50 Year License
Milestone for Priest Rapids Project Open
PDF to print News Release
Grant County PUD and Customers Celebrate
EPHRATA, WA. A 50th anniversary celebration is golden.
On October 31, 2005, Grant PUD will celebrate the 50th anniversary
of the federal license to build the Priest Rapids Project and
the conclusion of our first long term power sales contracts.
“The expiration of our first license is a significant
milestone,” said Grant PUD Commission President, Bill
Bjork. “We have a proud history at Grant PUD and
it is important that we take time to acknowledge the efforts
and the people that created our success. At the same
time, we look to our next 50 years and reconfirm our dedication
to do what’s right for the county while balancing the
energy and resource challenges of the future.”
Grant PUD will host a celebration on October 31, 2005 to mark
this momentous occasion. Local citizens are invited to
join their friends, neighbors and Grant PUD staff in celebrating “50
Years of Excellence.” Grant PUD Commissioners will
start their regular Monday meeting at 1 p.m. on October 31
with a public celebration including cake, historic photos,
a short video presentation, and speeches to commemorate the
expiration of the Priest Rapids Project’s first operating
license and the beginning of new power sales contracts for
electricity produced at Priest Rapids Dam.
Grant PUD submitted its Final License Application to the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission in October 2003 seeking a new
50-year license to continue operations of Priest Rapids and
Wanapum Dams. In conjunction with the expiration of the
first 50-year license, Grant PUD expects the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) will issue a Notice of Authorization
for Continued Project Operation, otherwise known as an “annual
license.” After the first annual license is issued,
it is deemed automatically renewed until the FERC Commission
takes action on the application. FERC’s current
schedule, which is subject to change, anticipates that Grant
PUD’s license application will be ready for a decision
by FERC in July 2006.
In addition, on November 1, 2005, the new Priest Rapids Project
power sales contracts will go into effect. The new contracts
provide that Grant PUD can meet our county energy load requirements
at project cost while continuing to share power broadly throughout
the Northwest.
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