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

In the electric industry, power surges are unavoidable. However, just like with home security systems, there are things we can do to protect us from surges, though never fully. The … Read more

Wildfires are a regular threat to our built and natural environments. Climate change is accelerating that risk and our remote, forested islands are vulnerable. OPALCO follows industry best practices for … Read more

The Inflation Reduction Act Pays you to Save Energy and Save the Planet Climate change is accelerating. Nonstop news of summer heat waves, wildfires, storms and flooding can be overwhelming. … Read more

Wildfires are a regular threat to our built and natural environments. Climate change is accelerating that risk throughout the region and our remote, forested islands are vulnerable. OPALCO runs an … Read more

Data centers have been in the news lately as AI applications proliferate. They use a lot of energy to power and cool sophisticated computing systems. How data centers fit into … Read more

The energy world is changing dramatically due to climate impacts and the transition toward renewable power. The goal of the state and nation is to transition away from fossil fuels … Read more

OPALCO is Preparing for Mainland Rolling Blackouts Did you know the Northwest power grid almost crashed during the January 2024 cold snap? As the hydro system hit capacity, the region … Read more

OPALCO’s power supply system from the mainland is currently at capacity during peak usage events such as extreme low winter temperatures. The San Juan Islands, like many remote and rural … Read more

OPALCO’s solar rate is designed to encourage local renewable generation by ensuring that more of the cost of service is fairly allocated. Solar producers use the grid to buy and … Read more

Rooftop Solar and Our Local Energy Future Washington State is pushing hard to remove carbon emissions from our daily lives –  decommissioning coal plants and electrifying heating and transportation (including … Read more

Note: This project is currently in permitting and will be offered to members when permits are complete, hopefully in 2024. The Bailer Hill Microgrid project on San Juan Island is … 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