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Commission recap 5-11-2021: Commissioners want more detail about proposed facilities upgrades

Commissioners Tuesday asked staff for more information to substantiate $24.61 million needed to upgrade Grant PUD's aged service centers in Ephrata and Moses Lake. The investment is intended to make critical improvements to extend the buildings' useful lives for approximately 7 to 10 years. Grant PUD service centers contain shops, office space and ...

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Commission recap 4-27-2021: Wholesale fiber on track to meet 2021 priorities

Expanding and maintaining Grant PUD's fiber-optic network does not come without challenges along the way. However, despite the various hurdles Senior Manager of Wholesale Fiber, Russ Brethower told Commissioners that the fiber system is "looking good." Brethower updated the Commission regarding the group's 2021 priorities. Priorities include upgrad...

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Region honors Grant PUD employees with two prestigious awards

EPHRATA – A former Grant PUD executive and the Emergency Response Team at Wanapum Dam have been honored by the Northwest Public Power Association with prestigious awards. Kevin Marshall, former Chief Operations Officer at Grant PUD with more than 43 years of experience in civil, structural, and in-water engineering, received the 2021 Milt...

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Commission recap 4-13-2021: Busy year — and recreation season — ahead

Grant PUD's old Lands and Recreation Department inaugurated a new name just after the first of the year and is gearing up for a busy recreation season, department manager Shannon Lowry told commissioners. The "License Compliance & Lands Service Department" now has a name that better reflects its expanded duties related to federal license compli...

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Energy Northwest, Grant County PUD and X-energy announce TRi Energy Partnership

Desplácese hacia abajo para español RICHLAND, Wash. – Today, Energy Northwest, Grant County Public Utility District and X-energy, LLC signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a mutual partnership to support the development and commercial demonstration of the country's first advanced nuclear reactor. The partners will collaborate and share ...

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Commission recap 3-23-2021 (Tue): Grant PUD helps customers impacted by COVID-19

With the passing of the one-year mark since the start of the pandemic, Grant PUD is getting a clearer view of the impact COVID-19 has had on its customers' ability to stay current on their Grant PUD bill. Senior Manager of Customer Solutions, Terry McKenzie said that based on the past due amounts it appears, residential customers have felt the impa...

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Commission recap 3-23-2021: Grant PUD helps customers impacted by COVID-19

With the passing of the one-year mark since the start of the pandemic, Grant PUD is getting a clearer view of the impact COVID-19 has had on its customers' ability to stay current on their Grant PUD bill. Senior Manager of Customer Solutions, Terry McKenzie said that based on the past due amounts it appears, residential customers have felt the impa...

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Commission Meeting Recap 3-9-2021: Grant PUD's fish and wildlife prepare for a busy season

Grant PUD's Fish and Wildlife Department is beginning to ramp up for its core seasonal field work which will begin in the upcoming weeks. Fish and Wildlife Manager, Tom Dresser said although impacts of the pandemic led to delays in some of the department's planned capital projects last year, he is optimistic that 2021 will provide a better situatio...

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Commission Meeting Recap 2-23-2021: Changes coming for irrigation deposit procedures

Commissioners heard about an internal procedural change impacting irrigation customers. From year-to-year an irrigation customer may rotate fields or parcels of land they lease. As a result, before each growing season many irrigation customers need to request service from Grant PUD, for any new locations they will be operating during the upcoming y...

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Grant PUD Announces Fiber build-out areas for 2021

Desplácese hacia abajo para español EPHRATA – Grant PUD Commissioners renewed their commitment to the build-out of Grant PUD's fiber optic network during the Jan. 26 commission meeting. In 2021, Grant PUD strives to expand fiber and/or complete construction to the following areas: Cave B and Beverly Burke areas west of GeorgeSouthwest of Ephrata al...

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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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