Power for the Next Generation

On October 20, 2025, Central Lincoln reached an important milestone by signing a new 20-year power sales contract with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). It's the result of years of collaboration, negotiation, and careful planning.

"The new contract will carry us through 2044 and is central to our mission of providing safe, affordable, and reliable power to our customers," said General Manager Ty Hillebrand. "There's still a lot of work to prepare for it to take effect in 2028, but reaching this point is a huge accomplishment for our utility."

Across the Northwest, community-owned utilities are signing similar long-term contracts through BPA's Provider of Choice program. These contracts outline how much federal hydropower each utility receives and ensure that the benefits of the Columbia River power system remain available to the customers they serve. For Central Lincoln, that means long-term stability as energy markets, technologies, and regulations continue to change.

A Legacy of Federal Power

The roots of our region's partnership with BPA reach back nearly a century. In 1937, Congress created the Bonneville Power Administration to market electricity from the newly built Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. The goal was simple but revolutionary: make low-cost hydropower available to local utilities so the benefits of the river's energy would flow to communities, not private shareholders.

That idea built one of the most successful public power systems in the world. Today, BPA markets energy from 31 federal hydroelectric projects and manages more than 15,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, forming the backbone of the Pacific Northwest's power grid.

For decades, Central Lincoln and other community-owned utilities have relied on that system to provide affordable electricity while maintaining local control and accountability. Together, we're part of a public power family that depends on BPA's hydropower to keep rates low, reliability high, and energy nearly 100% carbon-free.

The Strength of Public Power

Public power utilities like Central Lincoln were created to serve people, not profit. That mission remains at the heart of everything we do, and this new contract with BPA helps ensure we can continue offering some of the lowest electric rates in Oregon while providing dependable service to our customers.

The energy world is changing fast. Technologies like wind, solar, and battery storage are expanding rapidly, and more people are driving electric vehicles and finding new ways to manage their energy use at home. At the same time, energy markets have become less predictable, with weather extremes, fuel costs, and regional demand all influencing power prices across the West. Through it all, hydropower remains a cornerstone - a clean, carbon-free resource that provides stability and balance when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing.

This contract also reflects the power of regional cooperation. BPA, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council - which represents Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana - and utilities across the region continue to work together on resource planning, transmission, and fish and wildlife restoration.

Looking Ahead

Although the new contract won't take effect until October 1, 2028, preparations are already underway to ensure a smooth transition. Central Lincoln's team will continue collaborating with BPA and neighboring utilities on system updates, policy changes, and long-term planning that will carry our communities well into the future.

In an era when energy costs, climate change, and infrastructure needs dominate national headlines, the importance of this partnership can't be overstated.

Public power has always been about people. When communities came together to form utilities like Central Lincoln, they built more than power lines - they built a promise. That promise continues today in our partnership with BPA: reliable, affordable, clean energy for the next generation.

Central Lincoln General Manager Ty Hillebrand (center) and Director of Shared Services Brandon Hignite (to his right) join Bonneville Power Administration leadership following the signing of a new long-term power sales contract that supports reliable, affordable public power through 2044.