Grant PUD staff proposes phase-in of Evolving Industry rateGrant PUD staff proposes to phase in the new Evolving Industry Rate 17 over three years in graduated increments of 15 percent the first year, 35 percent the second year and 50 percent the third year. If approved, the first increase would begin April 1, 2019, commissioners heard Tuesday. (1:...

Commissioners to consider options as discussion continuesOn July 31, Grant PUD staff members presented a recommendation to commissioners for a multi-year phase-in of new rates for customers in the proposed Evolving Industry rate class.The recommendation was given to the commissioners during a special workshop in the Ephrata Commission Room to discu...

Drainage drilling is finished and monitoring devices are now being installedEPHRATA —Drilling for drainage and inspection in the spillway monoliths at Priest Rapids Dam is complete, as around 230 core samples have been extracted from the dam's grout gallery. The discovery of excess leakage due to a disbonded lift joint earlier this year, resulted i...

Grant PUD officials expect analysis to continue for the next several weeksCrews continue investigating the leakage discovered in spillway monoliths at Priest Rapids Dam. Initial analysis shows that a disbonded lift joint is the source of the leakage. A lift joint is the area between two concrete blocks poured at different times. A monolith is the s...

DURING TUESDAY'S MEETING COMMISSIONERS-Unanimously approved a $2.8 million increase to the contract with Voith Hydro Inc. and an extension of 15 days, bringing the total revised contract maximum to $14.3 million. Voith is a contractor on an approximately 10-year project to rehabilitate the 10 turbine/generator units at Priest Rapids Dam. This chang...

Grant PUD officials declare a non-failure emergencyOut of an abundance of caution, Grant PUD officials have declared a non-failure emergency at Priest Rapids Dam, after inspection drilling revealed leaking in spillway monoliths. Grant PUD will reduce reservoir elevation behind the dam to normal operating minimums while inspection work continues.Pri...

Microsoft officials announced during the commission meeting in Beverly on March 27 that the company is making a $200,000 contribution toward building out wholesale fiber optic service to residents in the City of George.Paul Englis, of Microsoft, told the commissioners that his company as an organization has a desire to give back to the community, p...

Funding will help bring additional connectivity to customers and businesses through fiber serviceEPHRATA, Wash. – Microsoft will contribute $200,000 for the buildout of Grant PUD's wholesale fiber-optic network in the George area, Grant PUD commissioners learned Tuesday.Since 2006, when it opened a data center in Quincy, Microsoft has supported com...

New rate will increase average monthly residential power bill by $1.49EPHRATA — Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday approved the next of a proposed series of small, annual electric-rate increases that will generate an estimated 2-percent more revenue over 12 months. New rates take effect April 1.The increase aligns with commissioners' strategy of small...

Grant PUD Commissioners set rates for 2018 (2:47:30)New rate will increase average monthly residential power bill by $1.49Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday approved the next of a proposed series of small, annual electric-rate increases that will generate an estimated 2-percent more revenue over 12 months. New rates take effect April 1.The increase al...

Visitors will have access to the on-island boat launch by Memorial Day weekend EPHRATA, Wash. – Crescent Bar Island has been bustling with construction activity for the past several months all in an effort to finish three final large projects – the on-island Riverbend Park Boat Launch and day-use marina, water system renovation, and wastewater-trea...

Commission meeting recap Feb. 13, 2018Even in light of the shorter 60-day legislative session, it has proven to be a busy and jam-packed scene in Olympia. Wednesday (Feb. 14) is the cut-off day for a proposed bill to make it out of their respective committees. Any bill that doesn't pass committee by 5 p.m. Wednesday is considered dead for this legi...

Extraordinary load growth demanded a faster way to build. Grant County PUD found one.By Russ Seiler and Mark Milacek, Grant County PUDEPHRATA, WA — Pushed by a decade of extraordinary industrial load growth, Grant County Public Utility District was facing a 5-year backlog of needed substation upgrades, including two brand new substations, expansion...

Commissioners study 2-percent increase in annual rate revenue(1:30:00) and (3:37:15) Grant PUD commissioners got a look Tuesday at a proposed slate of rate increases across most Grant PUD customer types that would generate an estimated 2 percent more in revenue from retail electricity rates starting April 1.The proposed increase would be the fourth...

Utility's customer service has plan to help customers with estimated billingEPHRATA, Wash. – Grant PUD is asking customers concerned with high bills this winter to contact its customer service department by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling (509) 766-2505.Many of the concerns from customers stem from the combination of the traditiona...

Traveling Exhibition from the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian features the contributions of Native Veterans MATTAWA, Wash. – Native Americans have served in every major U.S. military encounter from the Revolutionary War to today's conflicts in the Middle East and in higher numbers per capita than any other ethnic group.Patriot ...

Meeting 2 p.m. at Ephrata Headquarters buildingEPHRATA, Wash. – Grant PUD will hold a public meeting as part of its annual review of electrical rates on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. in the Commission Room at the PUD's Ephrata Headquarters Building, 30 C Street SW, Ephrata WA 98823.During the meeting, staff will propose rate increases that reflect the...

Grant PUD to hire manager for fiber networkGrant PUD Commissioners learned at their first board meeting of the year Tuesday of plans in the works to hire a manager to oversee operation, enhancement and expansion of Grant PUD's soon-High Speed Network.General Manger Kevin Nordt told the board he plans to put someone into the position of network busi...

Commissioners call for options to ease rate burden on existing crypto firmsWeeks after learning that a rate proposal for "evolving industries" would approximately triple the electric-rate burden on Grant County's cryptocurrency mining operations, some Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday asked staff for more options. (4:06:50 of commission audio)"We've ...

– Proposed new Rate 17 could mean big increase for crypto miners (1:59:20 on Commission Audio)Cryptocurrency mining companies and other businesses that fit Grant PUD's new "Evolving Industry" rate classification would see their monthly power bills more than double under a staff proposal presented to commissioners Tuesday.The Evolving Industry rate ...