NOTE: Commission audio will be posted as soon as possible

Commissioners unanimously approved a five-year Purchase Power Agreement with Goose Prairie Solar Development as part of Grant PUD’s plan for powering anticipated growth in the county. Under the agreement, Grant PUD will receive 100-percent of the energy and capacity output of the 80-megawatt Moxee-based generation facility. 

Goose Prairie was one of the generation providers that participated in Grant PUD’s all-source request for new power generation resources earlier this year. The 80 megawatts of solar power from Goose Prairie are a significant portion 120 MW of solar resources that Grant PUD plans to add to its power portfolio by 2026 to address customer growth. For a full description of how Grant PUD plans to blend additional generation resources to its present hydro and wind power portfolio, see the 2024 Integrated Resource Plan. See page 175 of the commission packet. 

2025 budget will be smaller than expected

Deferred capital costs and an unanticipated new power-sales contract has resulted in a net $55.6 million reduction in Grant PUD’s 2025 budget, commissioners learned Tuesday.

Part of the adjustment stems from a $9.7 million reduction in capital projects that were too preliminary for an accurate cost assessment when the draft 2025 budget was first presented to commissioners in October. As project planning progresses, making accurate cost estimates possible, some or all of these projects could still be added to the budget later in the year, Angelina Johnson, senior manager of Treasury and Financial Planning, told commissioners.

Grant PUD crews were out early Monday, Nov. 18, to determine the cause of a series of outages in the Winchester area.


(Note: Desplácese hacia abajo para español)


Grant PUD crews have worked for days trying to diagnose the cause of a spate of intermittent power outages that have affected the Winchester area, between Quincy and Ephrata, since Nov. 13. As it turns out, the culprit was, in fact, a cow with an itch to scratch.

The first cow-related outage was reported Nov. 13. After days and two complete nights patrolling power lines to search for the problem, crews were out again early Monday, Nov. 18, after another report of a flash seen from area electric equipment. This time, they are fairly sure the outage was caused by one or more cows that had discovered how a guy wire securing an area power pole was an excellent scratching post.

(Updated, 11/20/2024) As a cow rubs against the guy wire for a scratch, it shakes the entire pole, causing the attached power lines to sway and touch each other. This causes an electrical fault and flash that result in an outage. The electric system restores power automatically after a few minutes when the lines settle back into their correct positions and the fault is no longer present. A guy wire attaches to the top of the pole and extends diagonally to the ground, where it's anchored, to help keep the pole upright. The guy wire is not electrified, so no  harm comes to the cow.

Intermittent outages such as these are difficult to diagnose, since power has reset by the time crews get to the location to search for damage.

(Updated, 11/22/2024) Crews didn't observe a cow in the process of scratching, but have seen this happen in the past. Here's a video of shot by one of our crewmen in Quincy in 2022. In the case of the latest flash sighting, a heard of cows were grazing nearby, gleaning from a harvested corn field. Crews' previous inspections ruled out other potential causes.
 
(Updated, 11/20/2024) Grant PUD personnel worked with the property owner to reroute an electric fence to keep the cows away from the guy wire. They are also working to "sectionalize" the feeder, so any future outages will affect fewer customers.

And to everyone affected by these outages, thanks for your patience, as we work to get the lights back on... and keep them on.


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Actualización: Se confirma la hipótesis de la vaca en una serie de apagones de Winchester

Las cuadrillas de Grant PUD han trabajado durante días tratando de diagnosticar la causa de una serie de cortes de energía intermitentes que han afectado el área de Winchester, entre Quincy y Ephrata, desde el 13 de noviembre. Resulta que las culpables eran, de hecho, una o más vacas con ganas de rascarse.

Después de días y al menos una noche completa de patrullar las líneas eléctricas para buscar el problema, las cuadrillas volvieron a salir la madrugada del lunes 18 de noviembre, después de otro informe de un destello visto desde el equipo eléctrico del área. Esta vez, están bastante seguros de que el apagón fue causado por una o más vacas que habían descubierto cómo un cable de sujeción que aseguraba un poste de energía de área era un excelente poste para rascar..

