Commissioners support more funding for faster fiber build-outCommissioners voiced strong consensus Tuesday for more money in the 2019 budget for fiber-optic network build-out and shortening from 10 to five years the proposed time to finish extending the network to all Grant County residents. (3:17 on the recording. See budget presentation here)The ...
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By Kevin Nordt, general manager, Grant PUDIt's no secret that we expect to begin outgrowing our ultimate share of power from Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams in the early 2020s. That's based on our current pattern of above-average load growth of about 30-35 megawatts/year. The "ultimate share" refers not only to our physical portion of power, which w...
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Top StoryProposed Budget to include $12.6 million more for faster fiber build-outA majority of Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday said they would like to add $12.6 million more to the proposed 2019 budget to speed fiber-optic build-out to the 30 percent of Grant County residents who still don't have access.An investment of $12.6 million annually for f...
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2698 Hits
Utility to work with Washington Department of Ecology to prepare permit applicationEPHRATA — Grant PUD will submit an application to the Washington State Department of Ecology's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. The Department of Ecology is fully authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency to administer t...
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Top StoriesFiber to get $12.6 million more in 2019 budgetCommissioners Tuesday approved a $292.4 million budget for 2019 that includes a 2-percent increase in retail electric-rate revenue and $12.6 million in new funding to speed build-out of the fiber-optic network to the 30 percent of Grant County residents who still don't have access.Together wi...
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2836 Hits
Top Stories:Decision delayed on proposed contract for general managerGrant County PUD commissioners Tuesday agreed by split decision to table discussion on a proposed employment contract for General Manager Kevin Nordt.Neither Commissioner Bob Bernd, who retires from the board at the end of this year, nor Commissioner Terry Brewer who'll also leave...
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2628 Hits
New year, new commissioners and officers at Grant PUDJudy Wilson and Nelson Cox officially took their seats on the Grant PUD Commission Tuesday, after a swearing-in by Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo.Wilson defeated Commissioner Terry Brewer for the 6-year, District 1 spot, becoming the second woman in the history of Grant PUD to ...
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2786 Hits
Scammers impersonating Grant PUD are calling and threatening to disconnect powerEPHRATA — Grant PUD is reporting that a large number of customers are receiving phone calls from scammers using terms like "disconnect order" and telling them that they will have their power shut off unless they make an immediate payment. Some of the scammers have even ...
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2679 Hits
Power Production earns praise for successful dam-safety auditFederal dam-safety auditors are pleased with Grant PUD's ongoing efforts to keep Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams safe via routine inspections, monitoring, surveillance, emergency action planning and training of dam operators and engineering technicians, commissioners learned Tuesday.Grant ...
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Grant PUD commissioners Thursday asked staff for alternatives to the 2-percent electric rate increase slated to begin April 1, but they first want to see the financial implications to the utility of each potential alternative.Alternatives requested during the rate workshop are:Three consecutive annual rate increase of 1 percent each through 2021. T...
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2683 Hits
Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday tentatively agreed to deviate from a rate policy in place since 2013 and support a flat 1-percent rate increase across all customer types, starting April 1. The decision won't become final until they vote on it at an upcoming meeting.Commissioners had been considering alternatives to the already budgeted 2-percent ra...
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2766 Hits
Commissioners Tuesday agreed not to increase electric rates this year for most customer classes to give themselves a year to study potential rate-setting policy changes and the results of a new cost-of-service study expected to be finished by year's end. (3:28:50 on the commission audio)The proposal does not apply to the new Rate Schedule 17 for "e...
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Grant PUD line workers gave 4H kids, leaders and parents an up-close look at their protective gear and an "electrifying" demonstration of how important it is to be safe around high-voltage power equipment. The demonstration was a part of the "4H Super Saturday" event at the Grant County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Feb. 23.Linemen Eric Huber, Ed Olson,...
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Most Grant PUD customers will not receive an electric-rate increase this year, commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday, to give the board a year to study and potentially modify the existing policy for setting rates.The new Rate 17 for cryptocurrency and other "evolving industries" will continue as planned with the first of a three-year, stepped ra...
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2726 Hits
Verizon Media donates conservation savings to benefit local communityEPHRATA — Grant PUD's community-sponsored Share the Warmth program received a considerable donation of $69,650 from Verizon Media data center in Quincy. The funding will go to help the neediest families throughout the county pay their electric bills when they have no other options...
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Electric rates will not go up this year for most Grant PUD customers, but the first of a three-year phase-in of the new Rate Schedule 17 for higher-risk "evolving industry" customers will begin as planned, April 1.Commissioners approved the new rate Aug. 28 after months of public input.Rate 17 protects Grant PUD and its core customers from unintend...
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2846 Hits
S&P Global Ratings has upgraded from AA to AA+ the credit rating of Grant PUD's electric system, citing strong, sustained finances and risk management."The rating action reflects our view of the district's maintenance of extremely strong financial and operating metrics over several years and the credit strengths provided by its core generating ...
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Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday asked staff to describe the pros and cons of a potential new policy for rate setting that isn't pinned directly to "cost of service" — what it costs Grant PUD to provide electricity to each category of customer, from residential and ag to big industry.They should have their answer in the coming months."As long as the...
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3198 Hits
Award recognizes exceptional commitment to the people we serveEPHRATA — The collective efforts of Grant PUD and its employees to give back to the communities we serve were recognized June 11 with the American Public Power Association's (APPA) 2018 Community Service Award.The national award honors exceptional commitment on behalf of utilities and th...
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3288 Hits
Data center operator provides $480,000 to benefit Grant County residentsGrant PUD's board of commissioners recognized Microsoft officials today after the technology leader agreed to contribute a $480,000 energy conservation rebate the company is forgoing into initiatives to benefit Grant County residents as part of the utility's Pay-it-Forward Part...
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2051 Hits