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...

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 r...

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....

Scammers impersonating Grant PUD are calling and threatening to disconnect power EPHRATA — 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...

Power Production earns praise for successful dam-safety audit Federal 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. Gran...

New year, new commissioners and officers at Grant PUD Judy 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 t...

Top Stories: Decision delayed on proposed contract for general manager Grant 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 le...

Top Stories Fiber to get $12.6 million more in 2019 budget Commissioners 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...

Utility to work with Washington Department of Ecology to prepare permit application EPHRATA — 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 ...

Top Story Proposed Budget to include $12.6 million more for faster fiber build-out A 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 fo...

By Kevin Nordt, general manager, Grant PUD It'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 ...

Commissioners support more funding for faster fiber build-out Commissioners 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 )...

Donated food and funding will benefit local food banks throughout Grant County Grant PUD employees are hosting our first "Fill the Bucket" Community Food Drive to benefit local food banks. As a community-wide event, there are multiple ways that everyone throughout Grant County can participate to help those in need. Beginning the week of Oct. 22, cu...

Reservoir now operating normally EPHRATA — Grant PUD officials, working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, removed the non-failure emergency condition at Priest Rapids Dam earlier today. The dam had been operating under the non-failure emergency condition since March 28, when leaking water was discovered in the dam's spillway monoliths ...

More money for fiber build-out recurring theme at budget hearings Grant PUD commissioners hosted the first of three public hearings at Tuesday's commission meeting to discuss next year's proposed $279.6 million budget, which includes a 2-percent increase in 2019 electric-rate revenue toward a goal of much lower increases in 2020 and beyond. ( 2:42 ...

One day for adults. Two days for youth. Insights, fun and learning for all. MATTAWA — The Wanapum People and Grant PUD invite you to the Wanapum Heritage Center for Archaeology Days 2018. Youth Days, Oct. 29 and 31 , 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Both days are already booked solid with hundreds of visiting students. Space is still available for homeschool...

Grant PUD commissioners to hold public budget hearings Customers invited to attend the hearings, ask questions and provide comment. Grant PUD Commissioners will host three budget hearings before adopting the utility's 2019 budget. The budget hearings are held in locations throughout the county to more easily allow customers an opportunity to attend...

Note: This meeting was not recorded because it took place at Grant PUD's Hydro Office Building in Beverly Grant PUD commissioners received a first look of the 2019 budget during their meeting at the Hydro Office Building near Wanapum Dam on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The presentation will be shown to customers during three budget hearings on Oct. 9 and 11....

Initiative 1631, which will appear on the state's November ballot, would impose a fee on carbon emissions that could result in a 5 percent — $16 million — increase in average annual costs for Grant PUD. That's the latest estimate by Grant PUD analysts Jeremy Nolan and Paul Dietz. The estimate is based on the six-year period following the year when ...

The Wanapum Heritage Center will exhibit the work of Lee Moorhouse (1850-1926), a noted photopgrapher from Pendleton, Oregon, who produced more than 9,000 images of urban, rural and Native American life in the Columbia Plateau from 1888 to 1916. Moorhouse's photographs of the Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla are of particular significance for the ...