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Town of Frederick and United Power Reach Agreement on Purchase of Facilities
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Wednesday | April 18, 2018
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Frederick has agreed to sell the electrical infrastructure to United Power, who will provide on-going service to the citizens of the Town’s original municipal utility.
United Power, an electric cooperative utility headquartered in Brighton, Colorado, and the Town of Frederick, Colorado, jointly announced today that they have reached an agreement for the cooperative to purchase the Town of Frederick’s municipal electric utility, Frederick Power & Light.
Frederick has agreed to sell the electrical infrastructure to United Power, who will provide on-going service to the citizens of the Town’s original municipal utility. This agreement means that all Frederick residents will be served by United Power.
“We are pleased to reach a resolution on this issue, and look forward to welcoming these Frederick citizens as new members of our cooperative,” stated James Vigesaa, United Power Board President. “The agreement helps to clarify our future territory and will help us to plan for all our future growth in an efficient and effective manner.”
“Throughout the process of exploring options related to our electric utility, our main goal has been to find a solution that is in the best interests of our community,” said Tony Carey, Mayor of Frederick. “We have met that goal as this agreement is a win for our residents and United Power’s members. I’m excited to continue moving forward with our new board as we explore more opportunities for Frederick’s future.”
The agreement will help the cooperative better integrate their electric delivery system as it grows, and brings greater density to the operation, which will reduce operating costs for all cooperative members. Information and updates about the purchase and transition will be available on both the Town of Frederick and United Power’s websites. Additionally, United Power will be reaching out to affected citizens in the coming weeks to welcome them to the cooperative, and share information about the transition.
“On behalf of United Power’s Board of Directors I want to extend our thanks to the Town Trustees of Frederick,” stated Vigesaa. “We appreciate their willingness to negotiate, and to reach an agreement that is good for not only their citizens, but for the cooperative membership at-large.”
Town of Frederick Utility Illegally Builds into United Power Territory
Friday | April 21, 2017
Brighton, CO – United Power has sent official notice to the Town of Frederick that they have breached their agreement with the cooperative, and have violated Colorado State Law by building into United Power’s service territory.
Read more >
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Transitioning to a Demand Rate
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Monday | October 1, 2018
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Beginning next year, United Power members will be charged differently for how they use energy. As was announced earlier this year, United Power will be implementing a new rate structure that will include a residential demand charge.
October 1, 2018 | Beginning next year, United Power members will be charged differently for how they use energy. As was announced earlier this year, United Power will be implementing a new rate structure that will include a residential demand charge. We are continuing the conversation about the 2019 change to residential rates by talking about why the change to the rate structure is happening now, and by taking a look at the information you can use to learn more about your electric consumption.
What is Demand?
Demand refers to the maximum amount of electrical power that is being consumed at a given time, as opposed to energy which is the amount of power used over a period of time. The more power used at once, the larger the infrastructure that is needed to deliver that power. United Power must build our system to accommodate the most possible power use at any given time, and this comes at a cost to the cooperative.
Why the Switch to a Demand Rate?
Residential electric rates have traditionally been a blend of costs: the cost of fuels to generate power, the cost to deliver the energy to your home, the cost to the cooperative to maintain and operate the system and even the cost to provide billing and member services to our members. These costs have long been allocated to members based simply on service type—even though some members’ usage patterns impact our system more than others.
We now have access to more information about how each member uses energy and the electric system. By breaking out these costs—the Fixed Charge, Energy Charge and Demand Charge –every member will be charged more fairly for how and when they use energy. The new rate structure also ensures United Power recoups the actual cost of service to each member in a fair and equitable way.
How Do I Learn More About Demand?
United Power has been discussing this new rate structure for several months. Read past issues of the United Newsline for more examples and information to help you understand Demand. A list of frequently asked questions can be found at Understanding Demand.
Your bill is also a valuable resource to learn more. The Demand Charge line item represented by a kilowatt (kW) measurement that now appears on residential electric bills offers you a clearer picture of how you use electricity. There is no charge currently associated with this Demand line item, but by providing this information ahead of the rate change, you can more closely monitor your energy use.
