Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) articles from January 2005

Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) archives from January 2005

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2005... In a headline in the December issue of the Bulletin, NWPPA stated that Ravalli Electric Cooperative was the largest co-op in Montana. The headline should have read "Now Almost 70, Ravalli Electric is Montana's Fastest-Growing Cooperative." ...

A look back at public power: 50 years ago--1954.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... Top flight speakers and an earnest audience got the first meeting of the NWPPA Power Use Section off to a good start in Spokane. Adequate wiring, commercial cooking and water heating, sprinkler irrigation, the heat pump, space heating, and good...

A look back at public power: 25 years ago--1979.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... Talk of electricity shortages--once unthinkable in the hydroelectric-rich Northwest--had become very loud and very real toward the end of 1979. In fact, the likelihood of the Pacific Northwest encountering shortages of electricity--perhaps...

A look back at public power: 5 years ago--1999.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... Tacoma Power's Click! Network made history as the first telecommunication company in the United States that gave multiple Internet Service Providers (ISP) the ability to provide high-speed Internet cable modem access to customers over a cable...

Power Supply Workshop coming soon.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... 2005 Power Supply Workshop March 14-16, 2005 in Spokane, Wash. With lots of hydropower history just blocks away, the NWPPA Power Supply Workshop will take place March 14-16, 2005 at the DoubleTree City Center Hotel in Spokane, Wash. ...

NWPPA introduces e Bulletin.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) has recently introduced its newest communication tool--the weekly e Bulletin. This electronic newsletter is delivered by e-mail every Monday in the late afternoon to utilities and employees that...

2005 E&O Conference: a sure bet for a bright future.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... E&O Conference April 19-22, 2005 Reno Convention Center Reno, Nev. Recognizing the bright future available to public power organizations and their customers, the 2005 NWPPA Engineering & Operations Conference & Trade Show...

NWPPA Annual Meeting goes to Palm Springs.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... The 2005 Northwest Public Power Association Annual Conference & Membership Meeting is set for May 22-26 in Palm Springs, Calif. If you are a public utility board member, general manager, new leader, other policy maker, or associate member,...

Combined efficiency, communication session planned for March.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... Attention all energy efficiency and communication personnel: Save the dates of March 8-9 for the second annual NWPPA/EnergyIdeas Clearinghouse Energy Efficiency Workshop and Communicators Roundtable. The event is scheduled for the...

Policy perspectives forum to update RTO Issues.(Association News)
January 1, 2005... The NWPPA Policy Perspectives Forum is a timely event for anyone who is interested in the current events and issues concerning a regional transmission organization (RTO) in the West. The conference, West Coast Electric Transmission Issues:...

Training for February, March & April 2005.(NWPPA Training Opportunities)(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... MEASUREMENT & VERIFICATION OF COMMERCIAL EFFICIENCY MEASURES Who Should Attend: Utility, contractor and community action agency employees involved in assessing energy efficiency improvements made to commercial buildings. Overview:...

Tax related travel tips.(Accounting & Finance)
January 1, 2005... With the beginning of the year comes new tax rules, and because many of the new 2005 rules involve travel, we'll take this opportunity to offer you a few tax-related travel tips. Standard Mileage Rates Recently the Internal Revenue...

Draft plan proposes conservation as foundation of development.(Conservation & Renewables)
January 1, 2005... The Northwest Power and Conservation Council thinks conservation should be the foundation of Northwest energy resource development over the coming five years. In its draft fifth power plan released in September, the Council targeted 700...

Tips for turning angry customers into complimentary customers.(Customer Service)
January 1, 2005... When customers are angry and upset, it can be very difficult not to take what they say personally. Depersonalizing the situation helps to deflect the customer's anger while keeping your own emotions in check. The whole key is in staying open to...

SPCC Compliance without going broke.(Engineering & Operations)
January 1, 2005... Not too long ago, l heard a sad but true story. A brand-new, large capacity substation transformer was being brought on-line and as luck would have it--it blew, and blew catastrophically. The utility had done all the right things--they had...

The search for consensus ... or legislation.(Guest Opinion)
January 1, 2005... The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and its utility customers and stakeholders have once again embarked on a search for consensus around key issues the agency and region will face over the next seven years and beyond. The "Regional...

The inexpensive instant message: creating an e-mail newsletter.(Marketing & Communications)
January 1, 2005... How do you share accurate, timely information with employees, customers and the community--and do it faster, better and less expensively than using the normal media outlets? Turn to e-mail. Faced with a barrage of negative media...

Kootenai Electric hits $100-grand mark with operation round up.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... The Kootenai Electric Trust Board celebrated the contribution of $100,000 to local communities through the Operation Round Up program on Wednesday, Nov. 17. During this "Celebration of Giving," the Trust Board granted $10,000 to Project Share...

Columbia River PUD property tax payment tops $320,000.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... Columbia River PUD (St. Helens, Ore.) paid $320,000 in property taxes to Columbia and Multnomah Counties in November. The amount is based on assessed value of $27.2 million. Property taxes paid to Columbia County help to fund schools,...

Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner race reversed by recount.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... A week after conceding her race for Grays Harbor PUD (Aberdeen, Wash.) Commissioner, Diane Ellison found out that she actually won. The results counted the week of the election showed that Ellison had apparently lost by just over 300 votes....

Calendar of upcoming Public Power meetings.(Member News)(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... February 2005 3--Public Power Council Executive Committee Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport. Portland, Ore. 10--ARECA Insurance Exchange Investment Review Committee meeting. APA Headquarters, Anchorage, Alaska 15-16--Utah...

Clatskanie PUD introduces new managers.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... Clatskanie (Ore.) PUD has announced the hiring of two managers in the wake of the retirements of Paul Skarra and Art Robare. The PUD hired Lisa Logie to replace Skarra, and Jack Kolze in Robare's place. "I am pleased to find such...

Snohomish PUD refrigerator recycling a hit.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... A Snohomish PUD pilot program, aimed at decreasing customers use of energy-wasting refrigerators and freezers, has experienced considerable success this fall. The utility scheduled about 2,600 units for pick-up--more than 1,000 units a day--in...

Chelan County PUD election results.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... Chelan County PUD welcomed two new commissioners on January 3 when Werner Janssen and Anne Congdon took office. Janssen of Leavenworth, Wash., was elected to the At-Large A position vacated by Dave Pflugrath, who announced his retirement in...

Tacoma Power engineer earns international acclaim.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... Patrick Buller, a Tacoma Power communications engineer, recently received one of the Radio Club of America's highest honors, the President's Award in New York City. The President's Award reflects Buller's contributions to the Radio Club of...

We remember.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... Wasco Electric Cooperative (The Dalles, Ore.) board member Bob Ashley passed away December 11 of an apparent heart attack. He was just 54 but heart trouble, and heart surgery, had been a part of his life in the last several years. Bob...

Lawmakers recognized by ORECA.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) and State Rep. Mike Schaufler (R-Happy Valley, Ore.) were recently recognized by Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association (ORECA). The two were named "Co-Operator of the Year" at the Association's annual...

Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project officially files for relicensing.(Member News)
January 1, 2005... Energy Northwest recently filed two official documents with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that mark the beginning of formal relicensing proceedings for the Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project. The Notification of Intent (NOI)...

PNGC Power Board of Directors elects officers.(Associate Member News)
January 1, 2005... The PNGC Power Board of Directors has elected officers for the 2005 fiscal year. They are: Chairman of the Board Roger Meader (general manager, Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Winthrop, Wash.), Vice Chairman Al Gonzalez (president and...

Get the most from your Trade Show experience.(Associate Member News)
January 1, 2005... Most of NWPPA's Associate Members participate in trade shows, and many of them will even be in attendance at the NWPPA Engineering & Operations Conference & Trade Show next April in Reno, Nev. Because of this, it's important that vendors...

Henkels & McCoy names Mattiford to safety post.(Associate Member News)
January 1, 2005... Henkels & McCoy; Inc., has named Bill Mattiford its corporate safety director. Mattiford, a certified safety professional, has an extensive background in electric generation, transmission and distribution safety, and safety training,...

PNGC Power recognizes outstanding employee.(Associate Member News)
January 1, 2005... Steve King has been named the third annual Paul M. Vickery Award recipient for outstanding professional service by PNGC Power. King, generation resources manager, oversees the Coffin Butte Resource Project, a landfill gas-to-energy facility...

J.P. Morgan Securities.(Associate Member Profiles)
January 1, 2005... J.P. Morgan Securities Garth Salisbury 560 Mission Street, 10th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Phone: (415) 315-5858 Fax: (415) 315-5669 E-mail: garth.salisbury@jpmorgan.com www.jpmorgan.com The new JPMorgan Chase...

RAI Utility Automation.(Associate Member Profiles)
January 1, 2005... RAI Utility Automation Scott Hamilton 11721 N. Lancelot Spokane, WA 99218 Phone: (509) 466-1894 Fax: (509) 467-2177 E-mail: scotth@raiinc.com www.raiinc.com RAI delivers innovative solutions for SCADA, AMR,...

New Year ... same mission ...: "while some of the regional and national issues may change each year, the government relations objective for the Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) remains the same: to work within the political process to develop policies that protect and promote the success of NWPPA members.".(Washington D.C. Report)
January 1, 2005... With the New Year upon us, NWPPA will be making its own New Year's Resolutions: we plan to renew and reenergize our efforts to meet regional and federal challenges in 2005. While some of the regional and national issues may change each...

Grid West adopts by-laws: transmission owners participating in regional process reach milestone in development of independent electric transmission entity.(Washington D.C. Report)
January 1, 2005... Owners of the vast majority of the regional high voltage transmission grid adopted bylaws recently that will govern Grid West, the successor to RTO West. Grid West will be a non-profit membership corporation to further develop a new;...

Bess makes power supply consistent for Golden Valley.(Feature)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2005... It gets cold during the winter in Alaska. So cold, that if the power goes out, water pipes can freeze within hours. It obviously wouldn't be a good thing to let an unreliable supply of power dictate whether water service is also cut...