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Commission recap 2-9-2021: Grant PUD projected to end 2020 below budget amid COVID impacts

— Grant PUD ended 2020 with capital and operations-and-maintenance combined spending $9.9 million below the 2020 budget of $267.7 million, as precautions required of the COVID-19 pandemic slowed expected capital and other work across the utility. Capital spending is projected to end the year at $98.1 million, below budget by $7.2 million. COVID pre...

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Commission recap 1-26-2020: 2020 Doesn't slow fiber-optics in Grant County

Both the footprint and the number of users on Grant PUD's fiber-optic network kept growing in 2020. This according to Grant PUD's Senior Manager of Wholesale Fiber, Russ Brethower as he shared the outcomes of last year's priorities and outlined the group's goals for 2021 on Tuesday. The impacts of COVID-19 which led to more people needing quality i...

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Commission recap 1-12-2021: Commissioners question whether crypto miners deserve a ‘core customer’ rate

Commissioners question whether crypto miners deserve a 'core customer' rate Grant PUD commissioners will continue at their Jan. 26 meeting a discussion about whether Grant County's existing cryptocurrency mining firms should again be billed under a "core-customer" rate schedule, now that too few of them are operating to present a "concentration ris...

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Commission Recap 12-8-2020: Cryptocurrency energy demand declines in Grant County

Electricity use combined with requests for electricity from the county's cryptocurrency firms has declined since the higher-cost Rate Schedule 17 for nascent, higher-risk industries was approved in 2018, commissioners learned Tuesday. Cryptocurrency is currently the only industry in Grant County that Grant PUD qualifies as an "evolving industry" — ...

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2021 Grant PUD budget approved with no rate increase

Desplácese hacia abajo para español Budget reflects growth and financial strength, despite COVID challenges EPHRATA- Grant PUD commissioners unanimously approved a $380.6 million budget for 2021 that invests in employees and critical assets, continues roll-out of key technology initiatives and controls costs — without raising power rates for the th...

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Commission recap 11-24-2020: Grant PUD 2021 budget approved with no rate increase

Budget reflects growth and financial strength, despite COVID challenges EPHRATA — Grant PUD commissioners unanimously approved a $380.6 million budget for 2021 that invests in employees and critical assets, continues roll-out of key technology initiatives and controls costs — without raising power rates for the third, consecutive year. The budget a...

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Commission recap 11-10-2020: Grant PUD crews work to ensure system reliability despite COVID challenges

Grant PUD's electrical workers are actively focused on safely maintaining the utility's critical electrical and fiber services, despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, Senior Manager of Power Delivery, Ron Alexander told commissioners Tuesday. As a precautionary measure due to the Coronavirus, field crews were temporarily split into two group...

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Grant PUD awarded state funding to assist with fiber expansion

EPHRATA — Grant PUD's expansion efforts of its wholesale fiber-optic network will receive a financial boost thanks to funding from the Washington State Public Works Board. The utility received a $810,000 grant and qualified for a $810,000 loan as part of the Public Works Board's competitive construction grant and loan broadband program. Grant PUD w...

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Postponed- Grant PUD to "fill the bucket" with a community food drive

In-person events delayed due to statewide restrictions ​​  ​Due to the recent statewide restrictions, we are delaying the in-person Fill the Bucket food drive. Need in our county is greater than ever so we encourage everyone who is able to donate to contact your nearest food bank directly. Here is a list of who to contact within your community...

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Commission recap 10-27-2020: COVID-19 and weather impact on power used in the county

Weather and COVID-19 impacted expected power use this year, according to a presentation by Grant PUD economist Bob Brill given to PUD commissioners on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Most customer rate classes saw significant differences between forecasted load for power and actual demand through the third quarter of this year. The initial forecasted load for th...

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Commission recap 10-13-2020: 2021 budget reflects growth and strength, despite COVID challenges

Grant PUD commissioners got their first look at a proposed $380.6 million budget for 2021 that invests in employees and critical assets, continues roll-out of key technology initiatives, controls costs, and doesn't raise rates. The budget aligns with Grant PUD's Strategic Plan and top priorities of Grant PUD customers — reliable electric service, g...

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Public Power Week 2020

Since 1938 Grant PUD has been helping write the success story of public power. Grant PUD celebrates Public Power Week by honoring this history and our continued efforts to affordably and reliably serve our friends and neighbors. Grant PUD employees are proud to provide the county's power and wholesale fiber needs. This year our celebration of Publi...

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Commission recap 9-22-2020: Customer Cloud Service (CCS) nearing implementation

The implementation of the project that will move Grant PUD's customer billing and information system to "the cloud" will be slightly delayed allowing for an extensive testing phase of the new program. Initially slated for implementation in early August, a revised launch date of Sept. 21 was set early in the project. On Tuesday, Commissioners learne...

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Sabey Data Centers, the Columbia Basin Foundation and Grant PUD partner to Pay it Forward during COVID

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 ...

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Commission Recap 9-8-2020: Thanks for hard work restoring power through Labor Day wind, fire

Commissioners, staff and customers Tuesday thanked Grant PUD linemen and everyone who supports them for responding to many scattered outages during the Labor Day windstorm and afternoon brushfire in the Beverly Burke area. "It was a really collaborative effort yesterday under some extremely challenging conditions," Chief Operations Officer Rich Wal...

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Commission Recap 8-11-2020: 2020 budget’s on target through June

Grant PUD's 2020 budget is on target through June, with total expenditures of $269.5 million now forecast through year end, $1.3 million over budget pushed by higher-than-forecast capital expenditures. Capital expenditures are forecast to end the year at $109.9 million, 4% above budget, based on increased confidence in the amount of projected work ...

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Commission recap 7-28-2020: New options discussed to help COVID-impacted customers

Three different proposed options to help residential customers most financially impacted by the effects of COVID-19 could be on the way. Senior Manager of Customer Solutions, Terry McKenzie said the first two options would broaden Grant PUD's Share the Warmth offerings. Share the Warmth is a community-sponsored program administrated by Grant PUD to...

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Commission Recap 7-14-2020: Power Production overcomes unique challenges of COVID-19

Even with the obstacles brought by COVID-19, Power Production operations had a strong performance during the second quarter of 2020. This according to Senior Manager of Power Production Engineering, Dale Campbell as he shared highlights with commissioners of the group's ongoing efforts to safely and reliably generate power. Campbell told commission...

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PUDs should be eligible for federal broadband funding

The COVID-19 pandemic made us reconsider how we work, attend school, seek medical care and interact with family and friends.One thing is clear – access to affordable broadband is more important than ever. As leaders in fiber infrastructure development, Public Utility Districts must be allowed to compete for federal funding to serve the most hard-to...

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Commission Recap 6-23-2020: Commissioners review proposed Integrate Resource Plan

Every two years Washington state requires electric utilities to develop an Integrated Resource Plan. The plan provides Grant PUD with a roadmap for how it will provide reliable and low-cost electrical service to its customers over the next 10-years by examining substantial risks and uncertainties inherent to an electric utility. "It is not just a r...

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