NEWS RELEASE
UNITED POWER
*************************
BRIGHTON – United Power, Inc. (United Power), an electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern Front Range, and Whetstone Power, a developer of sustainable energy infrastructure, announce a new partnership for the construction of a battery energy storage system.
The battery energy storage system will be located in United Power’s service territory, giving the cooperative the ability to balance load and further integrate renewable resources into its operations.
This 20-year agreement provides for 34 megawatts (MW) of power to be stored and discharged up to six hours for a total discharge capability of approximately 74 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in year one of operation.
“The use of batteries on our distribution network is essential to a resilient and responsive power system and we are excited to be moving ahead aggressively with Whetstone to get this system online,” stated Mark A. Gabriel, president and CEO of United Power.
“These battery arrays will give us the ability to balance our power needs throughout the day and incorporate local renewables more efficiently. This furthers our efforts in hyper-localizing our power supply.”
Whetstone’s battery system will be located at a United Power substation and grid-charged, enabling the system to store energy during off-peak periods and discharge during periods of higher consumption.
Further, the system will be operated as a six-hour solution, allowing it to discharge over a fairly long duration and thereby providing additional grid stability.
This should allow United Power to use more renewable energy, further reducing its carbon footprint while ensuring reliable service to its membership.
“We are proud to be a partner with United Power on this unique battery storage project,” said Collin Franceschi, Whetstone Power’s founding partner. “It was a real pleasure to work with the experienced team at United Power and find the ideal solution to meet their needs for helping to ensure clean, sustainable, and resilient energy for years to come.”
Whetstone anticipates that the asset will be placed into service in 2024.
United Power serves nearly 110,000 meters and maintains and operates more than 6,500 miles of distribution line. The 900-square mile service territory wraps around the north and west borders of the Denver International Airport.
It includes the north and northeast metropolitan development corridors along Interstate 25, Interstate 76, State Highway 85, and E-470 and the Golden Gate and Coal Creek canyons, two of Colorado’s most iconic and historic mountain canyons. As a result of its geographic location, United Power’s system is experiencing significant demand and energy growth, averaging approximately 6% annually.
United Power is building a power portfolio ahead of leaving its current power supplier on May 1, 2024. The cooperative recently announced a prior agreement with Whetstone, in addition to agreements with Guzman Energy, OneEnergy, and Ameresco for portfolio assets related to this exit.
To learn more about United Power’s power supply transition, visit www.unitedpower.com/powersupply.
*************************
