Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association

04/07/2026

March Madness may be over, but ORECA Executive Director Ted Case believes the real madness is the State of Oregon increasing electric bills on one million of its citizens. Read his column and tell Governor Tina Kotek it’s time to sit down with leaders of consumer-owned utilities to discuss the future of the Federal Columbia River Power System. https://www.oreca.org/case-in-point-april-2026/

There is nothing like the March Madness college basketball tournament. Life stops as we marvel over buzzer-beaters, become inspired by Cinderella stories, and despair over our busted brackets.

03/31/2026

ORECA was pleased to help bring Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici to West Oregon Electric Co-Op to discuss the challenges that West Oregon Electric, and electric co-ops across Oregon, are facing - including the risk of wildfire liability and Governor Tina Kotek's anti-hydropower lawsuit leading to an estimated $100million per year increase in power supply costs.

03/16/2026

ICYMI – We're asking Governor Tina Kotek the tough question: why is she so determined to needlessly raise electricity rates on over one million Oregonians? Despite her claim, a 6% rate increase is not “modest” for working class Oregonians. Governor, let's . Pick up this past Sunday's edition of The Oregonian, Statesman Journal, The Register-Guard, or The Bulletin to learn more.

03/09/2026

There are no "modest" rate increases for senior citizens on a fixed income. Today, Oregon’s electric co-ops joined other consumer owned utilities in a letter responding to Governor Tina Kotek calling the court ordered rate impacts of her anti-hydropower lawsuit “modest.” The data shows otherwise: a 6% wholesale increase immediately and up to 17% total for Oregon customers — far from modest for the one million Oregonians served by COUs. It's time to talk, not fight, about affordable, reliable electricity. Read the letter here:

02/24/2026

Midstate Electric Cooperative CEO Jim Anderson provided powerful congressional testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources for Oregon's electric cooperatives and NRECA about the costs of bureaucratic delays as we seek to mitigate wildfire risk. We appreciate committee members Congressman Cliff Bentz and Val Hoyle for their support of our work to keep our communities safe.

01/15/2026

ORECA was proud to host the 2026 Cooperative Legislative Luncheon with GoWest Credit Union Association, the Oregon Broadband Association, and the NW Agriculture Cooperative Council. This is a great opportunity to engage legislators and share about the cooperative model. A huge thanks to Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, Consumers Power Inc., Salem Electric, and Umatilla Electric Cooperative for representing Oregon's electric cooperatives so well! We're looking forward to carrying this momentum into the 2026 legislative session!

11/24/2025

ORECA was pleased to attend Wasco Electric Cooperative, Inc.'s 85th Annual Meeting, where General Manager Lindsay Forepaugh and Board President Michael Collins updated the membership about the co-op’s new metering system, their 99% reliability metric over the previous 12-month period and their efforts to advocate for Wasco in the public policy arena. Many co-op members in attendance also had great questions. Wasco Electric maintains 1,700 miles of powerline that serves over 4,700 meters in a challenging, isolated, high desert portion of north central Oregon.
Wasco Electric Cooperative is represented in the Oregon Legislature by State Representative Jeff Helfrich, Representative Greg Smith, Senator Mike McLane, Senator Todd Nash, and Senator Christine Drazan. Congressman Cliff Bentz represents Wasco in the U.S. Congress, along with Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Ron Wyden.

11/11/2025

Member Spotlight: ORECA was grateful for the invite to Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative, Inc.'s 85th Annual Meeting in Heppner, Oregon. Along with good food, CBEC members enjoyed laughter and fellowship on a beautiful, sunny November day. CBEC is led by Andy Fletcher as General Manager and Gerry Arnson as Board President and rely on around 15 employees to manage their 1,343 miles of line serving over 4,400 meters across eastern and north central Oregon. This terrain is hot, dry, at high risk of flash fires that burn thousands of acres quickly and can also experience extreme winter weather conditions. CBEC ranks in the lowest 6% for rates nationally amongst electric co-ops, meaning 94% of ratepayers in the United States pay more for their power than CBEC members do.

11/04/2025

A GOOD READ: Check out this story in OPB about the community-focused approach Oregon's electric cooperatives take in managing wildfire risk.

About 10% of Oregonians get their electricity from not-for-profit cooperatives that are owned by ratepayers. Their community connectedness can help them prepare for wildfire.

09/08/2025

ORECA Member Spotlight: ORECA was pleased to participate in the 86th Annual Meeting of Consumers Power Inc. (CPI). A special thanks to Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) Chair Letha Tawney for speaking to CPI’s members during the meeting. CPI was organized in 1939 and is headquartered in Philomath. At 23,668 meters, CPI is Oregon’s third largest electric cooperative by meter count. Currently led by President and CEO James Ramseyer and Board Chair Shane Russell, CPI relies on over 70 employees to maintain and operate over 3,000 miles of line. This includes some of the most rugged, fire-prone regions of Oregon.

08/25/2025

Even amidst the intense weekend heat we just had, Oregon’s 18 electric cooperatives were able to reliably and affordably meet the demands of their members who were cranking up the AC! This is because electric co-ops are preference customers of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), who markets the hydroelectricity produced by the dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The large reservoirs behind the dams act as batteries that can be used to increase electricity generation at a moment of skyrocketing demand – like when temperatures surpass 100 degrees or more! Being preference customers means that the power gets sold to electric cooperatives and our consumer-owned utility partners before it goes to the open market. This ensures that electric co-op members can bet on having clean, reliable, and affordable power – even during the peak of the heat last weekend.

As people turn up their fans and AC during heat waves, demand on the power grid can soar to record levels.

Without the massive generating capacity of hydroelectric dams, and their ability to readily convert water into energy, there wouldn’t be enough dependable power to meet those increased electricity demands.

Learn more about hydropower's role during extreme weather events:
https://www.bpa.gov/learn-and-participate/community-education/hydropower-101/grid-resilience