History

Bringing Power to the People: A Brief History of the Hood River Electric & Internet Co-op

The 1930’s

During and following the 1930’s depression, an unprecedented spread of consumer owned utilities began
The Bonneville Project, later established as the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), began building huge hydro-electric dams which would multiply the electricity available for residents and businesses of the region
Who would deliver this energy to homes, farms and factories?

August 29, 1937

About 2,000 people attended an outdoor meeting of the People’s Power League held at Bonneville
Speakers advocated state and municipal ownership of electrical systems and urged the formation of committees throughout the state to carry out an active campaign for publicly owned power

Late 1930’s to Early 1940’s

Formation of many consumer owned electric utilities across the nation as well as in the Columbia River Gorge
Formation of Skamania County and Klickitat County PUDs as well as the city owned utility in Cascade Locks
Loan funds from the USDA Rural Electrification Administration (REA) enabled construction of rural electric cooperatives throughout the nation
Locally, an investor owned utility, Pacific Power and Light, served those areas deemed profitable. Legislation enabled PUDs and municipal utilities to acquire the service area of investor owned utilities if approved by a vote of the citizens within the PUD area

June 15, 1945

Hood River Electric Co-op (HREC) was established after nine valley residents filed articles of confederation for a cooperatively-owned electric utility: Walter Wells, William Vollmer, John Sigler, Eino Annala, H. J. DeWitt, St. Clari Dianond, Earl Moore, Eino Jakku and W.C. May.
This same group was elected to lead the new Cooperative. Wells became president, Jakku Vice-president, DeWitt the treasurer, the rest forming the initial board of directors
Adoption of an official seal, bylaws, and certificates for membership
The fee for membership is the same now as it was since inception: $5

November 4, 1945

Director Earl Moore moved that the president and secretary accept loans from Co-op members, on notes due in four months without interest for the privilege of advance payment, in sufficient amount to pay for poles and other expenses
The notes were to be credited later on bond purchases by members. A total of $3,700 was contributed at the meeting, by directors
This private, local financing arrangement was unique at a time when most newly organized rural cooperatives obtained financing from the REA
HREC directors and staff were successful in finding financial support from local citizens
Local financial participation strengthened the sense of ownership and independence of the HREC membership
Members and other Oregon residents continue to invest with the Co-op by purchasing unsecured promissory notes with terms of maturity ranging from 1 year to 10 years

The 1960’s

Following a period of increasing competition between Pacific Power and HREC, an arrangement for allocation of exclusive service territories was negotiated and subsequently approved by the Oregon Public Utility Commission

June 27, 2018

Willard Johnson served as manager from 1948 to 1973 – likely the most challenging period of the cooperative’s history
Theodore Perry served from 1973 to 1986
Don Walker from 1986 to 1997
John Gerstenberger from 1997 to 2018
Libby Calnon became HREC’s fifth manager in June 2018

Early 2000’s

HREC supported a new initiative – bringing high-speed internet access to its rural members
The HREC Board formed a sister organization, the Communications Access Cooperative Holding Enterprise (CACHE), which constructed a fiber internet backbone system connecting the BPA fiber network in Parkdale to the city of Hood River
Schools, medical facilities, and government buildings were connected to the fiber system, and CACHE also installed wireless access points throughout the valley to provide high-speed wireless internet access to members
Beginning in 2018, CACHE began offering fiber internet service in more areas using gigabit passive optical network technology
We continue to build out facilities to offer fiber internet service throughout the upper Hood River valley

January 1, 2020

In 2019, the Boards of Directors for HREC and CACHE proposed a plan of merger to their memberships
HREC and CACHE officially merged into one organization, called Hood River Electric Cooperative, on January 1, 2020
In August 2021, the organization began using the name “Hood River Electric & Internet Co-op”

Today

Hood River Electric & Internet Co-op serves about 3,900 electric accounts and 2,800 internet accounts held by 3,700 members
Nearly 75 years after its formation, the Co-op continues to carry out its mission:
“To provide affordable, reliable services to members using sound business practices and following the cooperative principles.”