CORE Electric Cooperative News

This summer, IREA will begin rebuilding the existing 115-kilovolt transmission line between our Bayou Substation in Douglas County and Elizabeth Substation in Elbert County. The project is approximately 8.9 miles long and will replace existing wood H-frame structures with new wood mono-poles and steel poles. Wood mono-poles will be used at locations where the overhead wires are straight – with no line angles – and steel poles will be used where the overhead wires have a line angle....

Technosylva, the pioneering provider of wildfire mitigation technology solutions, and CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE), the largest electric distribution cooperative in Colorado, announced a new partnership and collaboration to reduce the impacts of wildfire to CORE’s members, employees and their electric grid. “The new web-based version from Technosylva will provide us with the most advanced tools available for wildfire risk mitigation,” said Jordan Ambrogi, CORE Wildfire Mit...

CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE) and the Town of Parker are pleased to announce Flexential’s plan to develop its fifth data center and colocation facility, expanding its FlexAnywhere® Platform in the Denver area.  Flexential is a pioneering provider of secure and flexible data center solutions with 42 data centers across the United States. Demand for data center CORE, the Town of Parker, and developer Westside Partners worked with Flexential CORE, the Town of Parker...

As part of their pole maintenance program, CORE is in the process of testing the electric utility poles. The contractor, Osmose Utilities Services Inc., will be performing this work in the Woodland Park district between August 19, 2024 – September 16, 2024. Maintenance work in the Conifer district should be completed by August 19, 2024. More updates will be added to this page as contractors move throughout the districts. Osmose crews may require access to and/or through the property...

CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE) announced that Fitch Ratings has assigned CORE a first-time Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of “AA-“, with a Stable outlook. “AA-” is in the highest public rating tier achieved for electric distribution cooperatives rated by Fitch Ratings. “The “AA-” IDR reflects CORE’s very strong financial profile in the context of a rapidly growing and diverse retail customer base, very strong revenue defensibility charact...

Midnight calls in blizzard conditions. Surveying miles of rugged terrain on foot. Scaling 45-foot energized poles. No two days are the same for a CORE line worker, and some can include all of the above. A line worker’s typical day starts with a crew meeting. CORE’s aggressive system improvement and wildfire mitigation programs use technology like drone footage to identify the most critical poles and equipment for repair or replacement, which dictates the crew’s daily work. Re...

CORE contractors regularly use aerial drones and other aircraft to inspect overhead lines and equipment and complete wildfire mitigation work and other important reliability efforts throughout our 5,000-square-mile service area. They typically notify members in the immediate area of drone or aerial work ahead of time via automated phone calls and/or emails. Contractor personnel performing drone work carry CORE credentials and are in contractor vehicles with CORE branding. They ap...

In addition to the perks of membership, CORE members have access to free account services and programs that provide additional control, choice and convenience. Advance pay Choose when, the amount, and how they pre-pay toward the credit balance. There are no deposits, no monthly bills and no due dates. Members who use Advance Pay receive alerts when their balance runs low. They can easily add to the balance 24/7 via SmartHub, by calling (844) 937-1643, or with cash at participating retail...

CORE Electric Cooperative is pleased to announce the hiring of Rob Osborn to fill the cooperative’s newly created position of Director of Business Development, effective Feb. 22, 2022. As Director of Business Development, Rob will lead CORE’s efforts to develop strategic partnerships and new business opportunities, as well as implement CORE’s economic development business plan and approach. He will also be CORE’s primary point of contact for existing large load...

CORE significantly improved reliability in 2021, with members experiencing 48% less outage time and 20% fewer service interruptions, compared to  2020. The members experienced, on average, 46 minutes of outages over the course of 2021. That average was about 89 minutes in 2020. The members also experienced, on average, just 0.536 outages in 2021, down from 0.676 in 2020. CORE’s reliability cooperatives CORE’s reliability numbers are better than the previous year’s figur...

CORE’s Board of Directors has authorized changes to the Rates and Regulations that will go into effect March 7, 2022, and include: Updates to reflect the name change to CORE Electric Cooperative. Updates to the optional time-of-use (TOU) rider for several service types, to match changes in the base rates made in September 2021. Annual updates to coincident peak (CP) rates, based on estimated Xcel/PSCo production charges. Updates to several types of account and service fees and charge...

In the colder winter months, the average American kitchen churns out a high amount of food, and most of it can range from soups to casseroles to holiday feasts. While these are special and favorite parts of the season, the energy required to cook these meals represents a small but significant part of the monthly energy bill. Eight tips to lower the energy The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that cooking alone generally accounts for 4 to 5% of total home energy use, and this figure doesn&r...

CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE), the largest electric distribution cooperative in Colorado, Xcel Energy, the largest energy provider in Colorado, and Pano AI (Pano), the pioneering developer of artificial intelligence-driven wildfire detection, share details about the use of AI-powered cameras in detecting and aiding the successful containment of the Bear Creek Fire in Douglas County. The Pano AI cameras, funded by CORE and Xcel Energy, are strategically located near utility infrastructure or...

