EPHRATA – Sabey Data Centers (Sabey), headquartered in Seattle, WA, recently donated 75 Chromebook computers to school districts in Grant County.Sabey operates a colocation data center campus in Quincy, WA.Sabey graciously chose to contribute to Grant PUD's Pay-it-Forward fund with the Columbia Basin Foundation. This fund provides opportunity for G...

Second-quarter updata shows finances continue strongThe latest 5-year financial forecast shows Grant PUD meeting most of its financial targets through 2025 with virtually no annual electric rate increases to customers, commissioners learned Tuesday. But conditions could change amid revenue uncertainty on the wholesale energy market and spending nee...

Budget impacts from COVID-19 mild, so far A strong financial position, better-than-expected wholesale energy prices, and debt reduction and re-funding work completed earlier this year combine to minimize, for now, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Grant PUD finances to date, commissioners heard Tuesday. A high degree of uncertainty remains ab...

EPHRATA – Grant PUD is evaluating when it can reopen its recreation sites, which were closed in March because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.Grant PUD operates 20 recreation sites on the Columbia River. During the pandemic, the utility is placing the highest priority on keeping its mission critical systems functioning. These systems include...

EPHRATA — Quick work and careful market watching by Grant PUD's Finance team resulted in debt-reduction and refinancing work that will save the utility just over $158 million in debt service through 2044. "We were in a good position to act when interest rates began to steadily decline," Senior Manager of Treasury Bonnie Overfield said. "The Distric...

Desplácese hacia abajo para españolMove coincides with other public lands' closures to prevent spread of COVID-19 EPHRATA — Grant PUD has made the difficult decision to close all its parks, campsites, boat launches and other recreation areas and facilities until further notice as an added measure to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.Th...

EPHRATA – Grant PUD urges customers having difficulties paying their power bills to call its customer service line at 509-766-2505 or email ​This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.​.By calling, customer service representatives will be able to discuss resources and options for assistance with bills, including: Modified payment plans to help customers catch up wit...

This week's commission meeting was held digitally, by audio conference, in an effort to follow state health officials' recommendations to reduce public gatherings to prevent spreading COVID-19 Coronavirus.Meetings will take place this way until further notice. The meeting was recorded in a different way and isn't immediately able to be posted on th...

EPHRATA — The portion of C Street SW, between Division Avenue and First Avenue SW will close the morning of March 12, to haul a new piece of air-conditioning equipment onto the roof of Grant PUD headquarters.That portion of C Street will close at approximately 7 a.m. The crane and a truck with the new equipment will stage on C Street. The job shoul...

EPHRATA — The portion of C Street SW, between Division Avenue and First Avenue SW will be closed the morning of Friday, Feb. 28 for crane work to remove an old piece of air-conditioning equipment from the roof of Grant PUD headquarters.That portion of C Street and the sidewalk along its east side by the headquarters building will close at 6 a.m. Pa...

Lessons learned from 2019 to help future fiber expansionAlthough 2019 had its share of challenges with expanding Grant PUD's fiber-optic network, the accomplishments from the past year provided valuable insights while setting a very high bar for future expansion efforts.This was the message Grant PUD's Senior Manager of Wholesale Fiber, Russ Bretho...

S&P Global, Moody's and Fitch uphold their high credit ratingsEPHRATA — Three of the world's top bond-rating agencies have affirmed strong credit ratings for Grant PUD, as the utility readies to pay down debt for long-term savings that will help keep electric rates low.The high ratings enable Grant PUD to take fuller advantage of current market...

Approximately 75 irrigation customers attended our first Irrigation Workshop at the Grant County Fairgrounds, Dec. 11, in what promises to become an annual or biennial (every two years) event.Grant PUD subject-matter experts talk about Grant PUD's 2020 budget — which includes no rate increase for the second consecutive year — our expectations for f...

This 100,000-pound, 115 kV, transformer arrived at the Randolph Road Substation Dec. 5 from its manufacturer, Virginia Transformer Corp. of Pocatello, Idaho. Grant PUD is in the process of expanding the substation from its current footprint of 29,830 sq. ft. to 40,035 sq. ft. Improvements include one new transformer line-up to the existing two line...

​Grant PUD employees and customers achieved the goal of having enough donated food to fill the extra-large two-man line truck bucket during the annual Fill-the-Bucket Food Drive last week. The drive, which is a joint effort between Grant PUD and the IBEW Local 77, collected food for local Grant County food banks at Grant PUD's local offices and wit...

Record participation for a good cause at King of the Reach salmon derby  VERNITA — Young Alex Herrera pulled back on the rod, the line taught, his back arched against the strain as if he were battling a deep-sea marlin or sail fish.He may as well have been. A video shot by his uncle Jose Merced shows the 9-year-old from Pasco landing a nearly ...

​This column by Malcolm Woolf, president and CEO of the National Hydropower Association, appeared Oct. 22, 2019 in The Hill, a Washington D.C.-based news website covering politics and government. The path to carbon free flows through hydropowerBY MALCOLM WOOLF, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR The Hill10/22/19 https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-envi...

Dam operations will be modified during investigationEPHRATA – Priest Rapids Dam operators extinguished a small fire in equipment called an exciter, which provides energy to start up one of the generating units, shortly after 1 a.m. today. The fire affected Unit No. 7 at Priest Rapids Dam. On Oct. 3, there was a similar fire in the exciter for Unit ...

​​​​​Grant PUD commissioners Oct. 8 unanimously agreed to oppose breaching the lower four Snake River dams. They cited the value of hydropower as a clean, renewable and necessary resource; the successful efforts of Columbia River dam operators to get fish safety past their projects; and the minimal importance of Columbia and Snake River salmon as a...

Commissioners got their first look Tuesday at a proposed $291 million budget for 2020 with staff recommendations to reduce debt by using surplus cash savings and limit an electric-rate-revenue increase to customers to one-tenth percent. Budget hearings for public comment are scheduled Oct. 8 in Ephrata and Moses Lake and Oct. 10 in Quincy (see sche...