In 2022, United Power’s CEO Mark Gabriel announced that the energy supplier would part ways with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc, its current wholesale energy supplier. Earlier this month, United Power signed an agreement with TEA Solutions, allowing it to become one step closer to the separation.
TEA Solutions is a sister company of The Energy Authority, which offers a strategic perspective to maximize the utility’s assets, advisory services, analytics and renewable solutions. TEA Solutions was created to serve community-owned utilities like United Power.
“This agreement marks an important strategic step toward United Power’s new energy future,” Gabriel said. “United Power has been dedicated to building a new network of service providers and energy sources for the planned exit from our current power supplier next spring. This marks a vital step in the process, and we are proud to partner with a firm that has the expertise and experience to help us be successful in this significant endeavor.”
Gabriel stated that the decision to separate from Tri-State was based on a want to use more sources of renewable energy.
“There’s been a lot of tension that has grown across the country, not just here, for everybody to look at their power supplier a little bit differently,” Gabriel said in an interview with the Leader in 2022. “The transition to lower-carbon, more local generation is really what is driving our desire to leave our power supplier.”
United Power expects to separate from Tri-State on May 1, 2024, according to a news release.
“The cooperative is in the process of securing both the power contracts and strategic expertise necessary to capitalize on the changing energy marketplace, which in turn, will bring considerable value to its members,” the news release states.
“We are working to provide not only reliable power, but power that is more economically priced for our members,” Gabriel said. “As the energy market expands west, we will be able to take advantage of available resources including clean, renewable energy generation, and increase our investment in local energy generation sources.”
