Rising to the Occasion
Friday | September 27, 2019
United Power partnered with Touchstone's national balloon program to present to donations to area nonprofits.
Read more >
Title
Roadmap: Business Agility & Resilience Through IT/OT Strategy
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/EarlyWinter_NL_ITOT.jpg?itok=_zDWqqZ1
Friday | November 18, 2022
Card Teaser
The final Roadmap pillar focuses on our information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems strategies.
Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap) is United Power’s functional plan for the future, and focuses on four specific pillars the cooperative views as essential to strengthening its position as a leader in the electric industry. In previous newsletters, we have highlighted our commitment to pursing affordable and sustainable power, optimizing our distribution system, and our commitment to member and community engagement. The final Roadmap pillar focuses on our information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems strategies, which allow us to be efficient and functional in maintaining our distribution system.
Advancing technologies play a critical role in how United Power responds to and prevents outages. Without the insight computerized systems provide, the cooperative would not be able to see in-depth information about grid performance and conduct targeted maintenance. In a way, this pillar is foundational for meeting the requirements of grid optimization.
“United Power has taken an approach of embracing IT,” said Rex Webster, an infrastructure engineer at the cooperative. “It’s where they integrate us into decision making that allows us to shape and guide workflows, processes, and systems.”
United Power’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a computerized system that provides the cooperative with information about energy usage. It helps guide grid construction and improvements and ensure sufficient power is delivered where members need it. In many cases, we can use this system to identify and respond to outages before members may even be aware. It is the availability of this infrastructure that also allows us to offer Power Portal to our members, where you can view energy usage in 15-minute segments and make energy-saving habit changes.
The implementation of informational technology strategies would not be complete without factoring in the ever-increasing threat to cybersecurity.
“We’ve implemented many state-of-the-art cybersecurity tools and monitoring services on both our field devices and our corporate networks,” Webster said.
Technology is advancing rapidly, and new technology may be on the horizon that offers even greater insight into our distribution system. While we have no way of knowing what may be available tomorrow, our systems are built to adapt as changes take place. We are constantly looking for advantageous options that enable us to better serve our members.
“Our Cooperative Roadmap is looking ahead over the next 10 years as we become a more fully functional distribution system operator,” said Reliability Engineer Tyler Bain. “But in reality, we’re already down that path, and we’re already deploying and utilizing the systems that are going to make some of those futuristic thoughts possible today.”
Title
Roadmap: Optimizing Our Distribution System
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Nov2021_NL_SystemReliability.jpg?h=45932144&itok=twbW3RYA
Friday | September 16, 2022
Card Teaser
United Power is proud to manage a comprehensive maintenance plan that has produced one of the most reliable systems in the country.
Analyzing System Data to Improve Performance & Reliability, Mitigate Risk
As an electric distribution cooperative, delivering high reliability power safely and efficiently to members is United Power’s first priority. You expect your power to be available when you need it and as long as you need it. United Power recognizes its members’ expectations and earlier this year released Our Cooperative Roadmap with strategic areas the cooperative is focusing on for both its future and the benefits of members. One of the key focuses in the Roadmap is system optimization. The cooperative is engaging in several proactive practices to increase system performance, while also bringing innovative technology solutions on board to assist in demand monitoring, outage resolution, and fire mitigation.
A few years ago, United Power’s operations team shifted its maintenance strategy to focus on areas of the system that were falling short of performance goals. Utilizing a sophisticated network of grid tracking technology, the cooperative is able to identify specific areas that need improvement and plan targeted maintenance projects. Since the new strategy launched, the cooperative’s outage times have been reduced by nearly half.
The cooperative’s outage restoration and response is also aided by the rapid adoption of innovative smart devices deployed throughout the distribution system. These automated field devices not only aid in the dissemination of tracking data that informs United Power’s maintenance strategy, but also allow the cooperative to restore power remotely in the event of an outage without having to dispatch crews. They fall into a varying spectrum from simple to complex, but work in conjunction to identify, isolate, and, when possible, resolve faults.
