Oregon’s Renewable Energy Advantage
The State of Oregon and Oregon’s electric cooperatives have a lot in common, but perhaps our greatest alignment is our prioritization of renewable, carbon-free electricity.
Why Oregon’s Electric Cooperatives Benefit
As consumer-owned utilities, Oregon’s electric cooperatives benefit from federal statutes mandating that all the hydropower produced by federally owned dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers and the nuclear power produced by the Columbia Generating Station be marketed through the Bonneville Power Administration to consumer-owned utilities.
This means that, as cooperatives, we receive allocations of nearly 100% clean energy produced at some of the lowest rates in the country from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) before taking excess into the broader market.
Reliable, Low-Cost Power
The dams on the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) are also one of the nation’s most reliable forms of power supply.
Outside of extreme weather events, this allocation is usually enough to power the systems of most electric cooperatives.
Since we operate at cost, the financial benefits of these low-cost resources get passed directly on to our member-owners in the form of low rates.
Visit the BPA website for a detailed map of the Northwest’s hydropower facilities.
21
Corps of Engineers Dams
Williamette Projects
Bonneville
The Dalles
John Day
McNary
Ice Harbor
Lower Monumental
Little Goose
Lower Granite
Dworshak
Lucky Peak
Albeni Falls
Libby
Chief Joseph
15
Bureau of Reclamation Dams
5 Yakima Projects
Grand Coulee
Hungry Horse
Cascade
Deadwood
Arrowrock
Anderson Ranch
Minidoka
American Falls
Palisades
20
Dams owned by Others
Priest Rapids
Wanapum
Rock Island
Rocky Reach
Wells
Chelan
Boundary
Box Canyon
Cabinet Gorge
Noxon Rapids
Post Falls
Thompson Falls
Kerr
Hells Canyon
Oxbox
Browniee
5
Dams owned by Canada
Mica
Revelstoke
Duncan
Corra Linn
Arrow (Keenleyside)
Hydroelectric System
Ensuring that electric cooperative members have access to reliable, affordable, renewable hydropower is Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (ORECA’s) primary mission. The Pacific Northwest benefits from one of the nation’s most affordable hydropower systems, and ORECA works to preserve access to preference power for consumer-owned utilities.
ORECA advocates against unnecessary regulations and policies that could increase electricity costs for cooperative members. We engage regularly with state and federal elected officials and regulators to educate them about the issues affecting electric cooperatives and the communities they serve.
Grassroots advocacy is also a vital part of our work. By supporting efforts such as Oregonians for Affordable Hydropower, we help ensure that policymakers hear directly from cooperative members about the importance of maintaining affordable and clean hydropower for the Pacific Northwest.