OPALCO Board Candidate election season is in full swing! OPALCO members should have received a ballot. Get to know the candidates this year and vote in the election to help guide the energy future of San Juan County. There are 9 candidates for 2 open positions in District 1 (San Juan, et al) and District 2 (Orcas, et al). Here are the 2026 Board Candidates:
District 1 (one open position):
- Laura Derevensky
- Drew Gislason
- Richard Goodhart
- Adrian Kilpatrick
District 2 (one open position):
- Chuks Onwuneme (Incumbent)
- Conor Anderson
- Rick Fant
- Michael Readey
- Laura Stern
You can find candidate bios, recordings from the candidate forums, and candidates answers to some of the key issues affecting our energy future on our website: https://www.opalco.com/about-community/elections-hub/
Everyone votes for every open position, regardless of home island.
Democratic member control is one of the key parts of being a cooperative. The OPALCO Board guides the direction of the cooperative and is elected by YOU! Each year OPALCO must get at least 10% of the membership to vote in order for the election to count.
Plus – members who vote will be automatically entered to win some great raffle prizes, including electric appliances and tools!
Don’t forget to save the date for the OPALCO Annual Member Festival, which is Friday, May 8th on Lopez Island at the Lopez Center for Community and Arts. The event starts at 3 pm with lots of useful giveaways, information booths, kids’ activities, free food and more! Come by and celebrate being a co-op member!
Co-ops Vote!
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) is our member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,400 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. OPALCO provides electricity that is 97% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937. Follow OPALCO @OrcasPower on Facebook and Instagram.