Douglas County Public Utility

What Douglas County Public Utility does

Douglas County Public Utility District (Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County, Washington; dba "Douglas County PUD," "Douglas PUD," "DCPUD") is a community-owned public utility founded in 1940 and headquartered in East Wenatchee, Washington, with a secondary office in Bridgeport. It is a government state entity organized under Washington State law, governed by three elected commissioners and led by General Manager Gary Ivory; it is not a private or publicly traded company and has no parent organization. The District serves residential and business customers within Douglas County through three retail lines — electric service, fiber internet ($35/month for 1 Gbps), and the Withrow Water System — and operates bill-assistance programs for income-qualified households.

The District's principal asset is the Wells Hydroelectric Project on the Columbia River, which began commercial operation on August 22, 1967 and comprises ten generating units integrated into a single hydrocombine structure (generators, spillways, switchyard, and fish passage in one facility), delivering 774.3 MW of nameplate capacity and approximately 840 MW peaking capacity. The project includes a Juvenile Fish Bypass System achieving 92-96.2% guidance efficiency — the highest of any Columbia River hydroproject — and operates under a 50-year FERC-approved Habitat Conservation Plan through 2054. Approximately 84.5% of Wells output is sold under 10-year fixed-price contracts (effective September 1, 2018) to Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric, and Avista, with the remaining 15.5% allocated at cost to the Colville Tribes (5.5%) and Okanogan PUD (10%) per legacy 1963 obligations.

In 2025 the District added a renewable hydrogen production facility at Baker Flats (5MW PEM electrolyzer, 2 metric tons/day at full capacity) — the first such facility owned and operated by a US public utility — and opened Washington's first hydrogen fueling station at its East Wenatchee location. Revenue mechanics are predominantly subscription/recurring across wholesale power contracts, retail electric distribution, fiber internet, and water service, with a pilot-stage hydrogen mobility revenue line emerging in 2025.

Name

Douglas County Public Utility

Legal name

Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County

Website

https://dcpud.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Douglas County Public Utility District is a community-owned Washington public utility (est. 1940) serving Douglas County residents with retail electricity, fiber internet, and water, and operating the 774 MW Wells Dam on the Columbia River plus a 2025-vintage renewable hydrogen facility and fueling station.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Services

NAICS

Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Reservoir/Impoundment Hydroelectric Generation (EUACAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Utility-Scale Generator PPAs (Project Offtake) (EUAGADAB), Retail Electric Providers / Competitive Distribution Utilities (where applicable) (EUADABAE)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Hydroelectric power generation
• Fiber optic internet
• Renewable hydrogen production
• Municipal water service

Headquarters

HQ city

Pateros, Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Electric Service: Residential and commercial electricity distribution and generation services powered by Wells Dam hydroelectric facility. The utility sells power under at-cost contracts to tribal entities and other PUDs.
2. Internet Service: Fiber optic internet service provided directly to customers at competitive pricing ($35/month for 1 GB service).
3. Water Service: Water utility service for the Withrow Water System area.
4. Power Sales Contracts: Long-term power sales agreements with Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric, and Avista. Fixed-price contracts with output allocation to Colville Tribes and Okanogan PUD at cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Douglas County Public Utility District (Douglas PUD) is a community-owned public utility that delivers electric, fiber-optic internet, and water services to residential and commercial customers within Douglas County, Washington. Its primary generation asset is the Wells Hydroelectric Project on the Columbia River, with 774.3 MW of installed nameplate capacity, supplemented by a renewable hydrogen production facility and hydrogen fueling station supporting clean-energy mobility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Service
• Fiber Optic Internet Service
• Withrow Water System
• Hydrogen Fueling Station

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest fish guidance efficiency on Columbia River (92-96.2%)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Puget Sound EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018Power purchaser under new 10-year contracts effective September 1, 2018. Predominantly fixed-price contracts for output from Wells Project. One of three major utility purchasers.
• Portland General ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018Power purchaser under new 10-year contracts effective September 1, 2018. Additional output contracts terminating at end of 2025.
• Avista CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018Power purchaser under new 10-year contracts effective September 1, 2018. Additional output contracts terminating at end of 2023.
• Colville TribescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllocated 5.5% of Wells Project output at cost. Legacy contract obligations continue from original 1963 power sales contracts.
• Okanogan PUDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllocated 10% of Wells Project output at cost. Legacy contract obligations continue from original 1963 power sales contracts.
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)coreOthersSignatory party to Wells Habitat Conservation Plan. Provides Endangered Species Act coverage and biological opinions for hatchery and hydro project operations.
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreOthersSignatory party to Wells HCP. Cooperates on salmon and steelhead protection measures.
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)coreOthersSignatory party to Wells HCP. Collaborates on fish passage and habitat conservation.
• Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory party to Wells HCP and holder of at-cost power allocation. Collaborates on aquatic resource protection.
• Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (YN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory party to Wells HCP. Participates in fish passage and habitat conservation planning.
• ToyotaminorOthersToyota Mirai fuel cell car displayed at hydrogen facility ribbon-cutting event. Demonstrates hydrogen vehicle technology to community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Avista Corporation: Investor-owned electric and natural gas utility serving eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Directly comparable as a long-term wholesale power purchaser of Douglas PUD's output and a regional IOU with overlapping Washington service territory.
• Idaho Power Company: Investor-owned utility in the Pacific Northwest with substantial hydroelectric generation on the Snake River. Comparable as a regional utility leveraging hydro resources, environmental stewardship, and similar regulatory frameworks.
• Puget Sound Energy: Washington's largest investor-owned utility and a 10-year wholesale power purchaser of Douglas PUD's Wells output. Comparable as a major regional wholesale buyer/partner and utility operator in the Pacific Northwest.
• Portland General Electric: Oregon investor-owned utility with significant hydroelectric and renewable generation. Comparable as a wholesale power purchaser of Wells output and a regional IOU with overlapping clean energy mix.

Direct peers

• Seattle City Light: Washington municipal utility operating Boundary Dam and Skagit River hydroelectric projects. Comparable as a publicly-owned Pacific Northwest utility with significant hydro generation, distribution, and environmental stewardship under HCP frameworks.
• Cowlitz County PUD: Washington public utility district with hydro generation on the Cowlitz River including the Mossyrock Dam. Comparable in scale, public utility district structure, and Columbia River tributary hydro operations.
• Chelan County PUD: Washington public utility district operating hydroelectric assets on the Columbia River (Rocky Reach and Rock Island dams). Directly comparable as a fellow mid-Columbia PUD with hydro generation, distribution, fiber, and water services to a defined county service territory.
• Grant County PUD: Washington public utility district operating Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams on the Columbia River. The closest comparable peer given shared mid-Columbia hydro generation, similar wholesale customer mix, and equivalent public utility district structure.
• Tacoma Power: Municipal utility of Tacoma, Washington operating hydroelectric projects on the Cowlitz River. Comparable Pacific Northwest public power generator with similar HCP-driven environmental obligations and retail distribution.
• Snohomish County PUD: Washington public utility district providing electricity, water, and fiber services. Comparable in governance structure, multi-utility model, and renewables focus, though with larger customer base and different generation mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DouglasPUD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWOrAmF589bnw3RrRGCoWnw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DouglasCountyPUD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/douglas-county-public-utility

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Douglas County Public Utility