(Actualizado, 20/11/2024) A medida que una vaca se frota contra el cable de sujeción para rascarse, sacude todo el poste, lo que hace que las líneas eléctricas conectadas se balanceen y se toquen entre sí. Esto provoca una falla eléctrica y un destello que resulta en un apagón. El sistema eléctrico restablece la energía automáticamente después de unos minutos cuando las líneas vuelven a sus posiciones correctas y la falla ya no está presente. Un cable de sujeción se conecta a la parte superior del poste y se extiende en diagonal hasta el suelo, donde está anclado, para ayudar a mantener el poste en posición vertical. El cable de sujeción no está electrificado, por lo que la vaca no sufre ningún daño.

Los apagones intermitentes como estos son difíciles de diagnosticar, ya que la energía se ha restablecido cuando los equipos llegan al lugar para buscar daños.

Las cuadrillas aún no han observado una vaca en el proceso de rascado, pero han visto que esto sucede en el pasado. En el caso del último avistamiento relámpago, se oye ver vacas pastando cerca, espigando de un campo de maíz cosechado. Las inspecciones previas de las cuadrillas descartaron otras posibles causas.

(Actualizado, 20/11/2024) El personal de Grant PUD trabajó con el dueño de la propiedad para desviar una cerca eléctrica para mantener a las vacas alejadas del alambre. También están trabajando para "seccionar" el circuito, por lo que cualquier interrupción futura afectará a menos clientes.

Y a todos los afectados por estos apagones, gracias por su paciencia, mientras trabajamos para volver a encender las luces... y mantenerlos puestos.

Grant PUD commissioners were joined by PUD employees and representatives of contractor North Sky on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to celebrate the near completion of the 25-year fiber buildout to all of Grant County.

Crew members for North Sky Communications, Grant PUD's fiber buildout contractor, work to install fiber on Sagebrush Flats Road west of Ephrata last month. Once the Sagebrush Flats Road work is finished, fiber will built out throughout all of Grant County. 

Commissioners celebrate near completion of fiber buildout 

Grant PUD commissioners took time to acknowledge the near completion of a 25-year mission of building out a county-wide fiber optic network during its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in Ephrata.  

“Grant County has a heritage of local control and being in control of their destiny,” said Commissioner Tom Flint, a strong proponent for fiber since he was elected to the board in 2000. “Not only in their power portfolio, but also in their communications portfolio. It’s a bit touching to have a dream and see it come to a conclusion.” 

Grant PUD began exploring fiber in 1999 with a pilot project to test the technology. Once the pilot project proved successful, the commission at the time authorized extending fiber to customers in many of the cities and towns in the county. By the mid-2010s, fiber was available to three-quarters of Grant PUD’s customers. After a public consultation with customers, the commissioners authorized the final buildout to the remaining customers starting in 2019 with contractor North Sky.  

Priest Rapids Dam, Mattawa. Grant PUD file photo.

You may have likely heard that Grant, Chelan and Douglas PUDs jointly filed a lawsuit in June against the federal government over our collective contribution of hydroelectric energy and capacity we must send to Canada per the Columbia River Treaty.

Implemented in 1964, the Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada was established to facilitate the joint development of power generation and flood control in the Columbia River Basin.  It has many elements and directly affects our ability to maximize the benefits of the hydroelectric generation of the Priest Rapids Project – Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams – for our local and regional customers.

The decision to sue didn't come lightly. We took this action only after years of pressing the Bonneville Power Administration to tell us how they calculate the amount of hydropower we must send to Canada from our dams to satisfy a Treaty obligation called the "Canadian Entitlement."

The Canadian Entitlement requires the United States to compensate Canada for its role in constructing and operating Canadian dams and reservoirs, to store large volumes of spring runoff allowing for gradual release that water downstream into the United States, to help prevent flooding and enhance hydropower generation for Columbia River dams in the United States.

This compensation is provided to Canada as valuable hydropower energy and capacity. According to calculations from hydropower industry experts, we believe U.S. federal and PUD dams on the Columbia River have been sending electricity benefits that are valued at 90% higher than the value we receive through coordinated operations and increased generation. This results in a collective annual overpayment to Canada of U.S. hydropower output worth approximately $500 million. This overpayment means we have fewer resources for our own customers at a time when demand for electricity, especially here in Grant County, is forecasted to increase substantially.

