ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT

ACTIVITIES AND SERVICE LEVEL DESCRIPTION:

The Electric Department is responsible for a safe and reliable source of power to residential, commercial and industrial customers. The Bandon Electric service area includes Bandon and extends from the Coquille River south to Denmark, and from the Pacific Ocean east on 42-S to the Fish Hatchery, and along both sides of US Highway 101.

The City purchases power from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and takes delivery at 3 step-down substations located at Bill's Creek, Two Mile and Langlois. From these delivery points the Electric Department distributes approximately 4,900,000 KWH of power to 3,723 customers per month.

The Electric Department is charged with the maintenance of all electric lines, buildings, vehicles and apparatus used to distribute power to its customers. When the budget permits, the Department undertakes additional system upgrade work, such as replacement of overhead with underground lines.

Funding

The activities of the Electric Department are operated primarily out of the Electric Fund, and are financed by revenues collected from the sale of electric power to utility customers. The City also maintains an Electric Reserve Fund, into which funds are deposited and used for major electric system repairs and improvements.

The Electric Department is responsible for:

• Providing a safe source of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
• Emergency electrical repairs during outages, reestablishing service as quickly as possible.
• Providing service both inside and outside the city limits.
• Reading the meters monthly. 
• Planning for future development.
• Preparing budget recommendations for the City Manager.
• Provide street lights.
• Providing an energy conservation program.

HISTORY OF BANDON ELECTRIC:

November 16, 1907, Bandon began using electricity for lights. The steam power plant operated with a capacity of 2,000 lights. The company went into receivership in March of 1910. Engineer A. S. Elliott took over as manager and immediately began installing meters and extending services to new customers. In September of 1916 A. L. Martin, manager of the Oregon Power Company in Marshfield, began negotiations with Bandon Power to purchase electricity from his company. He planned to run a line from Coquille through Riverton to Bandon. 

The owners moved the Bandon plant to the Prosper sawmill where it operated until 1918. The Prosper mill closed when orders for spruce lumber dropped after the war. The plant then moved the machinery to near the Acme Planing mill where it was able to acquire fuel from the nearby Moore Mill. The City of Bandon acquired the power plant in June of 1921 at a cost of $35,000 and became owner of its second utility. For a short time the city held a contract with Nestle's Food Company to connect with their generators in event of an emergency.

August 1, 1922, the city began operating the hydroelectric plant on Willow Creek south of Langlois. The crews constructed a dam east of the Roosevelt Highway (later Highway 101) and extended the power line to town. Some of the costs in building the plant were: storage dam $25,283.17, pipeline $26,874.73, powerhouse including machinery and equipment $7,479.74, and transmission line $23,538.38. In 1921 the city sold $110,000 in bonds to finance the Willow Creek project. Before it was completed the city ran out of funds and had to vote bonds for an additional $40,000. Costs would have been higher to delay so the citizens complied with a positive vote. The first year's operation reflected a net earning of $500 per month. The Willow Creek dam was 60 feet high, 160 feet long, and 60 feet thick at the bottom. The pipeline from the reservoir to the power plant sloped for 110 feet of fall. The engineers decreased the size of the pipe to provide maximum weight for turning the turbines. An almost immediate result of the hydroelectric plant came when J. H. Dalen, T. P. Hanly, and J. F. Kronenberg incorporated the Bandon Cedar Manufacturing Company and moved machinery in early 1922 from the former White Cedar Lumber Company plant at Coquille. In 1924 Mountain States Power Company built a 22,000 volt line from Beaver Hill Junction to Bandon.

The bonded debt continued to plague the city. Five years later in 1927 a study showed that the city should sell the electric system to a private company. The city brought J. W. McArthur of Eugene municipal hydroelectric company to give an unbiased appraisal of the situation. McArthur suggested $150,000 should be the minimum price instead of the recommended price of $120,000. He further stated that the city should not sell and gave reasons for his statement. The city received two bids, one for $100,000 and another from Mountain States Power Company for $120,000. The city did not sell.

CURRENT :

The City of Bandon Electric Department serves 2,725 residential and 998 commercial customers.

City of Bandon's electrical service is approximately two miles from east to west and seventeen miles north to south. It has 681,347 feet (129.05 miles) of underground wire and 1,568,821 feet (297.13 miles) of overhead wire. Our crew consists of seven employees: one supervisor, four linemen, one apprentice and one meter technician.

Bandon's Electric Service Policy requires that all new electrical services within the city limits will be installed underground.

CONSERVATION PROGRAM:

The City offers Free Energy Audits to its electric customers.  Find out what you can do to conserve energy and reduce your electricity costs.  The City has a qualifying window replacement incentive program to go along with our Heat Pump, Insulation, Appliance and Hot-Water Heater programs.  The lighting program includes some commercial retrofit light projects. Also, a small rebate is available for the purchase of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) not to exceed 20 per home, and retrofit of some light fixtures. 

The City also has a rebate program for the purchase and installation of new Energy Star Manufactured Homes.

For information on any of these programs or to request an audit contact the conservation specialist, at City Hall, 541-347-2437, extension 241.

In conjunction with Community Action, weatherization help is available at NO cost to income qualified customers, renters or owners. To contact Community Action call 541-888-7117.  (Applications are available at City Hall)