Chelan County Public Utility District
| Founded | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Wenatchee, Washington, U.S. |
| Products | Public utility |
Production output | 9 million megawatt-hours |
The Chelan County Public Utility District (Chelan County PUD) offers electric, water, wastewater, and telecommunications services throughout Chelan County in north-central Washington. Established as a nonprofit municipal entity, it functions as a customer-owned cooperative. Oversight is provided by a Board of Commissioners elected by the customer-owners, who benefit from dividends in the form of lower rates derived from the District’s financial performance.
History and operations
Since its inception in 1936, the PUD initiated electric service in 1947 and has since expanded to manage utilities for electricity, water, and wastewater. Its electric segment encompasses power generation facilities alongside distribution networks. Empowered to engage in wholesale and retail electricity transactions, the District also develops and operates power plants and transmission infrastructure, funding these initiatives through revenue bond issuance.
The portfolio of generating resources includes three hydroelectric dams complemented by limited solar installations and diesel generators reserved for backup power. The distribution system features transmission lines, switchyards, and associated apparatus.
Hydropower
Chelan County PUD possesses the second largest hydroelectric system among nonfederal public owners in the United States. Its two Columbia River dams—Rocky Reach Dam and Rock Island Dam—are integral components of an 11-dam cascade on a major North American river basin. Additionally, the third facility on Lake Chelan and Chelan River serves dual purposes: electricity production and regulation of lake levels for the reservoir stretching 50 miles.
Collectively, these hydroelectric assets provide over 2,000 megawatts of capacity, generating approximately 9 million megawatt-hours annually—sufficient to supply power to a city with around 900,000 residents. This hydropower resource delivers affordable, renewable energy with minimal environmental footprint.
About 37% of this generation capacity supplies customers within Chelan County, including Alcoa’s aluminum smelter located in Wenatchee. The remaining 63% is primarily marketed to Puget Sound Energy, Avista Corporation, PacifiCorp, and Portland General Electric through a high-voltage network covering roughly 16,000 square miles across the Pacific Northwest. Residents of Chelan County enjoy an average residential electricity rate near 3 cents per kilowatt-hour—considerably lower than the national average of 8 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Other Utilities
In addition to electric services, Chelan County PUD manages water and wastewater utilities and operates Washington state’s largest open-access fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network.
Parks
Under its hydroelectric licensing agreements, Chelan County PUD owns fourteen parks and recreational areas. Seven are directly maintained by the PUD Parks and Recreation Department; the remaining sites are overseen by local municipal or state authorities.
Parks in the Chelan Area
In proximity to Chelan, the PUD administers Chelan Falls Park, Chelan Falls Powerhouse Park, Chelan Riverwalk Park, and Beebe Bridge Park.
Parks in the Wenatchee Area
In the Wenatchee area, the district oversees the management of Wenatchee Riverfront Park, Walla Walla Point Park, as well as Rock Island Hydro Park located in Douglas County. The Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail, which was finished in 1995, received funding from the PUD as part of its dam mitigation initiatives.