, coupled with our advanced metering infrastructure, gives us better real-time operational data.
Achieve and Maintain Business Agility and Resilience. We will be replacing our distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) in 2025 to better manage system operations, and are rolling out a new asset management tool to improve our response times and better manage material and projects.
Underpinning Our Cooperative Roadmap are the amazing women and men of United Power and the foundational responsibilities they bring to running your cooperative every day.
Lewis Carroll’s words resonate for me when he said, “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” It sure sounds so to me.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with your questions, comments, and concerns.
Title
January Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP
Tuesday | January 2, 2024
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
Along with the honor of operating an electric cooperative on behalf of you, our members, comes the accountability of being prepared for the changing future in energy. Two recent, recurrent themes have emerged that emphasize the need for United Power to work diligently to make Our Cooperative Roadmap a reality.
The first is the need to continue investing in the grid, and the second is an ongoing concern that the need for capacity — the backbone of reliable power — is getting perilously close to a crisis. Both issues tend to focus on the problem. United Power is actively seeking solutions.
There has been a lot of talk recently about investing significant financial resources in the grid. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law include funding to target large-scale projects over the next decade. These investments are needed and welcomed, but the completion estimates are measured in years or even decades. Meeting the needs of a growing enterprise like United Power is at least four to five years away, even with aggressive siting and execution.
People tend to think of the grid as the large power lines that deliver electricity from power plants miles away. Much of the energy transition challenge is that a lot of low or non-carbon generation is located far from population centers. Coupled with permitting challenges, supply chain constraints, and a confusing financing model, large-scale projects just take time.
But the grid also includes distribution systems, operated by utilities like United Power. It is the main conduit to our members and requires as much — or more — investment as its larger cousins. Your Board of Directors has continuously supported budgets to upgrade and expand critical infrastructure, and these investments have paid off. United Power has one of the best distribution networks in the country, evidenced by high reliability numbers, rapid outage response, and data-driven system management.
A robust distribution grid is also critical to the second issue — the potential for seasonal power shortages.
The North American Reliability Corporation (NERC), responsible for assessing and enforcing reliability standards, recently found the country is at an elevated risk of having insufficient energy supplies to meet demand in extreme conditions. The reasons for this potential shortfall range from coal and nuclear plant closures and an expanded reliance on natural gas to the increased electrification of everything.
“Extreme cold weather events can cause electricity demand to deviate significantly from historical forecasts. Electricity demand in winter is closely tied to outside temperature. As electric heat pumps and heating systems become more prevalent, their combined effect on system demand is even more pronounced,” NERC stated.
The industry has tried to slow the energy transition and continue operating money-losing coal plants instead of proposing solutions. And, importantly, there are solutions. This is where United Power’s strategy of hyper-localizing generation and storage comes into play.
As we prepare for our upcoming power supply transition, United Power is adding significant amounts of battery storage, spread across our system. We are locating natural gas peaking units tied in to the distribution — versus transmission — networks and contracting with power supplies closer to the communities we serve. This reduces line losses, improves reliability, and keeps tax dollars local. We will couple this with efficiency programs, support any members who want to generate part of their own power through solar, and expand demand response options now that we will have a realistic peak window.
Of course, we will continue to get power from generation plants and support efforts to build out the transmission grid as it will continue to have a role in a modern electric enterprise. But, we will focus on what we can do locally.
As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns. United Power welcomes the opportunity to meet with your community groups and discuss the cooperative’s response to the changing industry.
Join Us Online or In-Person for the 2022 Annual Meeting
Friday | March 11, 2022
For the past two years, United Power has hosted its Annual Meeting virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health and safety of members and employees. The 2022 Annual Meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format on April 13, meaning members may also participate online via a livestream hosted on the cooperative’s website.
Read more >
Title
July/August Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP
Monday | July 5, 2021
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
My first four months as United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer have been a whirlwind of activity and opportunity.
These are exciting times to be a part of the cooperative community and the electric utility business. From humble beginnings, rural electric cooperatives have transformed the energy enterprise serving members around the country. In June, United Power became one of the privileged few cooperatives that have surpassed 100,000 meters. Early in my career at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), I could only dream about the tools we have today. These advancements represent the culmination of decades of technological progress and changing social consciousness.
I came to United Power after eight years as Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Western Area Power Association (WAPA), where I was responsible for one of the largest grids in the US, bringing power to nearly 40 million Americans from 57 dams across the West. Prior to WAPA, I was a consultant and senior officer at EPRI. The growth and progress I have witnessed throughout my time in the industry, and the value it adds to our lives, continues to inspire me.
Technology has shifted the way our members use energy and increased its impact on their lives. More than 6,000 households on our lines have added solar systems to their rooftops and nearly 3,000 members are now driving an electric vehicle – myself included. Many more families are using smart devices in their homes — like Nest, Alexa and Google Home — to power their lives more efficiently. The changing patterns in energy usage and growing dependence on this resource are driving our industry’s future. Our relationship with members must change to meet these growing needs.
