Umpqua Indian Utility Cooperative
The Umpqua Indian Utility Cooperative (UIUC) serves wholesale electrical loads of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians at their casino and truck stop developments near Canyonville, Oregon. About 2.5 megawatts of power purchased from the Bonneville Power Administration is distributed by UIUC, which is the first tribal utility to acquire existing utility infrastructure and begin operation with a different power supplier.
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The following report provides a case study on the UIUC formation: Case Study On the Formation of Umpqua Indian Utility Cooperative A Tribal Utility Formed by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, prepared by Margaret M. Schaff, PC, for The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Economic Development Corporation, December 2002 (PDF 184 KB).
The relevant tribal legal documents that relate to this case study are:
- The Tribal Legal Code for the UIUC (PDF 239 KB)
- The Tribal Legal Code for eminent domain (PDF 158 KB).
This code establishes the tribe's legal authority to take private property for tribal public purpose, including the infrastructure needs of the UIUC.