Powering Rural Oregon
Oregon’s 18 not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives keep the lights on for nearly 500,000 Oregonians — in the rural and frontier communities that for-profit utilities would not serve. Most of Oregon’s electric co-ops were formed in the 1930s and 1940s, and all are governed by boards democratically elected by their member-owners. Electric co-ops operate at cost and reinvest every dollar back into their systems and communities. The Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association (ORECA) is their united voice, working in the Oregon Legislature and in federal policy debates to protect the affordability and reliability of the electricity rural Oregon depends on.
Confronting Wildfire Risk
Many cooperative service territories cross some of the highest wildfire-risk terrain in Oregon. Wildfire is a threat happening to our cooperatives and the communities they serve, not because of them — driven by a changing climate, prolonged drought, and forest conditions. All 18 cooperatives have wildfire mitigation plans filed with the Oregon Public Utility Commission, and they invest continuously in hardening their systems. But no matter how effectively a co-op reduces risk, it takes only one spark for devastation to follow — and a single catastrophic event could trigger liability far beyond any cooperative’s ability to absorb, threatening its solvency and the communities that depend on it.
ORECA and our members work tirelessly with legislators to craft wildfire policy that enhances the ability of electric cooperatives to protect the communities we serve from the devastating impacts of wildfire. We do this because we have an obligation to safely and reliably serve our communities even in the face of challenges posed by wildfires.
The Value of the Federal Columbia River Power System
Oregon’s electric cooperatives purchase most of their power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which markets the output of 31 federal hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The federal hydropower system supplies about 1/3 of the electricity generated in the Northwest — reliable, dispatchable, carbon-free power sold at cost. According to BPA’s own statistics, hydropower provides about 84% of BPA’s firm energy and more than 90% of its peak generation, making it the backbone of an affordable, dependable, and clean electric grid for rural Oregon.
Real Investments in Fish and Wildlife
The federal hydropower system and the region’s ratepayers make one of the largest fish and wildlife investments in the nation. In fiscal year 2025 alone, total fish and wildlife costs reached roughly $1 billion — including nearly $319,000,000 in direct program spending, $364,000,000 in replacement power purchases, and forgone generation — funding habitat restoration, safer fish passage at the dams, and partnerships with states and tribes. These are not promises; they are ongoing, ratepayer-funded commitments to ensure hydropower and healthy fish runs coexist.
Defending Affordable Hydropower
Today, the State of Oregon is litigating against the federal agencies that own and operate the hydropower system — and the costs fall directly on Oregonians. Court-ordered operations reduce clean hydroelectric generation, forcing BPA to replace it with market power that is more expensive, less reliable, and often dirtier. The result: an estimated $100,000,000 to 125,000,000 per year in added costs, a potential 6 to 7% increase in electricity costs for the customers of BPA, which get passed along to ratepayers of Oregon’s consumer-owned utilities.
As a leading partner in Oregonians for Affordable Hydropower, ORECA is educating the public and policymakers about what the Federal Columbia River Power System provides — and what Oregon’s ongoing litigation puts at risk. We believe the region’s energy and salmon challenges are best solved through collaboration, not courtrooms.
Looking Ahead
From wildfire liability and hydropower defense to supporting new nuclear energy development, streamlining transmission construction, and helping to inform modern energy-focused policy discussions around topics such as microgrids, data centers, and rooftop solar, ORECA’s focus never changes: protecting rural Oregonians from policies that raise the cost — or reduce the reliability — of their electricity.