State of the Cooperative

CEC Energy Service Representative Sarah Metzler hands out a raffle prize to member Ron Gregg. Photos by Shane Stenhjem

Central Electric Cooperative’s (CEC) 85th annual meeting focuses on growth and infrastructure to serve members for decades to come.

By Brent ten Pas

Across Central Oregon, the signs of growth are hard to miss, from new neighborhoods in Bend to expanding communities in northwest Redmond and Sisters. How the co-op is preparing to meet the energy and infrastructure demands in a rapidly changing region was the major theme of Central Electric Cooperative’s 85th annual meeting held April 10 at Deschutes County Fairgrounds.

Ridgeview High School’s premier singing group, RavenSong, kicked off the festivities by performing the national anthem. Redmond Proficiency Academy senior Ashton Craig shared highlights of his participation in last year’s Washington, D.C., Youth Tour.

Oregon Rural Cooperative Association Executive Director Ted Case served as the keynote speaker, engaging and entertaining members with a 1970s game show theme to highlight the critical issues facing cooperatives in Salem and Washington, D.C.

Redmond Proficiency Academy senior Ashton Craig shares his Washington, D.C., Youth Tour experience with members.

President and CEO Brad Wilson’s annual report focused on growth and its implications for the cooperative’s future. Over the past 5 years, CEC has seen its membership increase by 10.5%, with another 10% expected over the next 5 years. As of the end of 2025, the co-op had 31,573 members and 39,931 active electric service accounts, making it the second-largest cooperative in the state.

Wilson highlighted the Stevens Ranch area in southeast Bend—featuring new housing, commercial space and a major public library—to illustrate the scale and pace of change. Northwest Redmond and Sisters reflect ongoing growth as well.

For CEC, this growth presents opportunity and responsibility. Increased membership helps spread fixed costs and stabilize rates, but it also requires significant investment in infrastructure.

To keep pace, the cooperative is advancing a long-term capital investment strategy to continue updating and enhancing its electric system, including building a new substation in southeast Bend, increasing line capacity, and replacing aging poles and underground cable. These infrastructure upgrades strengthen reliability, expand system capacity, and ensure we can safely serve existing and new members.

Wilson announced the co-op is making a much-needed infrastructure investment with the Redmond Campus Improvement Project. The existing administration building, in service since 1977, no longer meets the needs of a rapidly growing utility, including workforce and membership. The board of directors’ approved project includes a new administration building, warehouse, and truck bays, along with modest upgrades to existing facilities.

The approximately $25,000,000 investment will improve efficiency, enhance safety, and strengthen outage response capabilities, with completion targeted for 2027.

Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association Executive Director Ted Case serves as the meeting’s guest speaker.

Another major focus of Wilson’s remarks was resource adequacy—the challenge of ensuring a sufficient, reliable power supply amid rapid regional growth in the Northwest. Industry projections indicate a load growth of up to 30% over the next decade, driven by electrification, population growth, and data center expansion.

Wilson highlighted efforts to secure long-term energy for members, including potential participation in a local solar-plus-storage project and new wind and solar power purchase agreements through a 25-member generation and transmission cooperative, Pacific Northwest Generation Cooperative.

CEC employees and members gave a heartfelt standing ovation to thank retiring Board Director Boyd Keeton, who served more than 4 decades representing the Tumalo area.

Known for his steady leadership and commitment to members, Keeton helped guide the cooperative through periods of growth and economic volatility, advanced long-term planning, and supported key infrastructure investments throughout his tenure.

Members enjoyed raffle drawings offering a wide range of prizes, including a $500 electric bill credit won by member Scott Granger, of Powell Butte.

Director Elections

Retiring Board Director Boyd Keeton receives a standing ovation for his 40 years of service with Central Electric Cooperative.

3 uncontested CEC board of directors positions were up for election this year. CEC members reelected incumbents Kip Light, District 3 (Madras), and Tom Strand, District 5 (Terrebonne), along with newcomer Chuck Cant, District 2 (Tumalo).

All will serve terms through April 2029. Cant fills the vacancy left by Keeton’s retirement.