Douglas Electric Co-op Moves Into New Building

The staff at Douglas Electric Co-op got to move back to their home location of 75 years into a brand new building. They finished moving in during the second week of November. The previous building was 75 years old and had numerous issues according to the Assistant General Manager, Phil Bigler. The company had an architect look at the old building and it was determined to be beyond saving. It did not meet current building or seismic codes, had a cracked roof and walls that created water leaks, poor insulation, lack of electrical outlets, and other issues. “In addition, we had outgrown it and it just wasn’t going to meet our needs going forward,” Bigler said. “We tried to find a building we could move to, but there really wasn’t anything available. The board decided that it was in the best interest of the members and the employees to go forward with a new building. It’s going to allow us to be more efficient and provide better service to our members.” Douglas Electric Co-op is private, not-for-profit electric utility that is owned by the members it serves. It was established to provide its members with the most reliable electric service at the lowest possible cost. DEC serves just over 11,000 meters in a service area that covers 2,500 square miles in western and northern Douglas County, with small portions in northeast and southeast Coos County and south Lane County.