Idaho Power and Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative announce agreement to transfer ownership of Idaho Power’s Oregon Service Area
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, February 20th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – Yesterday, the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) and Idaho Power jointly announced an agreement to sell and transfer ownership and operation of Idaho Power’s Oregon Service Area to OTEC for $154 million dollars. If approved, 20,000 Idaho Power customers in Eastern Oregon would be transferred to OTEC’s service, with Idaho Power reducing its service area exclusively to Idaho. Idaho Power would continue to operate power generation and transmission infrastructure in Oregon.
Reflecting on the possible major expansion of OTEC’s service area, Oregon representative Bobby Levy commented:
“I’m thrilled to see the possibility of OTEC acquiring Idaho Power’s Oregon service territory. While there is still a lot of work to be done between now and the culmination of this process, I’m excited for OTEC to acquire 20,000 new members and to continue the great work they’ve done in Eastern Oregon.”
In a recent newsletter, OTEC wrote:
“Because OTEC’s existing service territory is already connected to Idaho Power’s Oregon operations, we’re in a strong position to welcome these new members and support them efficiently. This acquisition gives us a unique opportunity to strengthen and expand the service we provide to our members.
Current members will not experience changes to their rates as a result of the acquisition. Increasing our membership gives OTEC additional economies of scale. Utilities have a lot of fixed costs, and growing our membership means those costs are spread across more individuals, which supports price stability over time.”
The full joint press release on the sale and transfer, as issued by OTEC and Idaho Power, is as follows:
(Release from the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative and Idaho Power)
“Idaho Power and Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) announced they have entered into an agreement to transition ownership of Idaho Power’s Oregon service area. The proposed sale, with a base purchase price of $154 million, is subject to state and federal approvals.
“This decision reflects Idaho Power’s and OTEC’s shared commitment to meeting the needs of eastern Oregon communities,” said Lisa Grow, President and CEO of Idaho Power. “Oregon represents a small share of our business — projected to be less than 3% of total sales by 2030 — and reducing our service area to one state will allow Idaho Power to focus funding, infrastructure investments, and our workforce on Idaho’s growing population and energy demand. We’re confident OTEC will provide a strong local focus and dedicated service for eastern Oregonians, while Idaho Power concentrates on supporting Idaho communities.”
If the sale is approved, Idaho Power’s 20,000 residential, irrigation, commercial, and industrial customers in Oregon will transfer to OTEC’s service, adding to the cooperative’s current service territory across Baker, Union, Grant, and Harney counties.
“The integration of this service territory is a natural fit for our existing operations,” said Les Penning, CEO of OTEC. “OTEC and Idaho Power have a positive, long-standing relationship through transmission interconnection and delivery of power. This relationship will continue and is equally important moving forward as we transition these communities to the cooperative. We look forward to serving our new member-owners while remaining focused on our mission of delivering safe, reliable, and competitively priced power.”
After the transfer to OTEC, Idaho Power would no longer directly serve Oregon retail electric customers but would continue to own and operate generation and transmission resources in Oregon, including the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) transmission line, that provide power to Idaho, Oregon, and across the region. B2H has always been and will continue to be a critical resource for serving Oregon customers.
Idaho Power and OTEC will work together closely to prepare for a smooth transition as regulators consider the proposal.
For more information about Idaho Power, OTEC, and the proposed sale, please visit idahopower.com/Oregon or otec.coop/IdahoPower.”
