Work on secondary embankment at Priest Rapids Dam progressesThe cost to build a secondary embankment on the Yakima County side of Priest Rapids Dam will increase $2.6 million to improve the project's quality and safety, commissioners heard Tuesday.The change order to the contract with IMCO General Construction increases the total project cost to $5...
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Commissioners unanimously gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a plan to relocate over the next decade Grant PUD's Ephrata headquarters and its Ephrata and Moses Lake service centers at a total cost estimate of $266 million.All three buildings need costly repairs, energy efficiency upgrades and more room for current operations and future growth. Th...
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EPHRATA, Wash. – Grant PUD has reopened its Visitor Center at Wanapum Dam and the Wanapum Heritage Center near Priest Rapids Dam to the public. The centers had been closed since March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The locations, days and hours are as follows:Grant PUD Visitor Center at Wanapum Dam: 14352 Washington 243, Beverly, WACu...
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452 Hits
The Grant PUD is gearing up for what they expect to be another record-breaking season at Grant PUD camping and recreation areas. Manager of License Compliance and Lands Services Shannon Lowry told commissioners her team is bracing for a record 13 concerts at The Gorge Amphitheater over the summer, including six weekend-long festivals. The amphithea...
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Faced with aged, undersized and inadequate buildings to serve a growing county, Grant PUD commissioners are considering a Facilities Master Plan proposal to build a new headquarters building and two new service centers on land with room to expand at locations yet to be determined.The preliminary plan calls for the existing headquarters in Ephrata a...
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423 Hits
EPHRATA, Wash. – Grant PUD commissioners are pleased to invite the public to resume in-person attendance during their regular board meetings, starting Tuesday, March 22.The commission had been conducting meetings virtually as a response to the COVID pandemic for the past two years. Now all board meetings will be held in person. Most regular commiss...
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Budgeted expenses, revenues up for overall gain in 2021Year-end financial results for 2021 show increases in both expenditures and revenues, while key financial indicators remain strong. Preliminary results show total expenditures of $417.2 million through December, up from the $380.6 million in the budget as originally approved. The total includes...
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Commissioners heard about plans to acquire an additional 1.13 acres adjacent to the future home of the Red Rock Substation east of Royal City. The district had previously obtained 1.26 acres for the construction of the new substation but has since determined it will now need to acquire the additional land west of the existing property from the Port...
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An experienced manager, Wallen formerly headed the utility's operations divisionsEPHRATA, Wash – Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday unanimously chose Rich Wallen as the utility's new general manager and chief executive officer. Wallen has served as interim general manager since Jan. 1, after former general manager Kevin Nordt stepped down to focus on ...
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An experienced manager, Wallen formerly headed the utility's operations divisionsEPHRATA, Wash – Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday unanimously chose Rich Wallen as the utility's new general manager and chief executive officer. Wallen has served as interim general manager since Jan. 1, after former general manager Kevin Nordt stepped down to focus on ...
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2245 Hits
EPHRATA, Wash. – Grant PUD is reopening its customer service offices to the public this week. The offices had been closed since March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.The days and hours for the various offices are as follows: Moses Lake, 312 W. Third Ave. – Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ephrata, 30 C St. SW – Tuesday, 9 a....
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3008 Hits
EPHRATA, Wash- Grant PUD commissioners will hold a vote during their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8 on whether to install Rich Wallen as the utility's general manager and chief executive officer.Wallen has served as interim general manager since Jan. 1 after former general manager Kevin Nordt stepped down from the position to focus on his health. Prior...
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886 Hits
EPHRATA- Grant PUD Commissioners renewed their commitment to building out Grant PUD's fiber-optic network as they reviewed fiber system expansion plans for 2022 during the Jan. 25 commission meeting. Grant PUD strives to expand fiber and/or complete construction to the following areas by the end of the year: Area surrounding Royal CityGeorge...
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1247 Hits
Customer Service local offices will reopen to the public Feb. 1. The offices had been closed since March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The days and hours for the various offices are as follows:Moses Lake, 312 W. Third Ave. – Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ephrata, 30 C St. SW – Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Quincy, 27 B St....
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976 Hits
Voters east and south of Moses Lake, in the McConihe Flats area, and in a small part of south Ephrata may have a different Grant PUD commissioner representing them after a redistricting proposal is approved in February. Randalynn Hovland, clerk of the Grant PUD Commission, explained in a presentation to commissioners during a public hearing on Tues...
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944 Hits
Commissioners Tuesday unanimously endorsed Rich Wallen (photo) as interim general manager and CEO of Grant PUD, effective Jan. 1, 2022. Wallen is currently acting general manager and CEO, a post he accepted following Kevin Nordt's decision to step down from the post Dec. 6 to accept a less-demanding role as chief resource officer as he continues tr...
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Nordt to take on new role to assure Grant PUD's long-term power supply Grant PUD General Manager and CEO Kevin Nordt will be stepping down at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6 to assume an important but less physically demanding role in helping assure a long-term power supply for Grant PUD customers.Grant PUD Chief Operations Officer Rich Wallen (left in the photo ...
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2165 Hits
Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved a $285.3 million budget for 2022 that for the third consecutive year includes no electric-rate increase and preserves the utility's financial strength amid a continued high, 4% annual growth rate in the county's demand for electricity. The budget funds key projects providing upgrades to infrastru...
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1534 Hits
Staff presented commissioners with a slate of proposed changes to how Grant PUD bills for the power that travels over its transmission lines but doesn't originate from a Grant PUD-owned generation source, like one of its dams.The changes include a proposed Rate Schedule 34 for transmitting federally sourced power for the federal Bureau of Reclamati...
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1234 Hits