Members can also use our Power Portal to take a deeper look into their monthly consumption and pinpoint the exact moment they hit their monthly peak demand. Viewing your peak demand period in the Power Portal may help you recall that Monday afternoon when you ran the air conditioning, dishwasher and vacuum all at once. Perhaps you’ll decide that you can stagger these activities in the future to manage your energy costs.
How Much will the Demand Rate Cost?
The exact rate for the Residential Demand Charge has not been set. United Power’s Board of Directors will meet before the end of 2018 to approve the final rate. The intention is to introduce this new rate structure slowly with small incremental changes annually over a four-year period. Demand charges for residential ratepayers will be lower than those paid by commercial customers based on how they use power. Watch for announcements in the United Newsline and on our website www.unitedpower.com with more information on the approved rate.
If you have questions about the Demand Rate, please e-mail unitednewsline@unitedpower.com. We’ll post answers on our website and in a future issue of United Newsline.
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Trista Fugate Named United Power's New Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
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Monday | January 10, 2022
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At United Power, Fugate will be responsible for directing all phases of the cooperative’s member marketing and new program initiatives.
Fugate Brings Wealth of Utility Marketing and Community Affairs Experience
Brighton, CO – United Power announces Trista Fugate as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in January. Fugate comes to the cooperative after spending the past two years with Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins and more than twelve years with Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the largest cooperative utility in the country. At United Power, she will be responsible for directing all phases of the cooperative’s member marketing and new program initiatives, including residential, commercial and industrial programs, products and services.
“I’m excited to join the United Power team at such a pivotal time,” Fugate said. “The cooperative model is ideal for today’s changing energy environment, and I look forward to helping shape our future while continuing the tradition of providing true benefits to our members.”
Before joining United Power, Fugate served as Platte River’s Director of Community and Government Affairs, where she led strategic outreach efforts to build and strengthen relationships with stakeholders, community partners and organizations within the utility’s owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. She also directed the communications and marketing team, responsible for developing all internal and external communications, including promotional materials for energy efficiency offerings, and oversaw the Efficiency WorksTM programs, providing technical and financial support to help customers use energy more wisely.
Fugate has nearly 20 years of experience working across the spectrum of the electric utility industry, holding positions at a municipal electric utility, a distribution cooperative and a generation and transmission utility. She has worked for CPS Energy in San Antonio, the nation’s largest municipal utility, and held leadership roles with Pedernales Electric Cooperative, which serves more than 365,000 active accounts in Texas. During her career, Fugate has focused on strategic communications and marketing, community and economic development, community engagement, conservation and energy efficiency, corporate social responsibility, local government relations and public affairs.
“United Power is proud to welcome Trista to the United Power family,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Her experience in member and community engagement and program planning will be critical in the cooperative’s next chapter as we prepare to separate from our longtime wholesale energy supplier and begin navigating the path toward more energy autonomy with new providers. Her insight with one of the nation’s largest cooperatives will also be invaluable to United Power as we continue to grow and seek the best ways to serve our members.”
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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options and reforming the traditional Generation and Transmission (G&T) business model. 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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United for the Cure
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Monday | December 16, 2019
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This October, United Power joined the ongoing battle to find a cure through an employee-led effort to support colleagues, raise funds and create awareness.
October is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness and rally people to help fund research to find a cure for the disease.
This October, United Power joined the ongoing battle to find a cure through an employee-led effort to support colleagues, raise funds and create awareness. The idea began to spread after co-op linemen asked permission to wear pink hard hats throughout the month, and evolved into a company-wide engagement effort.
“It’s exciting that this movement began internally by our linemen,” said Community Outreach Specialist Julie Stewart. “It’s even more exciting to see the support from the rest of our employees. As a co-op, caring for our communities is a core part of who we are, and I think this demonstrates how much they care.”
The cooperative issued linemen pink hard hats to wear on the job throughout the month of October, and employees received pink “United for the Cure” shirts. Employees were encouraged to wear their shirts every Thursday during the month. To raise funds for breast cancer treatment and support, internal departments donated themed silent auction baskets. The silent auction raised $5,000. The check was presented to the Platte Valley Medical Center Foundation at an employee meeting in November.
“The employee engagement and support we witnessed was more than we could have hoped for,” said Member Engagement Officer Meghan Dewey. “This was a heartwarming suggestion from employees, who all helped contribute in a big way.”
