Wasco Electric Cooperative's Year in Review: Safety, Service & Reliability
At the 86th annual meeting of Wasco Electric Cooperative, we reflected on a year marked by progress, challenges, and an unwavering commitment to the communities we serve. If you were unable to join us, the following are some of the highlights of the annual meeting.
In the past year, Wasco Electric continued to engage directly with state and national legislators on issues vital to rural Oregon, including Federal Emergency Management Association reform, enhanced vegetation management tools, liability limitations for cooperatives, and the Columbia River Treaty. In Salem, the cooperative worked to ensure new legislation recognizes the operational and financial realities of small, rural utilities.
Alongside advocacy, we invested heavily in wildfire mitigation and system reliability. In the past year alone, crews upgraded 128 poles, replaced 2.2 miles of conductor, trimmed or removed 5,376 trees, and supported emergency agencies at 20 wildfires. These efforts helped maintain 99.99% reliability.
Several major initiatives reflected our long-term strategic priorities. We completed the new Grass Valley facility, advanced headquarters and Maupin facility planning, and made significant progress on the new metering and communication system—now 32% implemented. The cooperative launched a redesigned website, received a communications award for our safety video, and continued our deep commitment to community support through scholarships, youth programs, public events, and school safety presentations.
Financially, we ended the fiscal year with $320,612 in margins, enabling the retirement of nearly $626,000 in capital credits from 1999 and 2000. The cooperative continues emphasizing fiscal responsibility, especially as Bonneville Power Administration implemented a nearly 10% rate increase this year and announced an additional surcharge through 2026. To maintain financial strength and uphold core values, the board approved a 9% rate increase effective March 2026.
Looking ahead into 2026, we will complete the Antelope Substation rebuild, finalize the new metering system, expand vegetation management, use drones for inspections, continue facility upgrades, and begin the important work of modernizing the articles of association and bylaws.
As we wrap up another successful annual meeting, I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to participate—whether you joined us in person or cast your vote by absentee ballot. Our cooperative is strengthened by the involvement of its members, and your engagement helps us continue serving our communities with reliability, transparency, and purpose. We appreciate your trust and look forward to the work ahead as we build on the progress made this year. Thank you for being a vital part of our cooperative family.
General Manager Lindsay Forepaugh