Design and construction teams are regularly reviewing emerging solutions to improve reliability and provide better tracking information. While the most prominent and immediately recognizable elements of the system are poles and power lines, United Power also manages nearly 18,000 streetlights across its service area. More than 3,000 now include LED smart node technology that communicates lighting issues directly to the cooperative. The technology is both energy efficient and cost effective because it provides information crews can use to ensure proper equipment and materials are collected before being dispatched. Smart nodes are now the default for new streetlight installations, and the cooperative works with each community to convert older technology to the new alternative.
A system that functions reliably must also function safely. United Power serves two mountain canyons at a time in Colorado when wildfire risk has spiked. The cooperative published its fire mitigation plan a few years ago and updates it annually to include new elements that are proven to reduce risk and improve safety. Previous updates have included the installation of new technology and updated construction standards; and this year included the addition of new protocols during Red Flag Warnings. These new procotols govern the system’s response when infererence to electric flow is detected and when fire danger is at its highest. While power can be restored once interference is cleared in most cases, United Power requires crews to investigate causes when Red Flag Warnings are issued. Although an outage is never convenient, preventing a wildfire is critical to member and community safety.
United Power is proud to manage a comprehensive maintenance plan that has produced one of the most reliable systems in the country. As cooperative members, you can rest assured co-op leadership is actively pursing the best resources for a reliable and safe system, and doing so in the most cost-effective manner to control member rates.
Rosie's Moving In
Tuesday | May 1, 2018
Butterfly Pavilion, home to Rosie the tarantula, recently announced its plans to construct a new facility in Broomfield, inside United Power's service territory.
Read more >
Title
Rural Utilities Want Their Own Piece Of Colorado’s Low-Carbon Future. That Could Mean Breaking Up Big Power Providers
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/RenewableEnergy2.jpg?itok=w3R3pW7T
Friday | December 20, 2019
Article published by Colorado Public Radio Dec. 20, 2019
Grace Hood/CPR News
United Power customer Stephen Whiteside loads a wheelbarrow with chopped wood near his rural home in Coal Creek Canyon Dec. 12, 2019.
When it comes to greening up Colorado’s power supply, seismic shifts aren’t just coming out of the state Capitol.
They’re also shaking out of rural Colorado, places like Coal Creek Canyon where utility customer Stephen Whiteside lives.
Whiteside is a conservative Republican. He’s also pro-renewable energy. It’s not a combination you’d expect, but a recent poll by Pew Research suggests many Republicans favor wind and solar.
But Whiteside doesn’t support renewables by building a big solar array in his backyard. He does it by cheering on his rural electric cooperative, United Power. In November, United Power said it’s considering parting ways with fossil fuel-heavy power provider Tri-State Generation and Transmission in pursuit of cheaper electricity bills and more renewable energy.
“I think that’s fairly recent that renewables may be more cost-effective than other types of energy,” Whiteside said. “To me that makes a lot of sense to pursue that kind of avenue.”
Grace Hood/CPR News
United Power customers Stephen and Sara Whiteside feed their horses near their rural home in Coal Creek Canyon outside Denver.
Right now, Tri-State gets about one-third of its power from renewable energy. Customers like Whiteside want more renewables because they think it will bring cheaper rates. According to a recent estimate by Standard and Poor’s, electricity rates for Whiteside and others under the Tri-State System could be as much as 20 percent above the statewide Colorado average.
Here’s how the model works now: United Power bands together with 42 other rural electricity providers, called electric cooperatives, to buy power from one entity: Tri-State.
“What that model has not done is kept up with the technological changes in the industry,” United Power CEO John Parker said.
Parker thinks it all adds up to growing pressure on the economic model that rural utilities have followed for decades. In the '80s and '90s, power providers like Tri-State invested heavily in coal-fired plants. Now, they’re trying to green up.
United Power is not the first or the last utility looking into leave Tri-State. La Plata Electric Association has filed a complaint with Colorado regulators seeking an exit fee from Tri-State.
Grace Hood/CPR News
John Parker, Chief Executive Officer of United Power, stands in front of the rural electric cooperative's large battery on Dec. 9, 2019. United Power is exploring whether it can procure wind and solar more cheaply by exiting its current contract with power provider Tri-State.
If those utilities part ways, they’ll follow in the footsteps of two other rural utilities: Colorado-based Delta Montrose Electric Association and New Mexico-based Kit Carson Electric Cooperative. Delta Montrose got the OK to leave its generation and transmission association (known as a G&T) with Tri-State in 2019. Kit Carson left in 2016.
