(Editor’s note: This meeting took place at the Hydro Office Building, near Wanapum Dam and was not recorded.)
(Note: Commissioners also announced the new general manager this week. Details are in a separate news release here.)
Careful budgeting and disciplined spending resulted total expenditures of $464.4 million in 2024 – only $2.9 million below that year’s original budget forecast, according to the latest figures, shared with commissioners Tuesday.
EPHRATA WA - Grant PUD Commission voted to appoint John Mertlich as the next General Manager and CEO position during their meeting on March 11.
Planting a tree isn’t just a great way to spruce up your landscape—it’s also a smart investment in energy efficiency. At Grant PUD, we believe in solutions that benefit your home and the environment. Trees not only add beauty to your property but also help reduce cooling and heating costs, improve air quality, and protect water quality. According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, strategically placed trees can help the average homeowner save up to 20% on energy costs.
Grant PUD’s Enterprise Project Management Office is using a powerful combination of software tools to better track the cost and progress over time of the capital projects they oversee, commissioners learned this week.
The information helps guide business decisions and deliver projects at the highest value. The office is also investigating whether to pursue becoming “self-certified” in “Design Build,” the state’s streamlined bidding, contracting and building process.
Self-certification could reduce timelines even more on projects that include electric system expansion and upgrades. See the full report on pages 2-17 of the presentation materials. Hear the discussion at 13:49 on the commission audio.
Grant County PUD was at the center of a recent article in The Capital Press. Many of the comments made in the article were inaccurate with omissions, assumptions and accusations made. The Commission is responding publicly to the landowners and other public residents to correct inaccurate information.
Grant PUD Commissioners formally announced that they accepted the resignation of General Manager/Chief Executive Officer Rich Wallen during their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Charitable giving through investments in energy conservation
(Note: We apologize for this week's audio recording, which is intermittent in parts, due to technical problems.)
For the past 25 years, Grant PUD’s wholesale Fiber Optic network has been in growth mode as it focused on the task of building out a system to serve Grant PUD customers countywide. Now with all major construction complete for the initial network, the Grant PUD Telecom & Fiber Services team is moving into a new era of operations and maintenance to keep the wholesale network sustainable.
Managing Winter Energy Costs
Winter isn’t the only time of year electricity use and power bills go up in Grant County. Prolonged hot spells have the same effect on the family power bill, increasing the financial burden for families in need.
Priest Rapids Dam is “suitable for safe and continued operation,” according to its comprehensive safety assessment, commissioners learned Tuesday.
Winter isn’t the only time of year electricity use and power bills go up in Grant County. Prolonged hot spells have the same effect on the family power bill, increasing the financial burden for families in need.
The holiday season is a time for celebrating with family and friends—but it’s also a season that can be especially difficult for many families when it comes to providing consistent, nutritious meals. This year, we at Grant PUD are thrilled to share how our Pay it Forward Fund, facilitated in partnership with our key partner Microsoft and the Columbia Basin Foundation (CBF), helped make the Boys & Girls Club of the Columbia Basin’s first-ever Winter Break Backpack Food Program a reality!