Article: “OPALCO Puts Finishing Touches on Underground Cable Project” (November, 2004)
“OPALCO Puts Finishing Touches on Underground Cable Project,”by Marcia Gillingham. Northwest Public Power Association Bulletin (November, 2004), pp. 25-26. Click icon or image to open .pdf.
“Island Network” Internet Service Pilot Project Launched
The Board approved the Island Network / Friday Harbor Intranet Pilot. A microwave link was installed connecting Friday Harbor to Lopez. In 2004, a grant from the San … Read More
Cornelius Steps in as General Manager
Randy J. Cornelius was hired as General Manager. Cornelius came up through the ranks from journeyman lineman, later earning his degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University. … Read More
Giant Residential Solar Array Starts Feeding Power into OPALCO Grid
Orcas Island residents Richard and Becky Greaves installed a 30kW photovoltaic (PV) system, the largest privately owned system in the Northwest and the largest local producer in OPALCO’s … Read More
Contaminated Eastsound Generator Plant Site Cleaned Up
OPALCO spent half a million dollars to clean up chemical contaminants in the ground at the old generator plant. Geo Engineers of Redmond, WA was hired to bring … Read More
Ouch! Wholesale Cost of Electricity Skyrockets
BPA’s wholesale power rates increased by 50%. OPALCO avoided this increase by signing a pre-subscription contract, saving over $8 million in power costs over the next five years.
First Fiber Optic Cable Laid from Anacortes to Islands
The Board approved a new communication system for OPALCO using fiber optics. BPA laid a new cable between Anacortes and Lopez Island and signed a 30-year agreement with … Read More
OPALCO Starts Selling “Green Power”
The Green Power Program began. Members who opted in paid a 4 cent-per-kWh premium on their bills. Of this amount, 2.5 cents paid for BPA’s Environmentally Preferred Power … Read More
E-Car Charging Stations Installed
1993: OPALCO installed the first electric car recharging stations on San Juan Island.
Electric Vehicles Join OPALCO Motor Pool
OPALCO purchased its first two electric vehicles with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy: a General Motors G-Van and a Solectria Force, a retrofit based on … Read More
Celebrate OPALCO's 75th Anniversary