“Just as the industry changes, [generation and transmission cooperatives] have to change,” said Lee Boughey, Tri-State senior manager for communications and public affairs.
Generation and Transmission Cooperatives like Tri-State formed in rural America in the middle of the last century. It was historically expensive for rural electricity providers to provide power because they just served a few customers per mile of the electricity line. That’s unlike urban utilities, which have hundreds of customers per mile. G&Ts helped shoulder the burden by providing power to rural utilities, building expensive coal-fired power plants and setting up contracts that lasted decades to help pay off the plants.
Flashforward to 2019, and power customers like Parker have a keen interest to modernize the grid and experiment with battery storage to keep customers like Whiteside happy. United Power owns the largest battery in the state, but it’s locked into a contract with Tri-State that lasts another 30 years. After power supplier Tri-State quoted United Power a $1.2 billion exit fee to leave its 30-year contract, Parker turned to state regulators for help.
“That’s the balance we’re trying to find. If it costs us $1.2 billion to get out, we probably can’t save enough money to make that work,” Parker said.
Boughey said 2019 was a big year for Tri-State. It opened up community solar options to its members and brought 104 megawatts of new wind power online. It announced plans to build a 100 megawatt new solar farm. Its Nucla coal-fired power plant was retired early from service, reducing emissions and making operations more efficient.
Tri-State’s member cooperatives are finalizing new contracts that would allow rural utilities like United Power more flexibility to buy renewables. Currently, they’re capped in their contracts at generating just 5 percent of renewable power locally.
Nate Minor
The Craig Station power plant features three generating units, all of which are fully or partially owned by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Unit 1 will be retired by the end of 2025.
One of the challenges for Tri-State will be to get even more fossil fuel sources off its financial books as it faces regulatory pressure to do so in Colorado and New Mexico. Legislatures in both states passed carbon-reduction goals for utilities this year. Tri-State will be required to participate in expensive planning. However, there are no financial penalties if Tri-State doesn’t meet the goals.
“As we move into 2020 and chart our course for the future I think there should be confidence that we’ll be able to meet the challenges ahead,” Boughey said.
Similar disputes are playing out between rural utilities and their power suppliers across the United States. In Indiana, Tipmont Rural Electric is seeking to part ways from its power supplier over high rates. In Minneapolis, suburban utility Connexus is in the midst of talks with its power provider to get lower rates and more flexibility.
“Today memberships across the country are expecting more from their G&Ts. They’re expecting competitive prices and a greening of the grid,” Connexus CEO Greg Ridderbusch said.
Like United Power, Connexus is locked into a decades-long contact with its power provider. Ridderbusch said in the future it will be important for his utility and others to form more robust partnerships with their power suppliers.
“We need the G&T to lower the constraints on things we’re doing in our own backyard for our members,” Ridderbusch said.
Whiteside said he’s on United Power’s side.
“To have reliable electric service is absolutely critical,” Whiteside said. “If solar power can supplement the other sources that United Power has, it would make sense to do that if it’s available.”
As relationships start to shift across the country between power suppliers and rural utilities, all eyes will be on Colorado. The Public Utilities Commission could rule on the La Plata and United Power cases in 2020.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect that Tri-State’s members will ultimately decide how to roll out a partial-requirements contract.
Title
Safe Tree Trimming
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/TreeTrimming.jpg?h=45932144&itok=rNqye9Fr
Wednesday | July 21, 2021
Card Teaser
Observe ten-foot rule to safely trim trees near power lines.
Observe Ten-Foot Rule to Safely Trim Trees Near Power Lines
Summer is in full swing, and as trees begin to grow and bud, they may get close enough to come into contact with power lines. While the fires and damage from 2020 are still fresh on everyone’s minds, we want to remind members that trees near power lines can cause potential hazards, tree-related power outages and increase the risk of fire.
To protect your power and your community, United Power will be concentrating significant resources on clearing vegetation from power lines this summer – especially in portions of our mountain territory that are heavily forested. United Power adheres to industry best practices and will trim away any vegetation within ten feet of power lines. You can help protect your community from power outages, damaged utility equipment and fires by observing the ten-foot rule between trees and power lines.
