Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) articles from January 2007

Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) archives from January 2007

2007 E&O: public power--treasure of the Northwest.(Association News)
January 1, 2007... Ahoy ye mateys! Make plans now to attend the 2007 NWPPA Engineering & Operations Conference during April 24-27. This year's conference is shaping up to be another exciting event, and for the first time it will be held at the brand new Tacoma...

Mark your calendars: GRC coming back to Vancouver.(Association News)
January 1, 2007... The next NWPPA Government Relations Committee (GRC) meeting will be held at the renowned Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, Wash., on March 8, and an impressive line-up of speakers is already in the works: * Robert "Mac" McLennan (invited), Sr....

Nomination deadline drawing near.(Association News)
January 1, 2007... Nominations for all the awards listed below are due by February 2, 2007. They will be considered by the NWPPA Awards Committee at the March committee meeting. Award criteria and nomination forms may be requested by calling NWPPA at...

OREC & NWPPA announce strategic alliance.(Association News)
January 1, 2007... The Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition (OREC) and NWPPA have announced a strategic alliance. The goal of the alliance is to connect ocean-based renewahle technology providers with electric utilities interested in investigating and pursuing this...

A look back at public power: 50 years ago--1957.(Association News)
January 1, 2007... A preliminary FPC permit for a 15,000 kilowatt installation has been received by Wahkiakum PUD for a 100-foot rock fill dam and two diversion dams on lower tributaries (Wash.)... Central Lincoln PUD paid 4.61 percent effective interest rate on...

A look back at public power: 25 years ago--1982.(Association News)
January 1, 2007... The Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS) Board terminated Plants Nos. 4 and 5 on January 22... According to preliminary analyses released by the Bonneville Power Administration in late January, publicly owned utilities in the region...

A look back at public power: 5 years ago--2002.(Association News)
January 1, 2007... NWPPA rolled out its new online registration process... Snohomish PUD went green and gave customers the option to sign up for Planet Power, a voluntary program that allows customers to purchase blocks of renewable power (Wash.)... Turlock...

To reserve or not to reserve: the decision to establish reserves or not is a management and board decision and should be based upon your particular operating environment.(Accounting & Finance)
January 1, 2007... This truly is a question that many utilities grapple over: the decision to establish reserves or not, and if so, at what amount. This important decision is dependent upon your organization's philosophy, operating environment, and financial...

Demonstrate good service by being an excellent role model.(Customer Service)
January 1, 2007... Utility managers who talk about good customer service but do not demonstrate it are fighting a losing battle with their employees. As a manager, the first step in motivating your staff to provide excellent service is to consistently...

Internet collaboration for utilities.(Information Technology)
January 1, 2007... Web 2.0, Web services, YouTube, MySpace, Wikipedia--you've probably heard some of these terms in the news lately. But is it all just marketing hype and toys for teenagers? Is there anything useful to a practical business like an electric...

Renewing the commitment to clean sources of electricity.(Power Supply & Risk Management)
January 1, 2007... From Washington D.C. to the West Coast, it seems like every direction you turn these days people are talking about renewable energy. With several renewable energy incentives in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and now with the change in control...

End of 2006 a busy time for Chugach.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... November and December were definitely busy months for Alaska's Chugach Electric Association. On November 1, the Chugach Board approved a retail capital credits retirement valued at nearly $4.3 million. As a result, thousands of past and...

Cathy Wilson to retire in January.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... After a 28-year career at Wasco Electric Cooperative in The Dalles, Ore., General Manager Cathy Wilson will be retiring on January 31. Wilson started with the co-op in 1978 as an office assistant and was promoted to office manager in 1980,...

Benton and Franklin again honored for financial reporting.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada awarded their Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to both Benton PUD and Franklin PUD for their comprehensive annual financial reports...

Lane's D'Avanzo named 2006 Ruralite Communicator of the Year.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Congratulations to Dave D'Avanzo, Ruralite Services' 2006 Communicator of the Year. D'Avanzo is the manager of Member Services for Lane Electric Cooperative in Eugene, Ore. He has been at Lane Electric for five years and in the cooperative...

Election results for Benton's Board of Commissioners.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Last month, Jeff Hall was elected president of Benton PUD's Board of Commissioners, Lori Sanders was elected vice president, and Robert (Bob) Bertsch was elected secretary. Hall has been a Benton PUD commissioner since 2002 and said, "I...

