A plain-language guide from Lewis County PUD
Where your power comes from
About 90 percent of the electricity Lewis County PUD delivers to your home or business comes from the Bonneville Power Administration, known as BPA. BPA is a federal agency that operates 31 hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake River systems — including Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day on the Columbia River, and Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite on the Snake River. Together these dams generate more power than any other hydroelectric system in the western United States. That power flows to Lewis County PUD, which then delivers it to your meter. Lewis County PUD purchases power from BPA under a long-term contract and distributes it across the county.
Why BPA power is so affordable
The Columbia River runs whether or not electricity is being generated, so once the dams are built, the marginal cost of producing each additional unit of power is very low compared to coal, natural gas, and most solar and wind installations. BPA passes those low costs on to public utilities like Lewis County PUD — and we pass them on to you. That is the primary reason Lewis County electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. It is not an accident or a subsidy; it is the direct result of publicly owned infrastructure on a major river system, operated on a not-for-profit basis and sold at cost to community-owned utilities like ours.
How BPA rates affect what you pay
BPA sets its wholesale power rates through a formal public process, typically every two years. When BPA’s costs go up — due to dam maintenance, transmission upgrades, environmental compliance, or having to purchase replacement power on the open market — those increases flow through to utilities like Lewis County PUD, and ultimately to customers. Lewis County PUD does not profit from rate increases. Every dollar of BPA cost increase that passes through to your bill is a dollar we paid to BPA. When BPA’s costs are stable or fall, we work to keep your rates as low as possible and to smooth out any increases over time.
How Lewis County PUD advocates for you
Lewis County PUD participates actively in the regional and national organizations that shape federal energy policy and BPA’s decisions. That work happens through rate case proceedings, federal rulemaking comments, legislative advocacy, and direct engagement with BPA leadership. Most customers never see this work, but it has a direct effect on what you pay. Keeping rates low requires constant attention at every level of the system, and your utility shows up to do that work year-round.
Questions about your bill or how BPA affects your rates? Contact Lewis County PUD at (360) 748-9261 or visit www.lcpud.org.
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