If you encounter a tree in the vicinity of a primary line, immediately contact United Power. These are the high-voltage lines running from pole to pole, and they require specially trained tree-trimming crews. Report tree hazards on our website.
Members are responsible for trimming vegetation away from secondary lines – the lines that stretch beyond your electric meter to your service location. For your safety, United Power will disconnect secondary lines for tree trimming activity at no cost to the member. Avoid trimming when you encounter the following: tree limbs in direct contact with a power line, dead tree limbs hanging near power lines, tree limbs growing toward power lines.
Remember to trim only from a steady, level surface, removing small, easy to manage sections. Large tree/branch sections may call unexpectedly and take down power lines and cause potential injury. If this is not possible, contact a professional tree trimmer.
When in doubt about safety or responsibility, please contact United Power at 303-637-1300. We’ll be happy to assess the situation and keep you safe.
For more information on digging and planting safely, go to our Dig Safe, Plant Safe page.
Safe Tree Trimming
Tuesday | May 1, 2018
As trees begin to grow and bud, they may come in contact with power lines, creating confusion about responsibility and concern about member safety.
Read more >
Safe Zones Around Pad-Mounted Transformers
Friday | June 1, 2018
Though pad-mounted transformers may appear safe to use as workbenches and climbing obstacles, electrical equipment can still pose a risk to anyone who may come in contact with it. Members should always use caution and keep a safe distance.
Read more >
Title
September Message from Mark. A. Gabriel
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Tuesday | September 5, 2023
Card Teaser
A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
It is hard to believe we are already entering the fall season. Summer flew by while your cooperative employees were hard at work on a number of fronts — improving service, working toward an energy future outlined in Our Cooperative Roadmap, and managing the tremendous growth in our communities.
We spent much of the summer finalizing our power supply portfolio — one that will provide members with a mix of traditional and low-carbon power and storage solutions. The break from our current power supplier will allow significant freedom and flexibility, representing the rapidly changing energy industry, in a reasonable time frame, as opposed to waiting until the end of the decade.
We are blessed to have a strong mix of residential, commercial, and industrial members in our small 900-square mile service territory, as well as consistent and significant growth. Our system’s diversity means we are a highly desirable partner for companies wishing to locate here and work with United Power to deploy new and innovative technologies.
The future is not just about adding more generation — although necessary to meet growing demand — but also operating our system differently (and more efficiently) than the past. For example, five years after launching what was Colorado’s largest battery storage facility at the time, we have entered an agreement to deploy nearly 80 additional megawatts of battery storage across our footprint, one of the nation’s first dispersed storage projects. This will allow us to charge the batteries when energy costs are low and reduce the demand on our system during peak hours.
The rise in electric vehicle sales has led to a curious conversation that today’s grid cannot handle the load without massive investments in infrastructure or significant control options. We have among the highest penetrations of EVs and plug-in hybrids in the nation. Here at United Power, we constantly monitor our transformers and energy consumption, proactively managing and improving our system in advance of challenges. Each year, we strategically plan our maintenance to target the worst performing feeders — those lines supporting our members in their neighborhoods — and carefully focus our investments. Your Board of Directors not only supports these activities but works closely with management to ensure we are making the right investments to keep this most critical infrastructure strong.
This is not to say there will never be outages. Sadly, critters, crashes, storms, and lightning wreak havoc on electric grids, no matter how well built. United Power crews work diligently through some of the most terrible conditions to restore power quickly — and safely. The addition of our Carbon Valley Service Center in 2019 has also allowed us to cut down outage response times in our western territory.
We continue to lead the nation in residential solar installations and support members who want to add solar, as well as storage. Last year, the Colorado Solar and Storage Association recognized United Power as a Solar & Storage Champion for its member interconnection process and rooftop solar saturation.
We do caution members to be selective in choosing their solar contractor. Several door-to-door salespeople have been reported using unscrupulous tactics, including lies and fabrications, to sell their services. Be leery of any representative mentioning United Power. Our team is available to provide unbiased information and all the tools you need to make the right decision when it comes to solar. Simply call us at 303-637-1300 or visit Going Solar.
As a United Power member-owner, you have a special relationship with the cooperative. Please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions or comments. I appreciate the honor to serve you.
Enjoy our beautiful fall weather.
