OPALCO Pays Tribute to Paul Allen

— from Suzanne Olson, Orcas Power & Light Cooperative —

The world lost a true friend in the passing of Paul Allen. Many are telling the stories of his incredible contributions to science, technology and humanity around the world and particularly in Washington State. You may not realize it, but Allen’s generosity is responsible for the improvements OPALCO was able to make for the safety of our crews in the field and access to first responders county wide.

In 2014, Paul Allen’s company, Vulcan, carved out a small block of 600 MHz spectrum and made it available to OPALCO. San Juan County has such a small population base – we would not have ever had access to this key element of connectivity without Allen’s foresight and generosity. Owning that spectrum set OPALCO up for success with the purchase of Rock Island Communication and made it possible to build a wireless network in San Juan County.

Whether a member of your family is out in the field as a lineworker, law enforcement officer or emergency medical provider; whether you or your family have ever benefited from local emergency services; whether you or a family member can now work remotely from home; whether you’ve noticed the increased coverage for mobile communications county-wide; or whether you can simply appreciate the opportunity to stream a movie at home all the way through without buffering: Paul Allen made it all possible.

Please join us in sending our thoughts of gratitude and peace to the family of Paul Allen. May we all take inspiration from his philanthropic spirit for the greater good.

Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) is our member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County.  OPALCO provides electricity that is 95% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937. Follow OPALCO @OrcasPower on Facebook and Twitter.