How Umatilla Electric Cooperative powers regional growth, creates jobs and invests in community prosperity.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative has been making an impact on Northeast Oregon’s regional economy since 1937. A cooperative initially incorporated to meet the needs of rural residents, UEC has evolved over time into a key, economic platform as it supports thousands of jobs and delivers billions into the regional economy. Statistics tell much about the success story of UEC.
In 2022, for example, UEC operations and UEC-reliant businesses helped promote nearly 25,000 jobs. Those job produced more than $1.25 billion in labor income, with workers earning an average of $50,975 annually. The UEC service area is in the midst of sustained and significant growth as Morrow County’s population climbed to a rate of 1.18% annually, nearly double the growth rate across the state of Oregon. At the same time, Umatilla County’s growth rate also increased steadily — at 0.58% since 2010.
In those counties, the job rate increased to a record 40,846 positions in 2023, while housing values climbed to median prices of $286,000 in Morrow County and $290,000 in Umatilla County. Single-family home sales have also been vigorous during this time, with an average of 81 homes sold monthly over the past two years.
UEC provides to the competitiveness of Oregon and the United States by furnishing power to crucial sectors including food/beverage production, warehousing/cold storage, freight distribution, information/data processing, waste management and recreation. The region also serves as a major — and critical — epicenter for agriculture production that includes such goods as grains, root vegetables, cattle and milk/dairy products grown across five states. Yet behind the statistics of supporting regional businesses rest significant investments in local communities. UEC distributed more than 8 billion kilowatt hours to the membership last year, while simultaneously dropping carbon emissions by 65%, a strong investment in sustainability. UEC is also focused on helping members save energy — $1 million was returned to members through energy efficiency rebates in 2024.
The cooperative is also focused on improvements to infrastructure to improve capacity and reliability for the region. UEC’s capital improvement program not only supports the electric system, it also creates economic ripples through the region. These investments include building multiple substations, such as the Columbia Substation, Irrigon South Substation,
Kelli Boulevard Substation and Weston Mountain Substation, all now complete. These major improvements support residential, irrigation, and industrial loads across the region. From the mountainous region of our East District to the barge and rail terminals of Boardman, the cooperative’s service supports the generation of more than $5 billion in economic output
and supplies $2.15 billion to the regional GDP, while providing more than $206 million in state and local tax revenue.
The investments in electric capital projects generate nearly 380 additional jobs in the region with $23 million in labor income, supporting additional skilled local jobs for citizens in the area. UEC’s community focus and economic impact extends beyond power lines and infrastructure improvement projects. Since 1988, over 1,000 students have participated in UEC’s Hydromania science camp for students in fourth through sixth grades. The cooperative has also awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships since 1998, including $50,000 to 16 students in 2024 alone. An example of supporting small business growth in the region is the creation of the cooperative’s Business Resource Center. The center was founded and launched in 2020 as a response to COVID-19, providing members with resources including business development, marketing assistance and access to financial resources. Also of note is the cooperative’s Revolving Loan Fund, which has provided $2.9 million to local businesses since 2007. That program alone has helped create 70 new jobs and retain 140 existing positions.
In 2024, two new businesses were opened in Hermiston using UEC’s Revolving Loan Fund. Industry Dance Company and Keg & Kork/Maple Moose Coffee, both located on Main Street in Hermiston, opened their doors last year using these funds. The program supports small business and, in these cases, are an example of the co-op’s investments in downtown revitalization. The Energy Saver Loan Program, the cooperative’s in-house loan program, offers low-interest financing for residential energy efficiency upgrades. Since the program began in 2019, UEC has helped 300 members improve the energy efficiency of their home. UEC has also joined with lending partner CoBank to furnish matching donations totaling $90,000 to many local organizations over a nine-year period.
UEC places an emphasis on area communities in other ways, including contributions to local projects and organizations. In the past, UEC has helped such organizations as the United Way of the Blue Mountains, Agape House, Eastern Oregon Women’s Coalition, Blue Mountain Community College Foundation, various Chambers of Commerce, the Farm-City Pro Rodeo and many others. These contributions enhance the fabric of the communities while powering the region’s economic engines.
As Northeast Oregon continues to grow, the UEC remains dedicated to providing the dependable, affordable energy that powers both daily life and long-term prosperity for the nearly 100,000 residents who call this region home. Umatilla Electric is charging forward to energize eastern Oregon’s economy.