Rising to the Occasion
Friday | September 27, 2019
United Power partnered with Touchstone's national balloon program to present to donations to area nonprofits.
Read more >
Title
Roadmap: Business Agility & Resilience Through IT/OT Strategy
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/EarlyWinter_NL_ITOT.jpg?itok=_zDWqqZ1
Friday | November 18, 2022
Card Teaser
The final Roadmap pillar focuses on our information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems strategies.
Our Cooperative Roadmap (Roadmap) is United Power’s functional plan for the future, and focuses on four specific pillars the cooperative views as essential to strengthening its position as a leader in the electric industry. In previous newsletters, we have highlighted our commitment to pursing affordable and sustainable power, optimizing our distribution system, and our commitment to member and community engagement. The final Roadmap pillar focuses on our information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems strategies, which allow us to be efficient and functional in maintaining our distribution system.
Advancing technologies play a critical role in how United Power responds to and prevents outages. Without the insight computerized systems provide, the cooperative would not be able to see in-depth information about grid performance and conduct targeted maintenance. In a way, this pillar is foundational for meeting the requirements of grid optimization.
“United Power has taken an approach of embracing IT,” said Rex Webster, an infrastructure engineer at the cooperative. “It’s where they integrate us into decision making that allows us to shape and guide workflows, processes, and systems.”
United Power’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a computerized system that provides the cooperative with information about energy usage. It helps guide grid construction and improvements and ensure sufficient power is delivered where members need it. In many cases, we can use this system to identify and respond to outages before members may even be aware. It is the availability of this infrastructure that also allows us to offer Power Portal to our members, where you can view energy usage in 15-minute segments and make energy-saving habit changes.
The implementation of informational technology strategies would not be complete without factoring in the ever-increasing threat to cybersecurity.
“We’ve implemented many state-of-the-art cybersecurity tools and monitoring services on both our field devices and our corporate networks,” Webster said.
Technology is advancing rapidly, and new technology may be on the horizon that offers even greater insight into our distribution system. While we have no way of knowing what may be available tomorrow, our systems are built to adapt as changes take place. We are constantly looking for advantageous options that enable us to better serve our members.
“Our Cooperative Roadmap is looking ahead over the next 10 years as we become a more fully functional distribution system operator,” said Reliability Engineer Tyler Bain. “But in reality, we’re already down that path, and we’re already deploying and utilizing the systems that are going to make some of those futuristic thoughts possible today.”
Title
Roadmap: Optimizing Our Distribution System
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Nov2021_NL_SystemReliability.jpg?h=45932144&itok=twbW3RYA
Friday | September 16, 2022
Card Teaser
United Power is proud to manage a comprehensive maintenance plan that has produced one of the most reliable systems in the country.
Analyzing System Data to Improve Performance & Reliability, Mitigate Risk
As an electric distribution cooperative, delivering high reliability power safely and efficiently to members is United Power’s first priority. You expect your power to be available when you need it and as long as you need it. United Power recognizes its members’ expectations and earlier this year released Our Cooperative Roadmap with strategic areas the cooperative is focusing on for both its future and the benefits of members. One of the key focuses in the Roadmap is system optimization. The cooperative is engaging in several proactive practices to increase system performance, while also bringing innovative technology solutions on board to assist in demand monitoring, outage resolution, and fire mitigation.
A few years ago, United Power’s operations team shifted its maintenance strategy to focus on areas of the system that were falling short of performance goals. Utilizing a sophisticated network of grid tracking technology, the cooperative is able to identify specific areas that need improvement and plan targeted maintenance projects. Since the new strategy launched, the cooperative’s outage times have been reduced by nearly half.
The cooperative’s outage restoration and response is also aided by the rapid adoption of innovative smart devices deployed throughout the distribution system. These automated field devices not only aid in the dissemination of tracking data that informs United Power’s maintenance strategy, but also allow the cooperative to restore power remotely in the event of an outage without having to dispatch crews. They fall into a varying spectrum from simple to complex, but work in conjunction to identify, isolate, and, when possible, resolve faults.
