Founded in 1911, we are Oregon's largest customer-owned utility. We provide water and electricity to the Eugene community. See a map of our service area.
As a public utility, we do not operate to earn a profit or to serve the investment needs of stockholders. Instead, EWEB is chartered by the City of Eugene to serve the interests of its citizens. We are owned by the people of Eugene and it's our job to provide reliable, affordable water and electricity for our customers.
Our mission is to enhance our community's vitality by delivering drinking water and electric services consistent with the values of our customer-owners. And our vision is to do so while being a local utility that inspires our customers to invest in and rely on us.
Our core values:
- SAFE: We value the safety, physical and psychological wellness, of our workforce and the public, the security and integrity of cyber assets and data, and the protection of our customers’ assets.
- RELIABLE: We value the ongoing continuous on-demand delivery of drinking water and electricity, and the dependability of our response to our customers.
- AFFORDABLE: We value and respect our customer-owners’ financial resources by making wise investments and controlling costs and rates.
- ENVIRONMENTAL: We value the prudent and sustainable stewardship of the environment and natural resources, including preserving our watershed, and our role in reducing the greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to Climate Change.
- COMMUNITY/CULTURE: We value a culture of intentional actions and outcomes, continuous improvement, diverse perspectives, that is trustworthy, respectful, equitable, and inclusive to employees and community members. We are dedicated to our public service, professions, local governance, and commitment to serve our community honestly and with integrity.
Your elected commissioners
The citizens of Eugene elect five commissioners to four-year terms. They dedicate their service to the utility as volunteers without pay.
Public meetings
The board holds its regular meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. Commissioners welcome and encourage customers to come to meetings and share feedback.
Your drinking water quality
Access to clean water is vital to our community. That is why we work hard to deliver water that meets or exceeds all state and federal health standards.
Our power supply
Here in Eugene, we are fortunate to have one of the cleanest power portfolios in the nation, with almost no electricity sourced from fossil fuels.
Facts and figures
| Electric customers served | 98,000 |
| Water customers served | 63,000 |
| Line miles of wire | 2,700 |
| Miles of water pipes | 800 |
| Annual energy served | 2,300,000 MWh |
| Annual water served | 8.5 billion gallons |
| Generation facilities owned | 4 |
| Service territory | 73 square miles |
| Workforce | 600 |
| Annual contributions to City’s general fund | $14 million |
EWEB General Manager
John Hairston officially joined EWEB on May 11, 2026, bringing decades of energy industry leadership to EWEB.
Before joining EWEB, John spent 35 years at the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) — the federal agency that supplies most of EWEB’s hydropower — rising through roles spanning compliance, rates, IT, energy efficiency, safety, and power planning, before serving as BPA’s Administrator and CEO. He holds a law degree from Lewis & Clark College, a master’s in urban studies from Portland State University, and a bachelor’s in economics from Southern University in Baton Rouge.
John is focused on the utility issues that are critical to our community — transitioning to a cleaner, more resilient electric grid, ensuring the long-term reliability and stewardship of our water systems, and making responsible investments in the infrastructure our community depends on.
“I feel a profound sense of responsibility, and honestly, a lot of excitement to lead an organization that is so vital to the daily lives of everyone in Eugene. EWEB is a public treasure, and I'm committed to ensuring we are transparent, responsive, and deeply connected to the people we serve.”
Email John
Meet our team
An organization is only as strong as its people. At EWEB, we employ a diverse group of skilled public servants. Most employees live in our service territory and pay EWEB bills. "Powered by People" features some of the dedicated professionals who serve you—EWEB's customer-owners.
Find out moreCareer opportunities
As a public utility, we offer employees a unique working culture where dedication to public service is combined with state-of-the-art technology.
Here, you'll have opportunities to maximize your career growth while enjoying the personal satisfaction and reward of working for a public utility. You will be supported and encouraged by a collaborative spirit that guides how we work together every day.
EWEB news
Articles about projects, EWEB in the community, energy efficiency, water conservation and more.
Read morePublications and reports
As a customer-owned utility, transparency and accountability are important to us. Our annual budget, strategic plan, quarterly updates and other reports are available to the public.
Find out more
About EWEB
The Eugene Water & Electric Board is Oregon's largest customer-owned utility. Founded in 1911, EWEB provides water and electricity to approximately 200,000 people in the Eugene area, including major institutions such as the University of Oregon. A five-member elected Board of Commissioners governs the utility, which does not operate to earn a profit or to serve the investment needs of stockholders. Employing approximately 600 people, EWEB serves the people of Eugene by embodying core values of safety, reliability, affordability, environmental responsibility and community/culture. EWEB owns four energy generation facilities, including hydroelectric projects on the McKenzie and Clackamas Rivers, and leads watershed protection measures with local landowners and environmental organizations. With one of the greenest energy supplies in the nation, approximately 90% of EWEB’s power comes from carbon-free sources, and EWEB is committed to achieving a 95% carbon-free energy portfolio by 2030.
Public records requests and claims
We support and encourage the routine disclosure of information. If you can't find what you're looking for in routine channels, you may make a public records request. Submit a liability claim to request reimbursement for losses related to injury or damages allegedly resulting from EWEB operations.
Our policies and procedures
It's important that you have easy access to our policies, procedures, fees, charges and rates for electricity, water and other services.
