Andrew Munro, Grant PUD director of customer service, appears before the Energy and Power Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee

Legislation to improve the regulatory framework for hydropower development continued moving forward on Capitol Hill today, bolstered by testimony provided by our own Director of Customer Service, Andrew Munro.

While speaking on behalf of the National Hydropower Association and Grant PUD, Andrew encouraged changes in regulation that would allow faster licensing of hydropower projects. “…The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act is an immediate step forward that Congress can take to improve regulatory efficiency and tap into our nation’s undeveloped renewable energy resources in a pro-active and balanced approach,” he testified.

Andrew’s participation in this hearing furthers the commitment by our commission to support hydropower on a local, regional and national basis. We continue to support any effort that helps more people understand that hydropower is a renewable resource that employs American workers. Growth in the hydropower industry means employment for more Americans.

The National Hydropower Association distributed this press release today.

Andrew’s full testimony can be found here >>

Northern pikeminnow, a member of the minnow family, is a native species of the Columbia River and considered a dominant predator of juvenile salmon. Since 1995, we have used several techniques to catch and remove these fish from the Priest Rapids Project area including; angling, setlines, beach seines and cod traps. These efforts resulted in the elimination of roughly 708,820; adult, sub-adults, juvenile and young-of-year pikeminnow from the Priest Rapids Project Area. 

Why remove pikeminnow from the Priest Project area?

Based on juvenile steelhead survival and behavior evaluations, it appears that fish predators, such as pikeminnow may be decreasing survival for juvenile steelhead as they migrate through the project area. 

Based on requirements within the Priest Rapids Salmon and Steelhead Agreement, Grant PUD is obligated to financially contribute to a No-Net-Impact Fund for every percentage point below the 86.5 percent juvenile steelhead and salmonids survival standards requirement (project-wide).

Allocation of dollars from the No-Net Impact Fund is determined by the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee whose stakeholders include representatives from NOAA-Fisheries, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Yakama Nation and Grant PUD.      

To date, No-Net Impact Funds have been deployed to:

• support a predator index study within the Priest Rapids Project area
• install irrigation diversion screen projects in the Methow, Okanagon and Wenatchee basins
• support a nighttime electrofishing project to remove pikeminnow from the Priest Rapids Project area
• fund the Northern Pikeminnow Fishing Derby

Kristen Bates of NCESD hits the high-points of electrical safety with Grant County students.

They may wear Velcro shoes and Spiderman underwear but they are informed. They can explain the difference between a conductor and an insulator. They recognize that energy can change from one form to another. Who are these young energy pundits? They are elementary students of Grant County. Thanks to a partnership with North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) thousands of local students in grades kindergarten through fifth, experience the basic principles behind electrical safety and hydroelectric production every year.

The program began years ago and has since evolved into an approved science curriculum that reaches every public and private school in Grant County. Kristen Bates, NCESD electrical safety instructor, captivates classrooms with renditions of “Hazard Hamlet” a micro drama that demonstrates the dangers associated with electricity.  While not true to the incest-and-murder-filled version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, this version is still a crowd-pleaser thanks to the occasional ZAP that occurs when characters fail to demonstrate correct safety behavior. 

May is electrical safety month and we are working to ensure that young people know how to be safe around the reliable energy that powers their homes and schools. No matter how small or young our customers may be, we are dedicated to supporting programs that reinforce this life-saving information.

If you are interested in educating those small people in your lives be sure to check out our website where you can find helpful information presented in a way that your children will understand.

With new technology emerging each day, electricity has an ever-increasing presence in our lives. As reliance on electricity grows, so does the potential for electrical safety threats. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average home today has three televisions, two DVD players, at least one digital camera, one desktop computer and two cell phones.

We all know how reliant we are upon our electrical products, but if you don’t properly maintain them, you could be shocked by the outcome. The good news is that eliminating electrical dangers in your home doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.

Grant PUD offers the following tips to help identify and eliminate electrical hazards to protect yourself, your family and your home:

• Make sure entertainment centers and computer equipment have plenty of space around them for ventilation.
• Use extension cords as a temporary solution, and never as a permanent power supply.
• Do not place extension cords in high traffic areas, under carpets, or across walkways, where they pose a potential tripping hazard.
• Use a surge protector to protect your computer and other electronic equipment from damage caused by voltage changes.
• Keep liquids, including drinks, away from electrical items such as televisions and computers.
• To determine when your electrical system was last inspected, check the label on the cover of your electrical service panel.
• Increase your fire protection by having a qualified, licensed electrician replace your standard circuit breakers with combination-type arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers.
• Have your furnace cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed, qualified professional.
• Clean the dryer lint filter after each load, and keep the area around the dryer free of clutter.

This weekend we celebrate Earth Day. This one day provides an opportunity for the nation to pause and reflect upon the environment. As customers of Grant PUD, your impact is relatively low thanks to the clean, renewable hydropower that energizes the county’s homes, businesses and farms.

For nearly 75 years, Grant PUD has been committed to our community and the environment. It is our goal to provide you with clean energy for the future at the lowest possible cost. We are honored to be an integral part of Grant County, and are proud of the work that goes into providing local hospitals, farms, schools, businesses and homes with renewable energy in a way that keeps an eye on the future.

This Earth Day, remember to celebrate the clean energy that powers Grant County. While Earth Day comes and goes, your utility’s commitment to our local environment does not.

