Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) articles from March 2004

Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) archives from March 2004

A look back at public power.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... 50 Years Ago NWPPA went on record as being opposed to an increase in BPA wholesale rates before the 1959 review date. At an open meeting of the Board of Trustees, one with 57 representatives of public and cooperative power systems in...

E&O Conference & Trade Show is just around the corner.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... The 55th NWPPA Engineering & Operations Conference is headed for Boise, Idaho, and if you haven't yet registered to attend, it's not too late. However, don't wait too much longer, as the conference, accompanied by its famous trade show, is...

Now is the time for all good members to enter.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... It was once said, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aide of their nation." Well times aren't quite so drastic, and the reason not nearly as important, but it is the time for all NWPPA members to begin thinking about entering the...

NWPPA Annual Conference is a can't miss event.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... Victoria, B.C. has a reputation of being one of the most beautiful spots in the world, and the Empress Hotel is one of the reasons why. This spring, the Empress Hotel will host Northwest Public Power Association's 64th Annual Conference &...

NWPPA schedules three new courses for board, commission members.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... The last few years have seen the energy industry ripped with scandals about financial misdeeds and lack of effective oversight by the governing boards of a number of energy companies and electric utilities. Congress got into the act and...

Utility disaster preparedness: planning in advance is better than playing it by ear.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... It's a whole new world since September 11, 2001, and in this new world, everyone has put more focus on preparing for disaster. At the Planning for the Unexpected: Utility Disaster Preparedness class earlier this year, participants spent two...

Act fast to get updated on HR and the law.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... On April 15, NWPPA will hold "The All-in-One Legal Update on Human Resources and the Law." Plan to join us in Seattle for this class, which is intended for both HR professionals and senior utility managers. Laws in the HR world are...

NWPPA welcomes new member: Roseville Electric.(Association News)
March 1, 2004... Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) has a new electric utility member. The Association welcomes Roseville Electric (Roseville, Calif.) to the membership. Located in California's Sacramento Valley, near the foothills of the Sierra...

Training opportunities: April, May and June 2004.(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... 2004 ENGINEERING & OPERATIONS CONFERENCE This is a valuable opportunity to network with the largest gathering of utility managers, engineering, operations, safety, purchasing, environmental and telecommunication personnel from around the...

Learning from our members.(Executive Director's Report)
March 1, 2004... Dear Members, NWPPA just completed its winter Board of Trustees meeting and I would like to share some information from the part of the meeting where staff asks the Association's board members about what's going on at their utility or in...

Proposed renewable energy bill approved by several House committees.(Conservation & Renewables)
March 1, 2004... A proposed bill to establish renewable energy and energy efficiency requirements for Washington investor-owned and public power utilities was approved by two House of Representatives committees, but didn't get a full House vote by the February...

Customer service: it's the little things that count!(Customer Service)
March 1, 2004... Have you ever walked into a candy, store with a young child and watched with delight as the store manager gave the youngster a small treat? Have you ever purchased an appliance or piece of equipment, finding with pleasure that the sales rep was...

PenLight restores power in record time.(Engineering & Operations)
March 1, 2004... Winter storm conditions this winter tested the reliability of Peninsula Light Company's (PenLight) distribution system, but the 26,000-member electric cooperative passed with flying colors. Chief Executive Officer Rob Orton said that, while...

Meters losing money?(Engineering & Operations)
March 1, 2004... With even more BPA rate increases on the horizon, few public utilities can afford to give electricity away, but utilities are doing just that every day. Utilities complete annual financial audits to ensure the integrity of their finances,...

Clarify your brand: clear communications put you on the road to a powerful brand.(Marketing & Communication)
March 1, 2004... If you caught January's article entitled "Brand. Bogus Budget Buster?" you might remember this paragraph: "What is brand, after all? At its most basic it's the personality and approach of a business made tangible. It's taking all the cues...

Northern Intertie goes live.(Member News)
March 1, 2004... Golden Valley Electric Association (Fairbanks, Alaska) members have already begun saving money as the Northern Intertie began transferring power from the south. The estimated reduction will save Golden Valley and its members $1.9 million...

Grant County PUD makes personnel changes.(Member News)
March 1, 2004... The Board of Commissioners at Grant County PUD (Ephrata, Wash.) has named Tim Culbertson interim manager, and Craig Jorgensen interim customer service director. Since joining the utility, Culbertson has served in the position of manager of...

Tracy named interim manager at Blachly-Lane.(Member News)
March 1, 2004... Bud Tracy has been appointed interim general manager at Blachly-Lane Electric Cooperative (Eugene, Ore.). Tracy had recently retired after a 36 year career with Raft River Electric Cooperative (Malta, Idaho) when the Oregon co-op came...

Rohrer appointed to board vacancy at Kodiak.(Member News)
March 1, 2004... Dan Rohrer has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of directors at Kodiak Electric Association (Kodiak, Alaska). Rohrer fills the position left open when Thomas Ellis left office. A lifelong resident of Kodiak, was selected...

Fergus Electric selects Sweeney as assistant manager.(Member News)
March 1, 2004... Fergus Electric (Lewistown, Mont.) has announced the selection of Scott Sweeney for the newly created position of assistant manager at the cooperative. Sweeney will oversee special projects, working closely with the board of directors. He...

We remember.(Member News)
March 1, 2004... Merritt "Bud" Parks, a former director at Midstate Electric (La Pine, Ore.), passed away recently. He was 91. He helped bring electricity to the central Oregon area known as Fort Rock, where he had been a beef cattle farmer. He retired in 1966....

Calendar of upcoming public power meetings.(Member News)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... April 2004 1--PPC Executive Committee Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, 8 a.m.-noon. Portland, Ore. 2--PNUCC Board Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, 9 a.m.-noon. Portland, Ore. 3--Douglas Electric Annual Meeting, Douglas...

Carrasco named superintendent at Seattle City Light.(Member News)
March 1, 2004... The City Council of Seattle recently confirmed Jorge Carrasco as City Light superintendent in a unanimous vote. The public power system is the city's largest department. "Mr. Carrasco has withstood intense public scrutiny and the...

Associate member profiles.(Associate Member News)
March 1, 2004... Cooper Power Systems Jeff Lindgren 14410 S.E. Petrovitsky Road, Suite 207 Phone: (425) 917-9939 Fax: (425) 917-9779 E-mail: jlindgren@cooperpower.com www.cooperpower.com Manufacturer of reclosers, distribution...

FCI-Burndy announces Qiksleeve for slack span and tension applications.(Technology Marketplace)
March 1, 2004... FCI-Burndy Products has introduced the Qiksleeve Aerial Wedge Splice for slack span and tension applications. The new Burndy Aerial Wedge Splice features significant design, energy, and labor saving improvements over conventional tubular...

POWER Engineers participate in U.S. Central Command contract.
March 1, 2004... Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) associate member POWER Engineers, Inc. is a subcontractor with Perini Corporation, one of 10 firms awarded new contracts for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Programs Center. The...

Fate of energy bill still unknown.(Washington D.C. Report)
March 1, 2004... Congress is still struggling to pass a comprehensive energy bill that President Bush and the House and Senate leadership believe is needed to increase our nation's energy independence, promote conservation, and modernize the U.S. electricity...

Hydro not the sole generation source in the Northwest anymore.
March 1, 2004... It used to be that the Northwest's power supply was pretty much single supply-oriented. Hydropower... period. In the last 25 years, the electric utility industry has been forced to make changes in the way it thinks about power mix and the...