Design and construction teams are regularly reviewing emerging solutions to improve reliability and provide better tracking information. While the most prominent and immediately recognizable elements of the system are poles and power lines, United Power also manages nearly 18,000 streetlights across its service area. More than 3,000 now include LED smart node technology that communicates lighting issues directly to the cooperative. The technology is both energy efficient and cost effective because it provides information crews can use to ensure proper equipment and materials are collected before being dispatched. Smart nodes are now the default for new streetlight installations, and the cooperative works with each community to convert older technology to the new alternative.
A system that functions reliably must also function safely. United Power serves two mountain canyons at a time in Colorado when wildfire risk has spiked. The cooperative published its fire mitigation plan a few years ago and updates it annually to include new elements that are proven to reduce risk and improve safety. Previous updates have included the installation of new technology and updated construction standards; and this year included the addition of new protocols during Red Flag Warnings. These new procotols govern the system’s response when infererence to electric flow is detected and when fire danger is at its highest. While power can be restored once interference is cleared in most cases, United Power requires crews to investigate causes when Red Flag Warnings are issued. Although an outage is never convenient, preventing a wildfire is critical to member and community safety.
United Power is proud to manage a comprehensive maintenance plan that has produced one of the most reliable systems in the country. As cooperative members, you can rest assured co-op leadership is actively pursing the best resources for a reliable and safe system, and doing so in the most cost-effective manner to control member rates.
Rosie's Moving In
Tuesday | May 1, 2018
Butterfly Pavilion, home to Rosie the tarantula, recently announced its plans to construct a new facility in Broomfield, inside United Power's service territory.
Read more >
Title
Rural Utilities Want Their Own Piece Of Colorado’s Low-Carbon Future. That Could Mean Breaking Up Big Power Providers
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/RenewableEnergy2.jpg?itok=w3R3pW7T
Friday | December 20, 2019
Article published by Colorado Public Radio Dec. 20, 2019
Grace Hood/CPR News
United Power customer Stephen Whiteside loads a wheelbarrow with chopped wood near his rural home in Coal Creek Canyon Dec. 12, 2019.
When it comes to greening up Colorado’s power supply, seismic shifts aren’t just coming out of the state Capitol.
They’re also shaking out of rural Colorado, places like Coal Creek Canyon where utility customer Stephen Whiteside lives.
Whiteside is a conservative Republican. He’s also pro-renewable energy. It’s not a combination you’d expect, but a recent poll by Pew Research suggests many Republicans favor wind and solar.
But Whiteside doesn’t support renewables by building a big solar array in his backyard. He does it by cheering on his rural electric cooperative, United Power. In November, United Power said it’s considering parting ways with fossil fuel-heavy power provider Tri-State Generation and Transmission in pursuit of cheaper electricity bills and more renewable energy.
“I think that’s fairly recent that renewables may be more cost-effective than other types of energy,” Whiteside said. “To me that makes a lot of sense to pursue that kind of avenue.”
Grace Hood/CPR News
United Power customers Stephen and Sara Whiteside feed their horses near their rural home in Coal Creek Canyon outside Denver.
Right now, Tri-State gets about one-third of its power from renewable energy. Customers like Whiteside want more renewables because they think it will bring cheaper rates. According to a recent estimate by Standard and Poor’s, electricity rates for Whiteside and others under the Tri-State System could be as much as 20 percent above the statewide Colorado average.
Here’s how the model works now: United Power bands together with 42 other rural electricity providers, called electric cooperatives, to buy power from one entity: Tri-State.
“What that model has not done is kept up with the technological changes in the industry,” United Power CEO John Parker said.
Parker thinks it all adds up to growing pressure on the economic model that rural utilities have followed for decades. In the '80s and '90s, power providers like Tri-State invested heavily in coal-fired plants. Now, they’re trying to green up.
United Power is not the first or the last utility looking into leave Tri-State. La Plata Electric Association has filed a complaint with Colorado regulators seeking an exit fee from Tri-State.
Grace Hood/CPR News
John Parker, Chief Executive Officer of United Power, stands in front of the rural electric cooperative's large battery on Dec. 9, 2019. United Power is exploring whether it can procure wind and solar more cheaply by exiting its current contract with power provider Tri-State.
If those utilities part ways, they’ll follow in the footsteps of two other rural utilities: Colorado-based Delta Montrose Electric Association and New Mexico-based Kit Carson Electric Cooperative. Delta Montrose got the OK to leave its generation and transmission association (known as a G&T) with Tri-State in 2019. Kit Carson left in 2016.
