Boise, ID and Baker City, OR — February 19, 2026 —Today, Idaho Power and Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) announced they have entered into an agreement to transition ownership of Idaho Power’s Oregon service area. The proposed sale, with a base purchase price of $154 million, is subject to state and federal approvals.
“This decision reflects Idaho Power’s and OTEC’s shared commitment to meeting the needs of eastern Oregon communities,” said Lisa Grow, President and CEO of Idaho Power. “Oregon represents a small share of our business — projected to be less than 3% of total sales by 2030 — and reducing our service area to one state will allow Idaho Power to focus funding, infrastructure investments, and our workforce on Idaho’s growing population and energy demand. We’re confident OTEC will provide a strong local focus and dedicated service for eastern Oregonians, while Idaho Power concentrates on supporting Idaho communities.”
If the sale is approved, Idaho Power’s 20,000 residential, irrigation, commercial, and industrial customers in Oregon will transfer to OTEC’s service, adding to the cooperative’s current service territory across Baker, Union, Grant, and Harney counties.
“The integration of this service territory is a natural fit for our existing operations,” said Les Penning, CEO of OTEC. “OTEC and Idaho Power have a positive, long-standing relationship through transmission interconnection and delivery of power. This relationship will continue and is equally important moving forward as we transition these communities to the cooperative. We look forward to serving our new member-owners while remaining focused on our mission of delivering safe, reliable, and competitively priced power.”
After the transfer to OTEC, Idaho Power would no longer directly serve Oregon retail electric customers but would continue to own and operate generation and transmission resources in Oregon, including the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) transmission line, that provide power to Idaho, Oregon, and across the region. B2H has always been and will continue to be a critical resource for serving Oregon customers.
Idaho Power and OTEC will work together closely to prepare for a smooth transition as regulators consider the proposal.
For more information about Idaho Power, OTEC, and the proposed sale, please visit idahopower.com/Oregon or otec.coop/IdahoPower.
Media Contacts:
Jordan Rodriguez
Communications Specialist
Idaho Power
jrodriguez@idahopower.com
1-208-388-2460
Lea Hoover
Director of Member and Strategic Services
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative
communications@otec.coop
1-541-524-2831