United Power officials were excited as they opened their newest ChargePoint EV station along Interstate 25 April 20.

“I’m 100% excited! It’s essential because it fills this charging desert that is 30 miles between Thornton and Loveland,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s president and chief executive officer. “So, people are coming off the highway now have an opportunity to stop and charge. As we fill in infrastructure, that’s more and more important as EVs become more popular.”

The EV charging station is open to charge up with a 62.5 kW direct current fast charge off the northern Interstate-25 corridor for drivers traveling between Thornton and Loveland. Its new charging station is at United Power Carbon Valley Office at 9586 W. 1-25 Frontage Road, Longmont.

“This is very exciting. It’s accessible not only to people in the Carbon Valley but to travelers along the I- 25 corridor and gives them a reason to stop,” said Jenn Venerable, Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce executive director. “United power is a great partner and is involved with the community-at-large and the business community- a supporter of everything going on in Carbon Valley.”

In addition, customers can sign up for a ChargePoint’s mobile app account, and an activation card is mailed to their homes. This EV charger is funded with a grant from Tri-State Generation & Transmission.

“We are excited to have one here at this facility. It’s really important because were are on I-25 and it has easy access for people to charge up. This is the third EV charger we have added and it is United Power largest district, “ said Ursula Morgan, chairman of the board of United Power Chairman.

On May 11, 2021, an EV faster charger was installed at Market Street Mart in Keenesburg, just off of Interstate 76 northeast of Denver. The company’s first EV charging station was installed at the United Power’s Coal Creek office in 2019.

According to officials, United Power and the National Electric Highway Coalition’s goal is to provide EV charging stations by 2023. They estimate that by 2030 there will be about 22 million electric vehicles on the road, so officials predict there could be a need to build and install more than 100,000 fast chargers.

“Nearly 5,000 United Power members own electric vehicles,” said Gabriel. “We stand committed to strategically deploying a charging network capable of supporting our members and the thousands of others who commute daily throughout our territory.”

To learn about EV chargers, visit the online educational portal; savings calculator and additional information are available for members interested in EVs at www.unitedpower.com/ChooseEV.