Central Oregon boasts some of the lowest utility rates in the
nation – as much as 30 percent lower than the U.S. national
average. Additionally, the region also has some unique advantages
for large volume users of certain utilities such as power, gas
and telecommunications, namely because main transmission lines,
pipelines, and fiber cable bundles converge here. The map below
provides an overview of the major capacity and convergence
through Central Oregon which is found in few other areas of its
size.
Telecommunications
QWest
Communications, the incumbent provider, along with several
other local carriers, provides telecom services to the region
including ISDN, DSL, voice messaging, call forwarding, as well as
T-1, T-3, OC-12 lines on a self-healing network. Points of
Presence (POP) are provide by QWEST Communications, AT & T,
and the Oregon Enterprise Network. Uniquely, the region has
three major fiber cables running through it including BPA, Qwest
and Enron (which includes the long-distance carriers of Sprint,
MCI WorldCom, Electric Lightwave, and others) to give communities
in Central Oregon some of the best telecom infrastructure of any
communities of similar size in the country.
Additionally, cable companies in the area offer expanded
services including cable modems and interconnectivity within the
communities of Central Oregon. The region’s excellent
telecommunications infrastructure is continually upgrading its
capacity as well as providing options for telecom-dependent
users, such as e-commerce businesses.
Electric Power
Electric users rely on a diversified supply of low-cost,
wholesale power generated both by hydroelectric and thermal
gas-burning power plants. Three electric utility
companies, Central Electric Co-op, Midstate Electric
Co-op, and Pacific Power serve the region with rates that
average between $0.045 and $0.05 per kilowatt hour. High
volume users normally pay toward the lower end (and even lower in
special cases) of the range.
Reliability, a major concern in today’s and the future
age of computers and information technology, is outstanding in
the region.
For information on current utility rates, please visit one of
Central Oregon's three utility company's website: Central Electric Co-op, Midstate Electric
Co-op, or Pacific Power.
Natural Gas
Natural Gas customers also find competitive rates and ample
supply for industrial, commercial or residential
uses. Rates are based on therms, which equal 100,000
BTUs, or 100 cubic feet. Rates are as follows:
Commercial:
$0.80493 per therm
Industrial:
$0.76550 per therm*
* for larger industrial customers using unbundled rates call
Cascade Natural
Gas, (800) 422-7559.
Municipal Services
Water
In spite of the region’s high-desert location, water
supplies easily meet the demands of our growing economy.
Clean, clear water from mountain snows and underground springs
supply several communities that have utilized a watershed system
for the past 90 years. Other municipalities outside the
reaches of mountain watersheds use high capacity wells to tap
into an enormous, pure, deep-aquifer created when the
region’s landmass was formed by volcanic forces.
Areas of development outside municipal boundaries use wells
also, often through water districts, private companies, or
neighborhood associations that maintain residential water
systems.
Sewer
With some of the best maintained and most innovative sewer
systems in the country, Central Oregon is able to maintain its
(and the state’s) reputation for being environmentally
pristine. For example, Prineville incorporated a municipal
golf course into their sewer treatment facility – a feat
that has made them a model for similar systems elsewhere in the
state. |