Breast cancer impacts hundreds of thousands of families every year. This year alone, approximately 270,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the United States, not including non-invasive forms. It is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in women aside from skin cancer.
You can continue to help the fight locally by donating to the PVMC Foundation, which supports critical patient programs at Platte Valley Medical Center.
United Power 78th Annual Meeting of Members Held on April 18th
Tuesday | April 18, 2017
Brighton, Colo.—Growth in every industry sector is a challenge United Power is facing as they work on “Building Tomorrow’s Cooperative,” the theme of the 78th Annual Meeting held on Apr. 18th.
Read more >
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United Power 79th Annual Meeting and Director Election held April 18th
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Wednesday | April 18, 2018
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More than 350 registered members attended United Power's 79th Annual Meeting and voted in the annual director election.
When United Power met for its 79th Annual Meeting and Director Election at the Adams County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, the four incumbent directors facing re-election found themselves running unopposed in their respective districts, a first since 2005. In a cost-saving decision, the cooperative’s board voted to have an onsite election instead of mailing ballots to members.
More than 350 registered members attended the Annual Meeting and voted in the director election. South District incumbent, Susan Petrocco, retained her seat with 321 votes. Rick Newman, Mountain District, and Brian A. McCormick, West District, retained their seats with 311 votes each. In the East District, Tim Erickson also retained his seat with 310 votes.
United Power has spent the past year engaging in innovative solutions to bring members more reliable and efficient power this past year in hopes of “Powering the Future,” the theme of the 79th Annual Meeting. Members were able to enjoy a free dinner, educational and informational exhibit booths, live entertainment and more during the course of the evening.
“Our Annual Meeting is more than an event to inform our members,” said John Parker, United Power Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a chance for them to celebrate our accomplishments with us. Everything we’re doing is an effort to bring them safe, reliable and sustainable power.”
During the meeting, Board President James Vigesaa also announced the purchase of Frederick Power & Light, the municipal electric utility serving the town of Frederick, Colo. United Power’s purchase will add approximately 2,400 new members in the coming months.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 83,000 homes and businesses along Colorado’s northern front range. To learn more about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative at Facebook.com/UnitedPower.###
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Town of Frederick and United Power Reach Agreement on Purchase of Facilities
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Wednesday | April 18, 2018
Card Teaser
Frederick has agreed to sell the electrical infrastructure to United Power, who will provide on-going service to the citizens of the Town’s original municipal utility.
United Power, an electric cooperative utility headquartered in Brighton, Colorado, and the Town of Frederick, Colorado, jointly announced today that they have reached an agreement for the cooperative to purchase the Town of Frederick’s municipal electric utility, Frederick Power & Light.
Frederick has agreed to sell the electrical infrastructure to United Power, who will provide on-going service to the citizens of the Town’s original municipal utility. This agreement means that all Frederick residents will be served by United Power.
“We are pleased to reach a resolution on this issue, and look forward to welcoming these Frederick citizens as new members of our cooperative,” stated James Vigesaa, United Power Board President. “The agreement helps to clarify our future territory and will help us to plan for all our future growth in an efficient and effective manner.”
“Throughout the process of exploring options related to our electric utility, our main goal has been to find a solution that is in the best interests of our community,” said Tony Carey, Mayor of Frederick. “We have met that goal as this agreement is a win for our residents and United Power’s members. I’m excited to continue moving forward with our new board as we explore more opportunities for Frederick’s future.”
The agreement will help the cooperative better integrate their electric delivery system as it grows, and brings greater density to the operation, which will reduce operating costs for all cooperative members. Information and updates about the purchase and transition will be available on both the Town of Frederick and United Power’s websites. Additionally, United Power will be reaching out to affected citizens in the coming weeks to welcome them to the cooperative, and share information about the transition.
“On behalf of United Power’s Board of Directors I want to extend our thanks to the Town Trustees of Frederick,” stated Vigesaa. “We appreciate their willingness to negotiate, and to reach an agreement that is good for not only their citizens, but for the cooperative membership at-large.”
Town of Frederick Utility Illegally Builds into United Power Territory
Friday | April 21, 2017
Brighton, CO – United Power has sent official notice to the Town of Frederick that they have breached their agreement with the cooperative, and have violated Colorado State Law by building into United Power’s service territory.