Colorado Electric Utilities celebrated Colorado Lineworker Appreciation Day at the Capitol. The Colorado General Assembly recognized lineworkers from multiple Colorado electric utilities on the House floor from Representative Eliza Hamrick and Representative Matt Soper. The Colorado Senate also recognized the state’s lineworkers with a joint letter from Senator Chris Hansen and Senator Cleave Simpson. Represented electric utilities included: CORE Electric Cooperative Mountain View El...

Colorado received record-breaking winds beginning on April 5 lasting through the majority of the weekend that caused many broken poles and trees on lines. As a result, they want to share the initial takeaways regarding extreme wind-related outages. First of all, If they experienced an outage, thank you for the patience during this unprecedented weather event. They especially appreciate the patience of members who were without service for extended periods. CORE’s challenging conditions M...

Rural electric cooperatives - CORE Electric Cooperative and Holy Cross Energy (HCE) have partnered on a new solar array on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. The Hunter Solar project is a 75-megawatt solar array in Arapahoe County, Colorado. CORE will buy 45 MW, and HCE will purchase 30 MW of power output. CORE and HCE both have committed to carbon-neutral, renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals supporting statewide goals. CORE’s growing portfolio “Hunter Solar adds to...

CORE is prepared for significant snowfall and adverse weather forecasts for Wednesday, March 13, through Friday, March 15, across the service area. Line crews in the Sedalia, Bennett, Conifer, and Woodland Park districts are on standby, with additional contractors ready to assist if needed. They also have replacement equipment on hand, and fleet vehicles are fueled up and ready to roll into even the roughest terrain in the 5,000-square-mile service area. Key tips They encourage members to als...

The reliability of CORE’s electric service ­— already better than the industry average — improved in 2023. The System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI), or average outage duration in minutes for each member served, decreased from 92 minutes in 2022 to 63 minutes in 2023 — an improvement of nearly 32%. CORE’s SAIDI is about half the five-year national average of approximately 120 minutes, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Admini...

To maintain the grid and deliver reliable power during times when the members typically consume the most energy, CORE applies a demand charge to most accounts. Starting with March 2024 bills, the demand charge for residential members will be $3 multiplied by their peak demand, which is the highest amount of usage (in kilowatts) that occurs within one 60-minute period during the “on-peak” hours between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Use of appliances The demand charge varies by rate schedule, a...

Did they know homes account for 22% of the energy usage in the United States? The new year is a great time to create a checklist of some things they can optimize to get the best value for the money. Here are some actions they can take immediately: Use a power strip to plug in multiple electronics and appliances. This also allows them to turn them all on and off with one switch. Use the Colorado sun to the advantage! In colder months, open the curtains during the day to naturally heat the hom...

2023 is a great time to update users' energy habits and take steps to reduce monthly energy bills. Some actions user can take immediately: Install a programmable thermostat or adjust the thermostat when the user leaves home. Use the Colorado sun to the user's advantage! In colder months, open the curtains during the day to naturally heat the home. Save energy by waiting until user have a full load of dishes or laundry before running the machines. Seal any leaks users...

CORE Electric Cooperative has new services and offerings on the horizon.  In 2023, CORE will continue to provide members of The Energy to Thrive with additional control, choice, and convenience. For the latest on these and other developments, look to the website's social media channels and The Outlet member newsletter. Pre-pay options Coming soon: Advance Pay, which will let the user choose when, the amount, and how the user pre-pays toward the credit balance. No deposits, no...

CORE seeks to provide for the communities it serves – not just through reliable electric service, but by also partnering with local non-profits and other community organizations. 2022, CORE donated to and partnered with hundreds of such worthwhile causes, including: More than $11,000 for parks and recreation. $94,000-plus for music, arts and culture. Nearly $70,000 for groups that provide food and shelter. More than $78,000 for health and wellness organizations and programs. More t...

CORE has another resource in their work to protect members, employees, and the grid from wildfires. remote monitoring CORE has worked with FTS Inc. to join the Rocky Mountain Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) Network, which operates a series of shared cameras that monitor for wildfires and other threats. The network includes more than a dozen cameras in three states. Each camera in the network has an effective viewing distance of 25 miles and can be remotely controlled Most of the cameras are in Colorado,...

May is National Electrical Safety Month and the perfect opportunity to revisit important information that could save a life if a user encounters a downed or exposed electrical line. Electricity seeks the path of least resistance. Touching a downed or exposed line can make the user part of a circuit in which electricity travels through the body — including the heart — to reach the ground. de-energize a line Protective devices throughout the system de-energize a line when...

CORE Electric Cooperative is pleased to announce the hiring of Cindy Newsome to fill the cooperative’s newly created position of Strategic Planning and Communications Director, effective March 21, 2022. As Strategic Planning and Communications Director, Cindy will collaborate with CORE’s leadership to support the development of both short- and long-term strategies to further the cooperative’s mission, vision and goals. She also will oversee all communications involvi...