Lane Electric Prepares for May 1 McKenzie Power Transition

Residents and businesses along the lower McKenzie River will soon see a change in their electric utility provider as the Lane Electric Cooperative (LEC) prepares to assume service for customers currently served by the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB).

During three public meetings last week, utility officials assured people they shouldn’t experience any outages when the handoff occurs on May 1.

“Electricity will continue flowing through the same power lines and infrastructure already in place,” utility manager Scott Coe told people at a mid day meeting last Wednesday. ” The primary changes will occur in billing systems and day-to-day operations,” he said.

As part of the transition, LEC crews will interrupt on-site electrical service for from two to three minutes as they replace existing electric meters with new smart meters. After the upgrade customers will be able to track electricity usage through Lane Electric’s SmartHub app and online portal, which tracks both daily and hourly energy usage.

Coe said the cooperative also offers energy efficiency assistance to help members understand and reduce high electricity consumption.

All EWEB customers in the area will need to apply to become members of the Lane Electric Cooperative, officials said. LEC charges a flat rate of 10.34 cents per kilowatt-hour, with no seasonal or time-of-use differences.

During the transition, billing information will be transferred from EWEB to Lane Electric systems. Some customers may need to re-establish automatic payments once their new accounts are active.

Questioned about wildfire prevention, Coe said it is a major focus for the cooperative’s rural service territory.

The utility maintains a three-year vegetation management cycle, trimming trees and brush along power line corridors. Officials said they also use a more aggressive rural trimming standard than utilities serving urban areas.

Last year crews removed 1,750 hazard trees across the system. In the McKenzie area, 65 additional hazard tree locations have been identified and are scheduled for removal before this summer’s fire season, with work planned farther downriver afterward.

Two contractors will assist with that work. Lane Electric assured people crews will carry identification and operate marked vehicles, plus residents can call the utility office to verify workers accessing their property.

On the economic front, Lane Electric is developing a 10-year capital plan for the newly acquired McKenzie service area that will focus on improving reliability and wildfire resilience.

About half of Lane Electric’s system is currently underground. Officials said they will continue to evaluate undergrounding power lines in locations where it significantly improves reliability or reduces wildfire risk, while balancing costs for cooperative members.

Other upgrades may include replacing aging poles and transformers, upgrading electrical conductors and installing insulated or covered power lines designed to reduce ignition risk.

The cooperative also plans improvements that could eventually allow electricity to reach the McKenzie area from multiple directions, providing additional backup during outages.

In addition, officials said critical facilities like local fish hatchery, water treatment systems and wildlife centers will be included in long-term planning.

View a video of the meeting at: tinyurl.com/3nz6cr3x