Anza Electric Cooperative
Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AEC), first energized in 1955, provides electric service to roughly 3,900 residential, school, and business members in the communities of Anza, Garner Valley, Pinyon Pines and Aguanga. Serving 500 square miles in the high desert of Riverside County at an elevation of roughly 4,000 feet, both summer and winter weather can be a challenge.
Anza’s long-term wholesale power contract with Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) has historically made low rates possible for its members.
The cooperative has recently initiated several renewable energy programs for its membership; a solar water heating lease program and a Solar Farm, which allows for virtual net metering to participating members.
Kevin Short is the General Manager and Ryall Stewart is the Board President. 
Plumas-Sierra REC
Founded in 1937, Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (PSREC) is a member-owned electric distribution utility providing electrical power and related services to more than 6,600 member/owners in Plumas, Lassen, and Sierra counties in California and portions of Washoe County in Nevada. Their goal is to provide utility services with a high level of reliability for fair and reasonable costs.
PSREC is a leader in their support of renewable energy development and energy efficiency programs. PSREC’s ground source heat pump program is one of the most successful in the nation. Rebates and incentives are also offered to members installing solar PV systems or energy efficiency retrofits.
In addition to PSREC’s electric utility services, they are devoted to rural economic development. WildBlue satellite Internet and Plumas-Sierra Wireless High-Speed Internet services are offered by their telecommunications subsidiaries.
Bob Marshall is the General Manager and Fred Nelson is the Board President. Office headquarters is in Portola, CA.
Surprise Valley Electrification Corp.
Surprise Valley Electrification Corporation (SVEC) was founded in 1937 and energized in 1938 to provide reliable electric service to the member-owners at the lowest rates possible. Because SVEC’s service area extends into Lake County, Oregon, which is within the service boundary of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Surprise Valley is the only California co-op that can purchase wholesale electricity from that federal power agency.
Historically BPA’s rates have been extremely low, thanks mainly to the abundance of low-cost hydro electric power from major Columbia River hydro projects. Surprise Valley currently has the lowest electric rates in California and is among the lowest in Oregon and Nevada. SVEC strives to have stable affordable rates.
Because it serves a unique agricultural area, SVEC provides a number of special services to its members, from irrigation pump testing to conservation services. Local control and non-profit service-at-cost are two things this co-op takes great pride in. With over 70 years of steady growth and success, those basic principles are benefiting all co-op members.
SVEC has also advanced to developing its own geothermal power plant in Paisley, Oregon. Although this output is currently on a power purchase contract with PacificCorp through year 2021, the horizon of this investment aims to serve and supplement their members’ future power needs by providing this green renewable energy.
SVEC is headquartered at Alturas, California and serves 7,650 square miles in both Northern California and Southern Oregon. Brad Kresge is the General Manager and Dennis Flynn is the Board President.
Trinity Public Utility District
Trinity Public Utilities District was established in 1981 after a group of local citizens organized a committee and raised money to buy the electric distribution system of a small investor-owned utility, CP National, in the Weaverville basin in 1982. CP National had some of the highest rates in California, which had contributed to the closure of the lumber mill in Weaverville. The idea of forming a local utility was part of the effort to reopen Weaverville’s lumber mill. TPUD was able to access a federal hydropower allocation from the Western Area Power Administration and begin service to the Weaverville area in 1982. The low rates enabled by this federal hydropower allocation allowed the local mill to reopen with rates that were less than half of the previous investor-owned rates.
TPUD’s service area is 2126 square miles and serves approximately 7,350 metered customers from 9 substations over rugged mountainous terrain. TPUD owns 3 snow cats in addition to traditional line maintenance equipment and can be severely impacted by winter storms. In more recent years, TPUD has been impacted regularly by forest fires.
100% of the power TPUD distributes to customers comes from California’s Central Valley Project. Their federal hydropower allocation is the result of an entitlement created as part of the 1955 Trinity River Division Act that enabled the creation and construction of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project. TPUD is entitled to 25% of the hydropower that is produced as a result of diverting Trinity River water to the Sacramento River for irrigation purposes. Currently, TPUD is utilizing less than 1/3 of the hydropower allocation that is available to them.
As a result of receiving 100% carbon-free power, TPUD is legislatively compliant with California’s renewable portfolio standard. This low-cost, carbon-free resource is a significant asset to a county that ranks among the poorest in California.
Paul Hauser is the General Manager and Mike Rourke is the President of the Board of Directors.
Visit trinitypud.com for more information.
Lassen Municipal Utility District
Voters created Lassen Municipal Utility District (LMUD) in November 1986. Prior to this vote, the Lassen District received electric service from CP National Corporation (CPN). On May 10, 1988, LMUD acquired electrical facilities from CPN.
“The mission of Lassen Municipal Utility District is to serve our community. We strive to provide reliable service at the most reasonable cost with a focus on safety and sustainability. We continue to work toward being an integral part of the community we serve, while maintaining a skilled and valued workforce.”
Nick Dominguez is the General Manager and Jess Urionaguena is the President of the Board of Directors.
Visit LMUD’s website for more information.