Read more >
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Transitioning to a Demand Rate
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Monday | October 1, 2018
Card Teaser
Beginning next year, United Power members will be charged differently for how they use energy. As was announced earlier this year, United Power will be implementing a new rate structure that will include a residential demand charge.
October 1, 2018 | Beginning next year, United Power members will be charged differently for how they use energy. As was announced earlier this year, United Power will be implementing a new rate structure that will include a residential demand charge. We are continuing the conversation about the 2019 change to residential rates by talking about why the change to the rate structure is happening now, and by taking a look at the information you can use to learn more about your electric consumption.
What is Demand?
Demand refers to the maximum amount of electrical power that is being consumed at a given time, as opposed to energy which is the amount of power used over a period of time. The more power used at once, the larger the infrastructure that is needed to deliver that power. United Power must build our system to accommodate the most possible power use at any given time, and this comes at a cost to the cooperative.
Why the Switch to a Demand Rate?
Residential electric rates have traditionally been a blend of costs: the cost of fuels to generate power, the cost to deliver the energy to your home, the cost to the cooperative to maintain and operate the system and even the cost to provide billing and member services to our members. These costs have long been allocated to members based simply on service type—even though some members’ usage patterns impact our system more than others.
We now have access to more information about how each member uses energy and the electric system. By breaking out these costs—the Fixed Charge, Energy Charge and Demand Charge –every member will be charged more fairly for how and when they use energy. The new rate structure also ensures United Power recoups the actual cost of service to each member in a fair and equitable way.
How Do I Learn More About Demand?
United Power has been discussing this new rate structure for several months. Read past issues of the United Newsline for more examples and information to help you understand Demand. A list of frequently asked questions can be found at Understanding Demand.
Your bill is also a valuable resource to learn more. The Demand Charge line item represented by a kilowatt (kW) measurement that now appears on residential electric bills offers you a clearer picture of how you use electricity. There is no charge currently associated with this Demand line item, but by providing this information ahead of the rate change, you can more closely monitor your energy use.
Members can also use our Power Portal to take a deeper look into their monthly consumption and pinpoint the exact moment they hit their monthly peak demand. Viewing your peak demand period in the Power Portal may help you recall that Monday afternoon when you ran the air conditioning, dishwasher and vacuum all at once. Perhaps you’ll decide that you can stagger these activities in the future to manage your energy costs.
How Much will the Demand Rate Cost?
The exact rate for the Residential Demand Charge has not been set. United Power’s Board of Directors will meet before the end of 2018 to approve the final rate. The intention is to introduce this new rate structure slowly with small incremental changes annually over a four-year period. Demand charges for residential ratepayers will be lower than those paid by commercial customers based on how they use power. Watch for announcements in the United Newsline and on our website www.unitedpower.com with more information on the approved rate.
If you have questions about the Demand Rate, please e-mail unitednewsline@unitedpower.com. We’ll post answers on our website and in a future issue of United Newsline.
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Trista Fugate Named United Power's New Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
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Monday | January 10, 2022
Card Teaser
At United Power, Fugate will be responsible for directing all phases of the cooperative’s member marketing and new program initiatives.
Fugate Brings Wealth of Utility Marketing and Community Affairs Experience
Brighton, CO – United Power announces Trista Fugate as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in January. Fugate comes to the cooperative after spending the past two years with Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins and more than twelve years with Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the largest cooperative utility in the country. At United Power, she will be responsible for directing all phases of the cooperative’s member marketing and new program initiatives, including residential, commercial and industrial programs, products and services.
“I’m excited to join the United Power team at such a pivotal time,” Fugate said. “The cooperative model is ideal for today’s changing energy environment, and I look forward to helping shape our future while continuing the tradition of providing true benefits to our members.”
Before joining United Power, Fugate served as Platte River’s Director of Community and Government Affairs, where she led strategic outreach efforts to build and strengthen relationships with stakeholders, community partners and organizations within the utility’s owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. She also directed the communications and marketing team, responsible for developing all internal and external communications, including promotional materials for energy efficiency offerings, and oversaw the Efficiency WorksTM programs, providing technical and financial support to help customers use energy more wisely.
