pdf, 2.44 MB - Grays Harbor PUD

“It’s your PUD!”™
OCTOBER 2015
Summer Storm Wallops Grays Harbor Coast
Grays Harbor residents are used to windstorms pounding the Washington coast, just not in the month of August.
However in a year that has been anything but typical when it comes to weather, that is exactly what happened.
On Saturday, August 29 a storm packing 40 mile per hour winds with a high gust of 63 miles per hour moved
over western Washington, knocking power out to tens of thousands across the region. In Grays Harbor, the largest
impact was felt in the South Beach (Tokeland, Westport, Grayland and Ocosta) and North Grays Harbor (Axford
Prairie, Kalaloch, Quinault and the East Hoquiam Road) where customers were without power for several hours as
branches and downed trees caused widespread damage to the PUD system. Working into the night, crews were
able to restore power by the morning of August 30.
Now is the perfect time to make sure that you are prepared for the winter weather that comes with
living on the Washington coast by checking and updating your outage preparedness kit. Your home
outage preparedness kits should include:
•
•
•
•
A flashlight and batteries
A battery operated radio
Candles and matches
Non-perishable food
• Water
• A manual can opener
• A non-cordless landline phone
Trees dried by months of dry weather and weighted
down by wet leaves caused significant damage to
the PUD power systems on August 29.
PUD Energy Services Lunch Hour
Beginning November 2, 2015, your Grays Harbor PUD Energy Service department will begin closing its office
from 1-2pm for a scheduled lunch hour. Customers may schedule appointments for energy audits, speak with
energy advisors and receive information on energy conservation weekdays from 8am-1pm and 2-5pm or may
call 360-538-6383 for more information.
PAGE 2
Power Stays On in Spite of
Car vs. Pole Accidents
When cars collide with electrical poles, the results often include
ambulances, destroyed poles and for surrounding customers, a lengthy
power outage while crews remove the damaged pole and replace it with a
new one. However, during the week of August 17, PUD crews were able
to avoid those outages and change out not one, but two poles damaged in
two separate car vs. pole accidents in Montesano and Central Park without
interrupting electrical service to customers.
“This was possible because of the training, tools and ingenuity of our
operations staff,” said Operations Manager Steve Easton. “Our goal is
reliable service and anytime we can carry out a job like these without
interrupting service, it is a real accomplishment for our crews.”
Grays Harbor Lends a Hand
to Snohomish PUD
Saturday’s windstorm may have dealt an unexpected blow to PUD
customers on the Grays Harbor Coast, but inland, the effects were far
more widespread. Thousands of Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and
Snohomish County PUD customers were without power for several days.
In Snohomish County, the 175,000 customers impacted was the largest
outage since the Inauguration Day Storm of 1993. A call for mutual aid was
quickly answered by the Grays Harbor PUD.
On the afternoon of August 30, a PUD crew departed Aberdeen to travel
to Snohomish County to assist in the recovery. The crew (Jake Burbidge,
Derek Lisherness, Cale Shelton, Steve Alderman, Caleb Fredrickson and
Andy Olson) arrived on that evening and were immediately put to work
repairing the damaged system.
“We very much appreciate the assistance rendered by the Grays Harbor
PUD and other utilities,” said Snohomish County PUD spokesperson Neil
Neroutsos. “This was the largest incident SnoPUD customers and crews
have faced in over 20 years and thanks to our neighboring utilities, we were
able to restore power far more quickly than anticipated.”
Commission
Meeting Dates
Meetings are held in the
Nichols Building, 220 Myrtle
Street, Hoquiam.
October 2015
Monday - October 5
Monday - October 19
November 2015
Monday - November 2
Monday - November 16
Regular business meetings
are scheduled to begin
at 4:30 pm. A one hour
workshop (3:30 to 4:30
pm) will precede each
business meeting, unless
otherwise noted. The public
is welcome to attend all
commission meetings,
special meetings, workshops
and public hearings. Public
comment periods are
included at the open and
close of every meeting.
Commission meetings may
be cancelled and special
meetings may be scheduled.
Please visit our website
(www.ghpud.org) for
updated information.
ON-LINE
BILL PAYMENT
Want to pay your bill on-line?
Now you can pay your bill
instantly without ever leaving
home. Just go to ghpud.org,
click the “Pay Bill/Smart Hub”
button on the bottom left
hand side of the screen and
follow the instructions. If you
have any difficulties using the
online service, please call
Customer Service at 1-800562-7726 or you may email
[email protected].
PAGE 3
Moving a Mill, Saving Your PUD $$$
As the Grays Harbor PUD enters the final stages of its involvement with the Harbor Paper clean-up effort, the
work of the 11 part-time employees who trucked tons of material off the site is clearly notable in two areas: the site
itself and the final project cost.
Gone are the mounds of aeration basin solids, multiple years of primary clarifier solids, and the mountain of
boiler ash; all loaded and trucked off the site using PUD trucks, a PUD loader and PUD drivers. Over 85,000 tons
of grate ash and solids were moved by the PUD drivers, in over 3000 trips to landfills in Grays Harbor and Cowlitz
Counties. By hiring these 11 professionals, the PUD estimates that over $400,000 was saved in the final project
cost.
