Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) articles from March 2008

Bulletin (Northwest Public Power Association) archives from March 2008

Industry giants to speak at Annual Conference.(Association News)(Conference news)
March 1, 2008... At the 2008 NWPPA Annual Conference & Membership Meeting, "Public Power: Options for the Future," attendees will have the opportunity to listen to internationally known authors, scientists, attorneys, and others talking about everything from...

Pre-conference classes highlight co-op guiding principles, software selection.(Association News)
March 1, 2008... Alaskan cruises aren't the only pre-conference attraction at this year's Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Anchorage; early comers will also have the opportunity to register for one of two pre-conference seminars being offered on...

NWPPA welcomes more new utility members.(Association News)
March 1, 2008... The start of 2008 has been an exciting time for NWPPA as we watch our membership continue to grow. Last month we welcomed five new utility members, and since then two more utilities have joined the NWPPA family. It is our pleasure to welcome...

Northwest public power milestones (1910-1933).(Association News)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * 1910--After three years of construction, the first federal dam in the Northwest is completed. Minidoka Dam becomes the catalyst for the formation of five municipal utilities in Idaho: Burley, Delco, Heyburn,...

Climate change dominates January Task Force meeting.(Environmental Update)
March 1, 2008... On January 14, 2008, the NWPPA Environmental Task Force met in Seattle, Wash., to discuss Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developments; and climate change legislative and regulatory initiatives, including NWPPA member responses to the...

Splash zone: Grant County PUD's new steelhead monitoring facility.(Fish Issues)
March 1, 2008... When examining a steelhead, Janet Eckenberg knows how to distinguish the difference between a lamprey bite wound and a seal scratch. She also knows how to determine a wild steelhead from one produced in a hatchery. For the last 20 years she has...

Retaining talent in times of scarcity: the time to act is now.(Policy Making & Management)
March 1, 2008... For years we have all heard that Baby Boomer demographics would significantly impact the way we do business in the energy industry. This cry has come from so many sides that many have been numbed because it would seem that the Boy Who Cried...

February busy for Grant PUD.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... Two events occurred last month that helped further the process of two of Grant PUD's (Ephrata, Wash.) biggest projects. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] First, staff received a final report from NOAA Fisheries on Friday, February 1, completing...

Ryckman announces retirement.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... On April 30, 2008, Jean Ryckman, manager of Franklin PUD (Pasco, Wash.), will retire to pursue opportunities with family, travel, and to provide community service. She has been manager of Franklin PUD since January 2004 and has worked at the...

EWEB receives high bond rating.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... Oregon's Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) received an AA- rating from Standard & Poor's (S&P), one of the highest bond ratings among northwest utilities. Corporate Service Division Director Jim Origliosso credits EWEB's Board of...

Kalenka completes CCD program.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... Chugach Electric Association (Anchorage, Alaska) Director Uwe Kalenka recently earned certification in the Credentialed Cooperative Director Program. Elected in 2005, Kalenka is vice chairman of the seven-member Chugach Board of Directors. ...

Kotzebue receives regional IEEE award.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) recently honored Kotzebue Electric Association (Kotzebue, Alaska) with its IEEE Region 6 Outstanding Corporate Service Award. The award is for "leadership in implementing...

Golden Valley achieved much in 2007.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA), in Fairbanks, Alaska, not only met the 2007 goals of its Green Power Pledge, but its Healy power plant also achieved its second best year of performance in 2007. The Green Power Pledge, adopted by...

Moxness retiring from Central Lincoln.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... After 28 years of service, Kay Moxness, government relations manager at Central Lincoln PUD (Newport, Ore.), retired from the utility. Her last day at the utility was January 31. "Public power and specifically Central Lincoln customers owe...

Nollkamper retires after three decades at Glacier.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... After 34 years of service with Glacier Electric Cooperative (Cut Bank, Mont.), Roy Nollkamper has decided to retire. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nollkamper started in 1974, working in the field for nine years attaining journeyman lineman...

IID Energy readies for summer.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... Serving the needs of energy customers in a desert environment can be a challenge--one that IID Energy (Imperial, Calif.) Assistant Energy Manager Henryk Olstowski relishes. A 25-year veteran of the energy industry, Olstowski is responsible...

Port joins Tacoma Power's green program.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... The Port of Tacoma has added another item to its eco-friendly portfolio: support of renewable energy. The Port recently made a $700 monthly commitment to the EverGreen Options program, making it one of Tacoma Power's (Tacoma, Wash.) largest...

NLI announces scholarships for 2008.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... Continuing Northern Lights' (NLI's) history of supporting education, NLI is now accepting applications for their educational scholarship program. The NLI Board of Directors has authorized eight $500 educational scholarships to be awarded this...

Chelan sets record for wholesale power sales.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... A strong market for electricity and better-than-expected mountain snowpack combined to make 2007 the best year ever for Chelan County PUD's (Wenatchee, Wash.) wholesale power sales. Randy Lowe, executive manager of energy resources, told...

SMUD ranked highest in West for customer satisfaction.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... For the second year in a row, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in California was awarded top honors in the western region in business customer satisfaction and scored highest nationwide, according to the J.D. Power and...

Computerworld recognizes Snohomish PUD.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... Snohomish County PUD (Everett, Wash.) has been recognized by Computerworld magazine as one of its "top 12 green IT" organizations in the country, acknowledging a range of innovative and environmentally friendly measures implemented by the...

Milestones met in Interconnection Project.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... On January 17, 2008, Leo Quiachon, Clatskanie PUD's (Clatskanie, Ore.) project manager, along with his fellow co-workers and line crew, celebrated a major accomplishment on the Clatskanie-Bradbury Interconnection Project. At 5:36 p.m., the...

We remember.(Member News)
March 1, 2008... La Rita Kaye (Tinka) Benfield died February 6, 2008, in Newport, Ore., after a short battle with cancer. She was 68 years old. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Born on October 12, 1939, in Spencer, Iowa, Benfield graduated from Lewis and Clark...

SNW hires energy industry expert.(Associate Member News)
March 1, 2008... Seattle-Northwest Securities Corp. (SNW) announced the hiring of David Fife as senior vice president of the Energy Finance Group. Fife will focus on banking and advisory services for municipalities, public power issuers, project developers, and...

ABB appoints new division heads.(Associate Member News)
March 1, 2008... At ABB's Power World event in Jacksonville, Fla., in January, ABB announced two key appointments to its North American management team. Effective February 15, Greg Scheu, previously senior vice president of the company's Automation Products...

SEL relay ensures reliable power.(Associate Member News)
March 1, 2008... With the increased demand for electricity combined with the aging infrastructure of the electric power grid, disturbances such as voltage spikes and sags and severe weather conditions are continually increasing the probability that large...

BGE chooses Cooper Power Systems.(Associate Member News)
March 1, 2008... Cooper Power Systems announced on February 20 that it has been selected by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), a subsidiary of Constellation Energy, to provide a system for peak demand reduction designed for BGE's residential customers....

WERC effort well timed: the collective knowledge of WERC members is an excellent resource for Western staff seeking insights about the key technical and policy issues facing consumer-owned utilities in the West.(Washington D.C. Report)
March 1, 2008... NWPPA's effort to establish public power as an energy resource for western governors is building momentum at a perfect time. In June 2007, NWPPA formed a committee of members interested in discussing regional energy issues with the Western...

SMUD finds new ways to deploy solar power.(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) was a pioneer of solar power in the 1980s and we're proud to continue our leadership role. Today there is more than 10 megawatts of local solar power in our service territory. Our start was with the...