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Correspondence: June 10
PUD plans for future power demand
Citizens of Grant County have long been proud of the two hydroelectric dams owned by this utility. For more than 50 years, Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams have provided clean, renewable hydropower for the people of the county and for millions of customers throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Though this resource has provided us with reliable power for generations, it is not an infinite energy source. Overall growth of the county in each of the utility’s rate classes paired with the announcement of several large companies’ expansion and relocation to the area have increased the county’s energy load over the past five years.
While we welcome the added jobs this growth brings to the area, we must address the amount of energy the county’s energy load now necessitates. In 2012, we anticipate that our energy needs will exceed the amount of physical energy Grant PUD is allocated from the dams generation. Our power sales contracts with other utilities helped Grant PUD finance the construction of Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams. We receive monetary benefits for power generated at the dams and utilized by these organizations. Once the physical energy of the dams is expended, we will use these dollars to purchase energy to meet the county’s load.
Though those dollars will help in the short term, we must plan for the future so that we are prepared to meet the energy demands of the county. We must address the issue of growth and work to protect the core customers of Grant PUD.
As your elected representatives, we have already adopted a resolution that provides for the customers at the heart of Grant PUD. We are actively planning for this utility’s future. We will address issues head-on, knowing that some of the decisions we must make are difficult. Meanwhile, we continue to be proud of this public utility and respectful of the resources in our care.
— Grant County PUD Board of Commissioners
ratepayer commented, on June 10, 2010 at 9:54 p.m.:
Stay strong Honorable PUD Commissioners!
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