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

Electric utility distribution cooperatives operate on a member-owned, nonprofit basis, ensuring that the communities they serve receive reliable and affordable electricity. As a member of such a cooperative, individuals enjoy … 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

What is the Comp Plan? The Comp Plan is an important guiding document for managing land use and infrastructure in a coordinated and sustainable way. In Washington State, counties are … Read more

We need renewable energy if we want to maintain power reliability. Our community needs to come together to find acceptable locations for these projects. If we keep saying no to … 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

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

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: Due to permitting issues this project is on hold. See this 3-part series on the project to learn more: Part 1: Why Local Renewable Generation Part 2: Why Bailer … 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