Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) received recognition in the 2010 “Spotlight on Excellence” national awards program, sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. OPALCO received the top honor in their category – an Award of Excellence – for “Best Website.” Suzanne Olson, Communication Specialist, worked with Portland design firm Synotac (www.synotac.com) to create the website, which was launched in 2009. A special luncheon honored the award recipients during the Connect 2010 Conference held in Kansas City, MO on May 12th.
The annual Spotlight awards competition recognizes the top-rated communication and marketing efforts by electric cooperatives and related organizations. Electric cooperative communicators and marketing professionals submitted more than 804 entries in the Spotlight on Excellence program, now in its 22nd year. Faculty members from the University of Missouri – Columbia and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill judged the entries.
OPALCO is a member-owned cooperative electrical utility serving more than 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. OPALCO provides electricity that is 97% greenhouse-gas free and is predominately generated by hydro-electric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937 to bring electricity to rural islanders.