Kevin Nordt new director of Grant's Power Management.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... On December 15, Kevin Nordt assumed the position of director of Power Management for the Grant County Public Utility District (PUD), replacing Bill Dearing who is retiring in June. This appointment will provide a smooth transition of director...

ColumbiaGrid President/CEO announced.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... The Board of Directors of ColumbiaGrid, a newly formed non-profit regional transmission entity, announced the selection of Jon Kaake as president and chief executive officer, effective December 11, 2006. "We are thrilled to have someone...

Realignment of personnel and consolidation ensues after Matheson's retirement.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Valley Electric Association's manager of engineering, Bill Matheson, retired from the Cooperative on January 2, 2007. In announcing his decision to retire a year earlier than originally planned, Matheson said, "This was not an easy...

Brown selected as Cooperator of the Year.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... The Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association announced their selection of Representative Alan Brown (R--Newport) as their 2007 "Cooperator of the Year." Representative Brown received this award from the electric co-ops at their 2007 Annual...

New generation to provide for Valley's future energy needs.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... When its full requirements contract to purchase power from Chugach Electric Association (CEA) expires on December 31, 2014, Matanuska Electric Association (MEA) will embark on a new generation of service for its customers. New energy...

Inland Power & Light returns $1.25 million to members.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Inland Power & Light (Inland) customers found more reason for holiday cheer in December when they opened their mailboxes and found a capital credit refund. The Spokane-based electric cooperative is pleased to have returned a total of $1.25...

HEA and AIDEA sign Project Development Agreement for HCCP.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Homer Electric Association (HEA) and Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) signed a Project Development Agreement in November 2006 that will lead to the restart of the AIDEA-owned Healy Clean Coal Plant (HCCP). HCCP is a...

Glacier Electric Co-op approves rate hike.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... The Glacier Electric Cooperative recently approved its first rate increase in more than five years. Trustees attributed the rate hike to increasing wholesale power supply costs. In November, the cooperative's wholesale supplier, the Bonneville...

Showalter to leave PPC.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Public Power Council (PPC) Executive Director Marilyn Showalter announced at the end of December that she is leaving PPC to lead an effort by a group of utilities focusing on national and state-level debates over restructuring and deregulation...

Bond sales fund wind project expansion.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Energy Northwest sold $69 million in municipal bonds late last week to fund Phase III of the Nine Canyon Wind Project south of Kennewick, Wash. The bonds were priced at an average true interest cost slightly below 4.5 percent with a...

We remember.(Member News)
January 1, 2007... Wilbur Leland Anderson died Wednesday, December 6, 2006, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls, Mont. He was 74 years old. Born February 8, 1932, Anderson worked for over 30 years in the public power field: he worked for Park...

PureWave UPS[TM] System run time extended.(Associate Member News)
January 1, 2007... Extensive testing of the inverter and batteries in the redesigned S&C PureWave UPS System has confirmed that both the low-and medium-voltage versions can provide 60 seconds of run time at full load. This enhanced capability offers...

Mountain Power Construction Company.(Associate Member Profiles)
January 1, 2007... 4908 Industrial Ave. E. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 Phone: (208) 667-6011 Fax: (208) 667-8077 E-mail: mtpower@dmi.net www.mountainpower.com Powerline contractor with over 15 years in the business. Specializing in...

RTB Constructing, Inc.(Associate Member Profiles)
January 1, 2007... 206 Frontage Rd., N., #C Pacific, WA 98047 Phone: (253) 351-0150 Fax: (253) 351-0102 E-mail: mike.frebe@rtbcontracting.com www.rtbcontracting.com RTB is recognized leader in proving the highest quality stand-by...

The state of competition.(Washington D.C. Report)
January 1, 2007... The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has at least taken a step in the right direction by deciding to hold a series of public conferences throughout the coming year to evaluate the state of competition in wholesale power markets. ...

Member utilities battle December windstorm.(Cover story)
January 1, 2007... Last month, on December 14 and 15, the Pacific Northwest battled its worst windstorm in over a decade. Not since the Inauguration Day Storm on January 20, 1993, which killed five people and caused about $130 million in damage, had the region...

We remember--Barry Kensrud.
January 1, 2007... As a tragic reminder of just how dangerous the utility profession is, one utility worker died as a result of the windstorm. Barry Kensrud of Tacoma Power died January 02, 2007, from injuries sustained during cleanup after the December...