“Just as the industry changes, [generation and transmission cooperatives] have to change,” said Lee Boughey, Tri-State senior manager for communications and public affairs.
Generation and Transmission Cooperatives like Tri-State formed in rural America in the middle of the last century. It was historically expensive for rural electricity providers to provide power because they just served a few customers per mile of the electricity line. That’s unlike urban utilities, which have hundreds of customers per mile. G&Ts helped shoulder the burden by providing power to rural utilities, building expensive coal-fired power plants and setting up contracts that lasted decades to help pay off the plants.
Flashforward to 2019, and power customers like Parker have a keen interest to modernize the grid and experiment with battery storage to keep customers like Whiteside happy. United Power owns the largest battery in the state, but it’s locked into a contract with Tri-State that lasts another 30 years. After power supplier Tri-State quoted United Power a $1.2 billion exit fee to leave its 30-year contract, Parker turned to state regulators for help.
“That’s the balance we’re trying to find. If it costs us $1.2 billion to get out, we probably can’t save enough money to make that work,” Parker said.
Boughey said 2019 was a big year for Tri-State. It opened up community solar options to its members and brought 104 megawatts of new wind power online. It announced plans to build a 100 megawatt new solar farm. Its Nucla coal-fired power plant was retired early from service, reducing emissions and making operations more efficient.
Tri-State’s member cooperatives are finalizing new contracts that would allow rural utilities like United Power more flexibility to buy renewables. Currently, they’re capped in their contracts at generating just 5 percent of renewable power locally.
Nate Minor
The Craig Station power plant features three generating units, all of which are fully or partially owned by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Unit 1 will be retired by the end of 2025.
One of the challenges for Tri-State will be to get even more fossil fuel sources off its financial books as it faces regulatory pressure to do so in Colorado and New Mexico. Legislatures in both states passed carbon-reduction goals for utilities this year. Tri-State will be required to participate in expensive planning. However, there are no financial penalties if Tri-State doesn’t meet the goals.
“As we move into 2020 and chart our course for the future I think there should be confidence that we’ll be able to meet the challenges ahead,” Boughey said.
Similar disputes are playing out between rural utilities and their power suppliers across the United States. In Indiana, Tipmont Rural Electric is seeking to part ways from its power supplier over high rates. In Minneapolis, suburban utility Connexus is in the midst of talks with its power provider to get lower rates and more flexibility.
“Today memberships across the country are expecting more from their G&Ts. They’re expecting competitive prices and a greening of the grid,” Connexus CEO Greg Ridderbusch said.
Like United Power, Connexus is locked into a decades-long contact with its power provider. Ridderbusch said in the future it will be important for his utility and others to form more robust partnerships with their power suppliers.
“We need the G&T to lower the constraints on things we’re doing in our own backyard for our members,” Ridderbusch said.
Whiteside said he’s on United Power’s side.
“To have reliable electric service is absolutely critical,” Whiteside said. “If solar power can supplement the other sources that United Power has, it would make sense to do that if it’s available.”
As relationships start to shift across the country between power suppliers and rural utilities, all eyes will be on Colorado. The Public Utilities Commission could rule on the La Plata and United Power cases in 2020.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect that Tri-State’s members will ultimately decide how to roll out a partial-requirements contract.
Title
Safe Tree Trimming
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/TreeTrimming.jpg?h=45932144&itok=rNqye9Fr
Wednesday | July 21, 2021
Card Teaser
Observe ten-foot rule to safely trim trees near power lines.
Observe Ten-Foot Rule to Safely Trim Trees Near Power Lines
Summer is in full swing, and as trees begin to grow and bud, they may get close enough to come into contact with power lines. While the fires and damage from 2020 are still fresh on everyone’s minds, we want to remind members that trees near power lines can cause potential hazards, tree-related power outages and increase the risk of fire.
To protect your power and your community, United Power will be concentrating significant resources on clearing vegetation from power lines this summer – especially in portions of our mountain territory that are heavily forested. United Power adheres to industry best practices and will trim away any vegetation within ten feet of power lines. You can help protect your community from power outages, damaged utility equipment and fires by observing the ten-foot rule between trees and power lines.