Fugate has nearly 20 years of experience working across the spectrum of the electric utility industry, holding positions at a municipal electric utility, a distribution cooperative and a generation and transmission utility. She has worked for CPS Energy in San Antonio, the nation’s largest municipal utility, and held leadership roles with Pedernales Electric Cooperative, which serves more than 365,000 active accounts in Texas. During her career, Fugate has focused on strategic communications and marketing, community and economic development, community engagement, conservation and energy efficiency, corporate social responsibility, local government relations and public affairs.
“United Power is proud to welcome Trista to the United Power family,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Her experience in member and community engagement and program planning will be critical in the cooperative’s next chapter as we prepare to separate from our longtime wholesale energy supplier and begin navigating the path toward more energy autonomy with new providers. Her insight with one of the nation’s largest cooperatives will also be invaluable to United Power as we continue to grow and seek the best ways to serve our members.”
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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options and reforming the traditional Generation and Transmission (G&T) business model. 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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United for the Cure
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Monday | December 16, 2019
Card Teaser
This October, United Power joined the ongoing battle to find a cure through an employee-led effort to support colleagues, raise funds and create awareness.
October is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness and rally people to help fund research to find a cure for the disease.
This October, United Power joined the ongoing battle to find a cure through an employee-led effort to support colleagues, raise funds and create awareness. The idea began to spread after co-op linemen asked permission to wear pink hard hats throughout the month, and evolved into a company-wide engagement effort.
“It’s exciting that this movement began internally by our linemen,” said Community Outreach Specialist Julie Stewart. “It’s even more exciting to see the support from the rest of our employees. As a co-op, caring for our communities is a core part of who we are, and I think this demonstrates how much they care.”
The cooperative issued linemen pink hard hats to wear on the job throughout the month of October, and employees received pink “United for the Cure” shirts. Employees were encouraged to wear their shirts every Thursday during the month. To raise funds for breast cancer treatment and support, internal departments donated themed silent auction baskets. The silent auction raised $5,000. The check was presented to the Platte Valley Medical Center Foundation at an employee meeting in November.
“The employee engagement and support we witnessed was more than we could have hoped for,” said Member Engagement Officer Meghan Dewey. “This was a heartwarming suggestion from employees, who all helped contribute in a big way.”
Breast cancer impacts hundreds of thousands of families every year. This year alone, approximately 270,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the United States, not including non-invasive forms. It is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in women aside from skin cancer.
You can continue to help the fight locally by donating to the PVMC Foundation, which supports critical patient programs at Platte Valley Medical Center.
United Power 78th Annual Meeting of Members Held on April 18th
Tuesday | April 18, 2017
Brighton, Colo.—Growth in every industry sector is a challenge United Power is facing as they work on “Building Tomorrow’s Cooperative,” the theme of the 78th Annual Meeting held on Apr. 18th.
Read more >
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United Power 79th Annual Meeting and Director Election held April 18th
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Wednesday | April 18, 2018
Card Teaser
More than 350 registered members attended United Power's 79th Annual Meeting and voted in the annual director election.
When United Power met for its 79th Annual Meeting and Director Election at the Adams County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, the four incumbent directors facing re-election found themselves running unopposed in their respective districts, a first since 2005. In a cost-saving decision, the cooperative’s board voted to have an onsite election instead of mailing ballots to members.
More than 350 registered members attended the Annual Meeting and voted in the director election. South District incumbent, Susan Petrocco, retained her seat with 321 votes. Rick Newman, Mountain District, and Brian A. McCormick, West District, retained their seats with 311 votes each. In the East District, Tim Erickson also retained his seat with 310 votes.
United Power has spent the past year engaging in innovative solutions to bring members more reliable and efficient power this past year in hopes of “Powering the Future,” the theme of the 79th Annual Meeting. Members were able to enjoy a free dinner, educational and informational exhibit booths, live entertainment and more during the course of the evening.
“Our Annual Meeting is more than an event to inform our members,” said John Parker, United Power Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a chance for them to celebrate our accomplishments with us. Everything we’re doing is an effort to bring them safe, reliable and sustainable power.”
During the meeting, Board President James Vigesaa also announced the purchase of Frederick Power & Light, the municipal electric utility serving the town of Frederick, Colo. United Power’s purchase will add approximately 2,400 new members in the coming months.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 83,000 homes and businesses along Colorado’s northern front range. To learn more about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative at Facebook.com/UnitedPower.###
