Dear Members,
It’s a beautiful spring day in Hood River Valley as I write this update. Below are a few items to note as summer approaches.
Board Updates
At its March meeting, the Hood River Electric Cooperative (HREC) Board of Directors appointed Steven Jones to fill the seat held by Butch Gehrig. Steven is an Odell resident and an electrician. He will represent members for the remainder of the term and be eligible for reelection at our 2023 annual meeting.
“As an electrician and business owner, I think it is always important to grow, learn and explore new opportunities in your community,” Steven says.
The board also appointed new officers. Gary Bloom assumes the role of president, and Jeff Osborn serves as vice president. Patrick Moore remains secretary, and Roger Nelson remains treasurer.
Wildfire Mitigation
We’ve had a dry spring in the Pacific Northwest, and some parts of the state are already experiencing their first red-flag warnings for the year. These warnings are posted when weather conditions pose a higher risk of fire danger.
Although the warning didn’t include the Hood River Valley, it’s a good reminder of the danger of wildfire. At HREC, we work to reduce the risk of wildfire by trimming or removing trees and vegetation growing too close to our power lines. We also use more sensitive settings on our equipment during fire season to reduce the risk of sparking.
Online Payment
We recommend using SmartHub to view or pay your bill online. SmartHub can be viewed from a desktop or laptop web browser at SmartHub, or is available for download from the app store for your tablet or smartphone.
Budget Billing
We take new signups for budget billing this month. If you have 12 months of energy-use history with us and would like to pay the same amount each month, year-round, call (541) 354-1233 or email our billing department to request budget billing.
Get HREC Updates
We encourage you to follow us on social media for our latest updates and for information about outages. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as @HRECCoop.
On behalf of all of us at HREC, thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Libby Calnon
General Manager