Cooperative Washington

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc

95min
SAIDI 2023
0.67
SAIFI 2023
6,490
Customers

What This Utility Data Tells You

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc is a member-owned electric cooperative operating in Washington under EIA identifier 4041. It reports service to approximately 6,490 customer accounts and generated about $0.03 billion in annual electric revenue, with a service footprint spanning 15 ZIP codes. As a cooperative, its governance is accountable to its ratepayer-members rather than shareholders, which often shapes rate-setting and reinvestment priorities.

In 2023, the average Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc customer experienced 95.4 minutes of power interruptions — a metric called SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). That places this utility well below the 120–180 minute national benchmark, signaling strong grid hardening and fast restoration practices. SAIFI — the average number of outage events per customer — was 0.67 for the same period, so customers statistically faced roughly 1 distinct interruption that year. Excluding major event days (hurricanes, ice storms), SAIDI drops to 95.4 minutes — the gap between that figure and the headline 95.4 reveals how much weather, not day-to-day infrastructure, drove outages.

The EIA dataset includes 4 years of continuous reporting (2020–2023) for Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc, which lets you see whether reliability is trending up or down rather than judging from a single snapshot. SAIDI has improved from 313.4 to 95.4 minutes over that window — a meaningful direction for prospective customers and regulators watching capital investment outcomes. All figures on this page come directly from EIA Form 861, the federal annual electric power industry survey, with service territory ZIPs sourced from OpenEI — you can cross-reference them with your own utility bill or use them when comparing providers before relocating.

SAIDI

95 min per year

Average outage minutes (2023)

SAIFI

0.67 interruptions/yr

Outage frequency (2023)

Customers

6,490

Served in Washington

SAIDI vs. National Average (180 min) 23.9%

95 minutes per customer per year

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc SAIDI

Minutes without power per year (2023)

95 SAIDI95 SAIDINat. avg 120120SAIDI95SAIDI

Good

Reliability Trend (2020–2023)

Year SAIDI (min) SAIDI nMED SAIFI Customers
2020 313.4 233.8 2.609 5,736
2021 224.7 187.3 1.943 5,809
2022 396.6 333.8 2.154 6,028
2023 95.4 95.4 0.665 6,392

SAIDI nMED = SAIDI without major event days. Source: EIA Form 861.

Service Area

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc serves 15 ZIP codes in Washington.

978139782897862991439930199323993289933799347993489935999360993619936299363

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc?

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc had a SAIDI of 95.4 minutes in 2023, meaning the average customer experienced about 95 minutes of outages that year. This is below the national average, indicating above-average reliability.

What type of utility is Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc?

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc is classified as a Cooperative serving Washington. Electric cooperatives are member-owned nonprofit utilities, typically serving rural areas.

What does SAIDI mean for Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc?

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) measures the average total minutes per year that a customer of Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc experiences power outages. A lower SAIDI indicates better reliability. The national average is roughly 120-180 minutes per year, so comparing Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc's SAIDI to that benchmark shows whether this utility is above or below average.

How many customers does Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc serve?

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc serves approximately 6,490 customers in Washington. Customer count can affect reliability metrics because larger utilities may face different infrastructure challenges compared to smaller ones.

How has Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc's reliability changed over time?

Columbia Rural Elec Assn, Inc has 4 years of reliability data (2020-2023). SAIDI has remained relatively stable over this period. Review the trend table above for year-by-year detail.

What is SAIDI without major event days?

SAIDI "without major event days" (SAIDI nMED) excludes outages caused by hurricanes, ice storms, and other catastrophic weather events. It better reflects day-to-day infrastructure reliability rather than vulnerability to extreme weather. Both standard SAIDI and SAIDI nMED are shown in the reliability trend table above.

Utility Profile

Type
Cooperative
State
Washington
Customers
6,490
Annual Revenue
$0.03B
EIA ID
4041
Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Form 861 annual electric power industry survey. ZIP service territory from OpenEI.

Related

Data sourced from official EIA reliability statistics and OpenEI utility rate database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainUtility Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.