Tidal Energy Pilot Project
A successful effort means locally generated, clean, reliable power for the islands. Earlier this year, Orcas Power & Light Cooperative was awarded a grant through the Department of Energy to … Read more
Engineering and Operations
Lighting Up San Juan Island for the Next Generation
Those of you who live or have spent time on San Juan Island in the past few months may have seen the construction taking place at the Orcas Power & … Read more
OPALCO upgrades Friday Harbor Substation for Future Power Demands
If you’ve gone to the brewery in Friday Harbor lately, you may have noticed some work being done on the Friday Harbor Substation owned and operated by OPALCO. This substation … Read more
OPALCO Awarded Phase 1 Funding to Explore Tidal Generator in Rosario Strait
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technolgies Office has competitively selected OPALCO as one of two organizations to explore tidal energy development for what OPALCO hopes will become the … Read more
Bonneville Power Administration Energy Trading Floor
Where does OPALCO get its power? Our usual response is that it comes from the Bonneville Power Administration or from the Federal Columbia River Power System. The fuel mix that … Read more
Doe Bay Project Alert: Power Lines Going Underground
OPALCO has started the project to move the overhead power lines underground from the (temporary) Doe Bay bridge to the Eagle Lake intersection. The project is expected to take around … Read more