United Power must balance our members’ growing dependence on energy with a path toward environmental responsibility and long-term sustainability. This means pursuing energy alternatives that are clean, cost effective and beneficial. The affordability of renewable options, such as utility scale wind and solar, is driving down the costs of traditional options like natural gas as competition among resources increases. We have seen rapid expansion of battery storage projects as the technology becomes more viable and more affordable. United Power was among the early adopters of battery storage, and we are examining how we can take further advantage of this growing option for members.
There are many ongoing conversations about cyber security challenges, power supply, renewable energy and regional transmission organizations (and markets in general) happening in Colorado and across the country. I am proud to lead a team of professionals who are aware of the opportunities available to us and the challenges we must overcome. Their hard work and dedication have made United Power one of the leading distribution cooperatives in the nation. Our reputation gives us a voice on the national stage and allows us to be a driving force in the industry.
As members and our only stakeholders, your voice helps shape our strategies. We are here to understand and meet your needs. Cooperatives have the flexibility to make strategic changes and are nimble enough to make them in a timely manner. Whether you live on a large farm, own a home in a suburban neighborhood or operate a local business, we exist as an extension of our communities and are here to serve our members.
Those who came before me built a reputation for excellence here at United Power, and I look forward to building upon it. I want every member to feel empowered to reach out to me and our staff with questions, comments or concerns at any time. I welcome the opportunity to meet you where you are, so please do not hesitate to email me.
Have a safe and healthy summer.
Email Mark A. Gabriel
Industry Standard in System Reliability
Monday | February 14, 2022
Since altering its maintenance practices a few years ago, United Power’s reliability has significantly improved, as have its outage numbers.
Read more >
Title
January Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message_85.jpg?h=45932144&itok=fpbFupeq
Monday | January 6, 2025
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
Alice:“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”Cheshire Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”
This quote from Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is often paraphrased, “If you don’t know where you are going, then any road will get you there.” It speaks to the fact that a lack of direction can create challenges instead of opportunities and simply reinforces the status quo.
Having strategic direction, especially in times of significant societal and technological change, is critical. That is why the amazing team at United Power, supported by your Board of Directors, has unveiled the second version of Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap). This document gives the co-op its direction and helps us screen activities in — as well as out.
The Roadmap v1.0 led us to where we are today. We have reduced our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 26% since May 1 and successfully raised $700 million to evolve as an independent utility and meet the needs of our communities and more than 113,000 members. The Roadmap helped us obtain $261 million through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program to support the transition to a cleaner energy supply and hyper-localize our resources. It clarified our technology investments, how we interact with members, and our role in supporting our communities.
Much has changed nearly three years after we unveiled the initial Roadmap. The western United States is edging closer to a power market and new power sources have come online. More members are adding solar panels and purchasing electric vehicles. But much has also remained the same, such as Colorado’s goal of 80% reduction in GHG emissions over 2005 levels by 2030 — a goal we will meet or exceed by helping members such as those in the oil and gas industry achieve their targets simply by electrifying the production facilities.
The Roadmap v2.0 maintains its focus on four critical areas that lie at the heart of what we do as a member-owned electric cooperative:
Empower and Engage with Members and Communities. This critical element ties directly to United Power’s Community Benefit Plan through New ERA. Our dedicated focus on supporting communities and members made creating the benefit plan a simple task for our team.
Provide Flexible, Affordable, Responsible Power and Services. United Power’s hyperlocalization strategy has resulted in significant deployment of battery energy storage systems, with more than 110 MWs spread across nine substations. It already proved valuable during last summer’s peak. This industry-leading deployment means we can benefit from times when power prices are low, using the stored energy when demand (and prices) are high.
Continuously Optimize the Electric Distribution System. As we move toward becoming a distribution system operator (DSO), focusing on local generation and control, our system investments are made with your future needs in mind. We installed a new outage management system in 2024 that, coupled with our advanced metering infrastructure, gives us better real-time operational data.
Achieve and Maintain Business Agility and Resilience. We will be replacing our distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) in 2025 to better manage system operations, and are rolling out a new asset management tool to improve our response times and better manage material and projects.
Underpinning Our Cooperative Roadmap are the amazing women and men of United Power and the foundational responsibilities they bring to running your cooperative every day.
Lewis Carroll’s words resonate for me when he said, “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” It sure sounds so to me.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with your questions, comments, and concerns.
Title
January Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP
Tuesday | January 2, 2024
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
Along with the honor of operating an electric cooperative on behalf of you, our members, comes the accountability of being prepared for the changing future in energy. Two recent, recurrent themes have emerged that emphasize the need for United Power to work diligently to make Our Cooperative Roadmap a reality.
The first is the need to continue investing in the grid, and the second is an ongoing concern that the need for capacity — the backbone of reliable power — is getting perilously close to a crisis. Both issues tend to focus on the problem. United Power is actively seeking solutions.
There has been a lot of talk recently about investing significant financial resources in the grid. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law include funding to target large-scale projects over the next decade. These investments are needed and welcomed, but the completion estimates are measured in years or even decades. Meeting the needs of a growing enterprise like United Power is at least four to five years away, even with aggressive siting and execution.
People tend to think of the grid as the large power lines that deliver electricity from power plants miles away. Much of the energy transition challenge is that a lot of low or non-carbon generation is located far from population centers. Coupled with permitting challenges, supply chain constraints, and a confusing financing model, large-scale projects just take time.
