Western Oregon Electric Cooperative (WOEC) has long relied on hydroelectric power as its main energy source for generating electricity. We buy our power from the federally owned and operated Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which provides about one-third of the Northwest’s electricity..
Hydropower is one of the cleanest, carbon-free sources available in the United States—far cleaner than electricity produced from fossil fuels. Alongside this strong hydro foundation, WOEC works with BPA programs and incentives to treat energy efficiency as a practical resource, not just a nice idea.
Renewable Energy Education
Electric cooperatives are the only private, member-owned part of America’s electric utility industry. From the beginning, cooperatives have answered a straightforward demand: safe, reliable, and affordable power. Traditional generation has helped meet that responsibility for decades.
At the same time, co-ops know that members increasingly want renewable options and more homegrown energy that reduces dependence on foreign sources. That shift isn’t a fad—it’s a real change in what consumers value.
Because most renewable energy is produced in rural areas, cooperatives also see it as a clear opportunity for local economic growth. This view isn’t new. The cooperative commitment to rural America and renewable power both trace back to the 1930s. In 1935, the Rural Electrification Administration was created. 2 years later, the young cooperative industry gained access to preference hydropower through the Federal Power Act—setting the stage for the renewable path cooperatives continue to build on today.
Hydropower is electricity made from moving water. Here’s the basic process:
- Water stored behind a dam (or flowing in a river) is released through large pipes or channels.
- The force of that moving water spins a turbine; basically a giant underwater pinwheel.
- The turbine turns a generator, which produces electricity.
- The water then continues downstream; nothing is consumed or burned.
Some hydropower comes from big dams with reservoirs, and some comes from “run-of-river” projects that use the natural flow of a river with little or no storage. Either way, the idea is the same: use the energy in moving water to spin turbines and generate power.
Very efficient. Hydropower plants can convert about 90% of the energy from falling water into electricity. Fossil-fueled plants, by contrast, waste more than half their fuel’s energy as heat and gases.
Yes. Water is free fuel, so operating costs stay low and steady. That protects customers from fuel-price spikes and has helped hydropower deliver some of the most affordable electricity in the country for decades.
Yes. Hydropower is flexible. Operators can raise or lower output fast by adjusting water flow through the dam. That quick response helps keep the electric grid stable, since supply must match demand at all times.