Quick Facts

How does the Co-op benefit from OPALCO’s membership with industry associations? As a small electric cooperative, OPALCO benefits from the larger capacity, resources and reach of several industry associations to … Read more

Your power bill = the cost to deliver power Co-ops operate as a cost of service organization. The money OPALCO collects in bills goes primarily toward the cost of power, … Read more

OPALCO conducts a thorough comparative analysis to verify that salaries are competitive within our utility industry. Hiring and retaining top notch personnel is critical to the operation of OPALCO’s complex … Read more

NRECA supports our local co-op and our employees to better serve our membership. NRECA is focused on promoting, supporting and protecting the community and business interests of electric cooperatives as … Read more

Rock Island is OPALCO’s wholly-owned subsidiary. Together they have built a hybrid fiber and LTE wireless network to meet the needs of our rural, remote territory. This robust communication system … Read more

OPALCO’s Board of Director election is a cornerstone of Co-op Democracy. OPALCO depends on an independent member Elections & Governance Committee to cultivate quality candidates and review election processes and … Read more

Switch It Up! is OPALCO’s beneficial electrification program that saves members money. OPALCO’s Switch It Up! Program is an example of Beneficial Electrification. OPALCO is encouraging the use of efficient … Read more

OPALCO keeps rates as low as possible by controlling expenses and pricing electricity at the cost of service. Households who struggle to pay their bills are served by several energy … Read more

As the climate emergency accelerates, energy and decarbonization are becoming regular topics in mainstream news, social media and research. Below, we review several notable items from the past month that … Read more

The region is facing a big transformation through decarbonization to combat climate change. Everything is at stake: environmental health, species survival, power affordability, regional control of power resources and concerns … Read more

Climate change is transforming our world. OPALCO has a smart plan for our energy future – and it depends each of us doing our part! Our energy world is changing … Read more

Energy Shortages: This is a four-part series looking at how climate impact is rapidly changing our world and the coming challenges as we make the transition to a future that … Read more

OPALCO’s solar rate is designed to encourage local renewable generation while also collecting revenue to cover the cost of service. Solar producers use the grid to buy and sell power. … Read more

Tidal Energy to Increase Energy Resilience and Advance Renewable Energy Goals Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO) is a non-profit cooperative electric utility providing service in San Juan County, WA … Read more

How will the new rate structure affect member generators? The average solar producer will pay a little more to OPALCO each year, but there are many factors (such as size … Read more

The microgrid that OPALCO built on Decatur Island includes a battery storage project paired with a Community Solar Array. The project can operate independently from the electrical grid. This is … Read more