“These men did outstanding work for the Grays Harbor PUD and its customers. They are hard working,
innovative operators who played a key role in the completion of this project,” said Special Project Manager John
Pellegrini. “Without their efforts, the utility would have faced a project cost that was considerably higher and
which would have had an impact on PUD efforts in many other areas. I am pleased to have worked with these
professionals and grateful for their time with the Grays Harbor PUD.”
Front row left to right: Buzz Dokke, Pete Ancich, Chuck Douglass, Ron Moore, Jack Johnson and Pete
Schave. Back row left to right: Mike "ReRun" Flodstrom, Craig Green, Tony Curtis, Pete Spradlin, Mike Wells
and John Pellegrini, Special Project Manager.
Relay’s Golf Tournament Raises Nearly $2500
The Grays Harbor PUD’s Kilowatt Kids first ever golf tournament helped the Relay for Life Team take a big step
toward their final fundraising goal. The event at the Grays Harbor Country Club raised $2475, with all proceeds
going to the American Cancer Society. Seven teams took part in the best-ball event, with the winning team carding
a stunning 23-under par finish (albeit aided by string and other “move your balls closer” purchases).
The winners were:
1st Place - Brandon Barnes, Ryan Vessey, Brett Hatch, Chris Cady
2nd Place - Paul Martin, Rathman, Joe Fairchild, Jeff Fairchild
3rd Place - Colton Sundstrom, Dan Sundstrom, Chris Stone, Jacob Henry
Long Drive - Brett Hatch
Closest to Pin - Ron Russell
Chainsaw Raffle - Jay Izatt
Seahawks Quilt Raffle - Linda McNulty
Thanks to all who took part in this great event.
PAGE 4
Summer’s End
By Arie Callaghan, District One Commissioner
I think most everyone will agree that this has been one of the driest summers
on record. My lawn resembles the Serengeti Plain but, thanks to the rainfall of
the past weeks, there are signs of life. Low snow packs in the Olympics and
Cascades mean the rivers and streams in Grays Harbor are very low which puts
a strain on migrating fish. However, we have not heard about water shortages
on the Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). This is due to a decent winter
snow pack in Canada at the headwaters of the Columbia River. With the low
snowpack in the Olympics and Cascades, BPA operated the river for low water
year conditions while simultaneously meeting recreation and fish spill levels on
the FCRPS. In other words, the dry weather has not meant less energy for the
BPA and their customers. This fact may lead to the question: if you have enough
energy, why are you charging your customers more money for it?
The BPA has a very serious and at times difficult job in managing the power generated by a vast network of
facilities. As in any business, the cost of providing services is almost always on the rise. In spite of those increases,
they are still the most affordable energy source available to the Grays Harbor PUD. I’m not defending BPA
increases because their constant rate adjustments mean additional costs to all of us. However, it’s still the cheapest
source of energy available to the PUD, and I might add cheaper than the prices paid in other parts of the country.
Yet I believe that when dealing with the BPA, we must make them aware of what their increases mean to our
communities.
I want the BPA to understand the hardship these rate adjustments have on real people. When these rate
adjustments from Bonneville (7% on electricity and 4% on transmission) are passed, they are done after months
of discussions in which PUD representatives make it clear that they are adding to the burden for each and every
customer owner. The commissioners and staff at the Grays Harbor PUD
have a responsibility to make sure we are getting the most reasonable rates
Printed on 100% postthat the BPA can offer, and be accountable to the customers they serve.
consumer recycled
PUD Receives
14th Consecutive Clean Audit
Fourteen years and counting. On August 25, the Grays Harbor PUD
received its exit report from the Washington State Auditor’s Office,
informing them of a 14th consecutive clean report.
In its examination, the Auditor’s Office examined a number of areas
including financial condition, utility billing, payroll, internal control systems
and compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act. In its summary report,
the Auditor says “District operations complied with applicable requirements
and provided adequate safeguarding of public resources. The District
also complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and
procedures in the areas we examined.”
“This is an achievement that every member of the Grays Harbor
PUD can take pride in,” said General Manager Dave Ward. “As a public
entity, we hold the trust of the customers we serve as one of our highest
accomplishments. This report tells our customers that their trust is well
placed.”
paper. Please remember
to recycle.
ENERGY, an informational newsletter,
is published monthly for families and
businesses energized by Grays Harbor
PUD.
2720 Sumner Avenue
Aberdeen WA 98520
Customer Service 360-532-4220
Toll Free 800-562-7726
Fax 360-532-6085
Outage Numbers 360-537-3721
Toll Free 888-541-5923
Visit us at: www.ghpud.org
General Manager: Dave Ward
Editor: Ian Cope
Commissioners:
Arie Callaghan • 360-538-6514 • [email protected]
Russ Skolrood • 360-538-6289 • [email protected]
Dave Timmons • 360-538-6267 • [email protected]