If you encounter a tree in the vicinity of a primary line, immediately contact United Power. These are the high-voltage lines running from pole to pole, and they require specially trained tree-trimming crews. Report tree hazards on our website.
Members are responsible for trimming vegetation away from secondary lines – the lines that stretch beyond your electric meter to your service location. For your safety, United Power will disconnect secondary lines for tree trimming activity at no cost to the member. Avoid trimming when you encounter the following: tree limbs in direct contact with a power line, dead tree limbs hanging near power lines, tree limbs growing toward power lines.
Remember to trim only from a steady, level surface, removing small, easy to manage sections. Large tree/branch sections may call unexpectedly and take down power lines and cause potential injury. If this is not possible, contact a professional tree trimmer.
When in doubt about safety or responsibility, please contact United Power at 303-637-1300. We’ll be happy to assess the situation and keep you safe.
For more information on digging and planting safely, go to our Dig Safe, Plant Safe page.
Safe Tree Trimming
Tuesday | May 1, 2018
As trees begin to grow and bud, they may come in contact with power lines, creating confusion about responsibility and concern about member safety.
Read more >
Safe Zones Around Pad-Mounted Transformers
Friday | June 1, 2018
Though pad-mounted transformers may appear safe to use as workbenches and climbing obstacles, electrical equipment can still pose a risk to anyone who may come in contact with it. Members should always use caution and keep a safe distance.
Read more >
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September Message from Mark. A. Gabriel
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Tuesday | September 5, 2023
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A message to United Power members from the cooperative's President & Chief Executive Officer.
It is hard to believe we are already entering the fall season. Summer flew by while your cooperative employees were hard at work on a number of fronts — improving service, working toward an energy future outlined in Our Cooperative Roadmap, and managing the tremendous growth in our communities.
We spent much of the summer finalizing our power supply portfolio — one that will provide members with a mix of traditional and low-carbon power and storage solutions. The break from our current power supplier will allow significant freedom and flexibility, representing the rapidly changing energy industry, in a reasonable time frame, as opposed to waiting until the end of the decade.
We are blessed to have a strong mix of residential, commercial, and industrial members in our small 900-square mile service territory, as well as consistent and significant growth. Our system’s diversity means we are a highly desirable partner for companies wishing to locate here and work with United Power to deploy new and innovative technologies.
The future is not just about adding more generation — although necessary to meet growing demand — but also operating our system differently (and more efficiently) than the past. For example, five years after launching what was Colorado’s largest battery storage facility at the time, we have entered an agreement to deploy nearly 80 additional megawatts of battery storage across our footprint, one of the nation’s first dispersed storage projects. This will allow us to charge the batteries when energy costs are low and reduce the demand on our system during peak hours.
The rise in electric vehicle sales has led to a curious conversation that today’s grid cannot handle the load without massive investments in infrastructure or significant control options. We have among the highest penetrations of EVs and plug-in hybrids in the nation. Here at United Power, we constantly monitor our transformers and energy consumption, proactively managing and improving our system in advance of challenges. Each year, we strategically plan our maintenance to target the worst performing feeders — those lines supporting our members in their neighborhoods — and carefully focus our investments. Your Board of Directors not only supports these activities but works closely with management to ensure we are making the right investments to keep this most critical infrastructure strong.
This is not to say there will never be outages. Sadly, critters, crashes, storms, and lightning wreak havoc on electric grids, no matter how well built. United Power crews work diligently through some of the most terrible conditions to restore power quickly — and safely. The addition of our Carbon Valley Service Center in 2019 has also allowed us to cut down outage response times in our western territory.
We continue to lead the nation in residential solar installations and support members who want to add solar, as well as storage. Last year, the Colorado Solar and Storage Association recognized United Power as a Solar & Storage Champion for its member interconnection process and rooftop solar saturation.
We do caution members to be selective in choosing their solar contractor. Several door-to-door salespeople have been reported using unscrupulous tactics, including lies and fabrications, to sell their services. Be leery of any representative mentioning United Power. Our team is available to provide unbiased information and all the tools you need to make the right decision when it comes to solar. Simply call us at 303-637-1300 or visit Going Solar.
As a United Power member-owner, you have a special relationship with the cooperative. Please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions or comments. I appreciate the honor to serve you.
Enjoy our beautiful fall weather.