Tom Flint, President

Terry Brewer, Vice President

Bob Bernd, Secretary

Dale Walker

Randy Allred

Alevin 11 days after hatch. The egg sack supplies nourishment for their first month of life. After the egg sack is absorbed and starts to “button up,” they start eating granular fish food – Photo credit: Todd Pearsons

Fresh fish anyone? When you’re bigger and faster, a fall Chinook hatchling (known as an alevin) hanging out across the divider in your tank looks like a mighty tasty snack.

Young White Sturgeon and fall Chinook salmon are sharing a large fish tank in Grant PUD’s natural resource office. For the first three months, the tank was divided until the fall Chinook developed to the fry stage, larger and fast enough to escape the sturgeon.

The fall Chinook, hatched from eyed eggs supplied by the Priest Rapids Hatchery, are part of the Salmon in the Classroom project currently underway in 13 classrooms throughout Grant and Chelan County schools. The program is funded by Grant PUD as a science education unit. In June, the fall Chinook will be released into the Columbia River to begin their journey to the ocean. This stage in their life is called smolting.

The eight White Sturgeon living in the tank are nine months old and are 5 inches long; their mother was 8 feet long. Their daily diet consists of blood worms and brine shrimp – Yum! These fish will eventually find homes in public display aquariums.

Grant PUD’s federal license requires the utility to construct facilities that will help restore spring Chinook populations in both the White River and Nason Creek. The license, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under the Federal Power Act, allows Grant PUD to bypass or “preempt” state and local laws in cases where those laws prevent the utility from complying with the terms of its license.

The White River acclimation facility will allow spring Chinook to be reared in large circular tanks and outdoor ponds filled with river water. This process allows the fish to learn the characteristics of the water, providing the critical cues necessary for them to return to spawn after spending two to three years in the ocean.

Biologists from the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Yakama Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation believe this facility will provide the best opportunity to restore natural runs of spring Chinook in the White River. The species was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1999.

“The hearing examiner’s decision puts us at risk of being out of compliance with our license and potentially subject to significant penalties,” said Jeff Grizzel, Grant PUD director of natural resources. “Unfortunately, we have no choice but to begin the federal preemption process to ensure we meet our license requirements related to the White River.”

 On Feb. 17, the utility’s legal counsel proposed settlement with Crescent Bar, Inc., which included requiring Crescent Bar drop any allegation that Grant PUD has an obligation to extend the 1979 sublease to 2023. If terms of the settlement are not accepted within 30 days, Grant PUD has requested that the Port of Quincy and Crescent Bar, Inc. enter into binding arbitration with the utility.

 The decision to arbitrate, required by the 1979 sublease between the Port of Quincy and Crescent Bar, Inc., of which the utility is a party, will settle the dispute over possession of the island.

 ”We are beginning the next phase of this dispute resolution with the people of Grant County in mind,” said Tim Culbertson, Grant PUD general manager. “Our efforts will be focused on demonstrating to the arbitration board that current leases expire this year and the utility is entitled to possession of the island. In the short term, we will not press for eviction of the island residents. We will, however, advise the Port of Quincy that we expect them to pay Grant PUD reasonable rental value for their continued use of the island after expiration of the lease. Payment for continued use will be expected until Grant PUD has possession and control of Crescent Bar Island.”

 New timeframes for decommissioning the island and improving facilities will be established once decisions are made by the arbitration board. For up-to-date information on Crescent Bar Island, visit www.gcpud.org.

The White River acclimation facility would allow spring Chinook to be reared in large circular tanks and outdoor ponds filled with river water. This process allows the fish to “imprint” on their natal river water, providing the critical cues necessary for them to return to spawn after spending three to four years in the ocean.

Biologists from the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Yakama Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation believe this facility will provide the best opportunity to restore natural runs of spring Chinook in the White River. The species was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1999.

Grant PUD’s federal license to operate the Priest Rapids Project requires mitigation for spring Chinook lost during migration through its hydroelectric dams. The utility is required specifically to construct facilities that support artificial supplementation of spring Chinook in both the White River and Nason Creek.

“We are very disappointed with Mr. Kottkamp’s decision,” said Jeff Grizzel, natural resources director with Grant PUD. “We are in a very difficult position since our federal license requires that we construct the acclimation facility yet the hearing examiner has denied all of the necessary permits. We are currently evaluating all options that would ensure we meet our license requirements related to spring Chinook in the White River.”

Since 2004, Grant PUD has acclimated juvenile spring Chinook salmon for a short six-week period each spring in the White River and Lake Wenatchee using temporary methods. While the rate of returning adults has increased since this process began, the return numbers are still far from those needed to meet recovery objectives. Biologists believe acclimating fish over the winter months may increase survival.

The acclimation facility design was a collaborative process between Grant PUD; fisheries co-managers; federal, state and local governmental officials; members of the public and other stakeholders. The final concept considered input from all stakeholders and reflected the group’s desire to minimize impacts to the land.

Commissioners are expected to act next week on a resolution that allows utility staff to begin negotiations with the Port of Quincy. If approved, an independent appraiser will be hired to determine the fair market rent for both Crescent Bar Island and the utility’s off-island property. The utility plans to implement the new fair market rent starting in June. The new rent will be a significant increase over the $100 annual payment currently received from the Port of Quincy.

“We strongly believe that Crescent Bar Island should be returned to full public use,” said Grant PUD Commission President Tom Flint. “Although these circumstances may delay broader access to this property, we can act proactively, and in the best interest of our customers, to collect funds that more accurately represent appropriate payment for use of the land.”

New timeframes for decommissioning the island and improving facilities will be established once decisions are made in the pending legal action. For up-to-date information on Crescent Bar Island, visit www.gcpud.org.