But the grid also includes distribution systems, operated by utilities like United Power. It is the main conduit to our members and requires as much — or more — investment as its larger cousins. Your Board of Directors has continuously supported budgets to upgrade and expand critical infrastructure, and these investments have paid off. United Power has one of the best distribution networks in the country, evidenced by high reliability numbers, rapid outage response, and data-driven system management.
A robust distribution grid is also critical to the second issue — the potential for seasonal power shortages.
The North American Reliability Corporation (NERC), responsible for assessing and enforcing reliability standards, recently found the country is at an elevated risk of having insufficient energy supplies to meet demand in extreme conditions. The reasons for this potential shortfall range from coal and nuclear plant closures and an expanded reliance on natural gas to the increased electrification of everything.
“Extreme cold weather events can cause electricity demand to deviate significantly from historical forecasts. Electricity demand in winter is closely tied to outside temperature. As electric heat pumps and heating systems become more prevalent, their combined effect on system demand is even more pronounced,” NERC stated.
The industry has tried to slow the energy transition and continue operating money-losing coal plants instead of proposing solutions. And, importantly, there are solutions. This is where United Power’s strategy of hyper-localizing generation and storage comes into play.
As we prepare for our upcoming power supply transition, United Power is adding significant amounts of battery storage, spread across our system. We are locating natural gas peaking units tied in to the distribution — versus transmission — networks and contracting with power supplies closer to the communities we serve. This reduces line losses, improves reliability, and keeps tax dollars local. We will couple this with efficiency programs, support any members who want to generate part of their own power through solar, and expand demand response options now that we will have a realistic peak window.
Of course, we will continue to get power from generation plants and support efforts to build out the transmission grid as it will continue to have a role in a modern electric enterprise. But, we will focus on what we can do locally.
As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions, comments, or concerns. United Power welcomes the opportunity to meet with your community groups and discuss the cooperative’s response to the changing industry.
Join Us Online or In-Person for the 2022 Annual Meeting
Friday | March 11, 2022
For the past two years, United Power has hosted its Annual Meeting virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health and safety of members and employees. The 2022 Annual Meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format on April 13, meaning members may also participate online via a livestream hosted on the cooperative’s website.
Read more >
Title
July/August Message from Mark A. Gabriel
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/CEO_Message.jpg?h=45932144&itok=pNegmSzP
Monday | July 5, 2021
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
My first four months as United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer have been a whirlwind of activity and opportunity.
These are exciting times to be a part of the cooperative community and the electric utility business. From humble beginnings, rural electric cooperatives have transformed the energy enterprise serving members around the country. In June, United Power became one of the privileged few cooperatives that have surpassed 100,000 meters. Early in my career at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), I could only dream about the tools we have today. These advancements represent the culmination of decades of technological progress and changing social consciousness.
I came to United Power after eight years as Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Western Area Power Association (WAPA), where I was responsible for one of the largest grids in the US, bringing power to nearly 40 million Americans from 57 dams across the West. Prior to WAPA, I was a consultant and senior officer at EPRI. The growth and progress I have witnessed throughout my time in the industry, and the value it adds to our lives, continues to inspire me.
Technology has shifted the way our members use energy and increased its impact on their lives. More than 6,000 households on our lines have added solar systems to their rooftops and nearly 3,000 members are now driving an electric vehicle – myself included. Many more families are using smart devices in their homes — like Nest, Alexa and Google Home — to power their lives more efficiently. The changing patterns in energy usage and growing dependence on this resource are driving our industry’s future. Our relationship with members must change to meet these growing needs.
United Power must balance our members’ growing dependence on energy with a path toward environmental responsibility and long-term sustainability. This means pursuing energy alternatives that are clean, cost effective and beneficial. The affordability of renewable options, such as utility scale wind and solar, is driving down the costs of traditional options like natural gas as competition among resources increases. We have seen rapid expansion of battery storage projects as the technology becomes more viable and more affordable. United Power was among the early adopters of battery storage, and we are examining how we can take further advantage of this growing option for members.
There are many ongoing conversations about cyber security challenges, power supply, renewable energy and regional transmission organizations (and markets in general) happening in Colorado and across the country. I am proud to lead a team of professionals who are aware of the opportunities available to us and the challenges we must overcome. Their hard work and dedication have made United Power one of the leading distribution cooperatives in the nation. Our reputation gives us a voice on the national stage and allows us to be a driving force in the industry.
As members and our only stakeholders, your voice helps shape our strategies. We are here to understand and meet your needs. Cooperatives have the flexibility to make strategic changes and are nimble enough to make them in a timely manner. Whether you live on a large farm, own a home in a suburban neighborhood or operate a local business, we exist as an extension of our communities and are here to serve our members.
Those who came before me built a reputation for excellence here at United Power, and I look forward to building upon it. I want every member to feel empowered to reach out to me and our staff with questions, comments or concerns at any time. I welcome the opportunity to meet you where you are, so please do not hesitate to email me.
Have a safe and healthy summer.
Email Mark A. Gabriel