(Note: We'll post the commission audio as soon as we can. Sorry for the delay. We're working on it)

  


Grant PUD Photos/Rosalie Black:

Top: Grant PUD Traditional Programs Supervisor Lela Buck (right) guides commissioners (from left) Terry Pyle and Nelson Cox on their first tour of the new Wanapum Native American Discovery Unit, a rolling museum that tells the story of Wanapum history, culture, beliefs and modern-day life.

Bottom: From left, Grant PUD Traditional Programs Supervisor Lela Buck; Chief Enterprise Shared Services Officer Fallon Long; Chief Human Resource Officer Tod Ayers; Chief Operating Officer Jeff Grizzel; Commissioners Nelson Cox, Judy Wilson and Tom Flint; Wanapum Liaison Clayton Buck; Grant PUD General Manager & CEO Rich Wallen; Wanapum Tribe Member George Mathias; Commissioners Terry Pyle and Larry Schaapman; Chief Customer Officer Ty Ehrman; Chief Financial Officer Bonnie Overfield; and Cultural Project Worker Kenny Mathias.

(Note: Commission audio will be posted as soon as we can)

The Wanapum Band of Indians introduced to commissioners, Tuesday, a shiny, new mobile museum that will travel the region telling a story that dates to time immemorial.

Grant PUD Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved $10.145 million to buy three parcels of land totaling 159 acres near Moses Lake for a new service center.

The property is within the Moses Lake urban growth area, near the junction of Highway 17 and I-90 (see map). According to the purchase-and-sale agreement approved by commissioners, the utility will pay the estate of David L. Sparks for the land.

A service center is a complex facility that includes transportation shop, materials storage yard, headquarters for regional line crews, office and meeting/training space, lockers and lunch area. Regional service centers are key to providing reliable service into the future as the county’s demand for electricity continues to grow.

The proposed new Moses Lake Service Center is part of Grant PUD’s Facilities Master Plan to replace buildings that are aged, outdated or no longer adequate for efficient operations. The commission approved the plan in 2022.

The utility is in the process of buying property in eastern Ephrata, south of Highway 17, for a new Ephrata Service Center and expects the sale to be complete in January 2025 for a groundbreaking later that year.   

A Grant PUD analysis with the help of an external consultant determined that building new buildings in better locations is more cost-and-benefit effective than improving existing buildings that have become inadequate due to space and access limitations and renovation costs.

This week's commission meeting took place at the Hydro Office Building near Wanapum Dam.


Reminder!  Hearings for 2025 budget are Oct. 8

Grant PUD Commissioners will hold two public hearings for the 2025 budget on Tuesday, Oct 8, one at 2 p.m. and the other at 6 p.m. in the Commission Room of the Ephrata PUD Headquarters building at 30 C Street SW. Both have an option for the public to attend in person or remote.

The 2025 preliminary budget calls for $367.8 million in expenditures with a forecasted change in net position of $192.3 million.   This represents a $20.7 million increase in expenditures and a $73.6 million increase in the change of net position compared to the 2024 adopted budget. The additional budgeted expenditures in 2025 are necessary to address the rising costs associated with expanding services and infrastructure improvements.  The increased budgeted expenditures include $236.5 million in operations and maintenance and $253 million in capital.    

To learn more about the preliminary budget and for information on how to attend virtually, see https://www.grantpud.org/commission-meetings#publichearings.

Commissioners give nod to proposed rate strategy

    

Tree limbs that conceal or blow into power lines are a leading cause of power outages in wind-prone Grant County. Grant PUD has the legal right and obligation to trim interfering trees to ensure our electric grid is safe and reliable for all customers. Since public safety is paramount to our mission, we don’t need the property owner’s permission to trim, nor will we give prior notice before trimming.

As you can see from these photos, our contractors trim for function, not fashion, to keep growth as far away from the line as possible. We may, at our discretion, also remove entire trees that pose risk of safety or serious damage to lines.

Help us by taking action now.

1. Remove trees on your property that grow into power lines and replant smaller tree species. Here’s a list of options for our climate that reach a maximum 20-feet tall.

2. Never plant trees of any size directly beneath the lines. Ensure at least 20 feet of horizontal distance remains between the mature tree and the lines.

Since January, Grant PUD customers have been able to talk with a live and local customer service representative on seven days a week (excluding holidays and training days) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The program has enabled customers to have greater access to help for their accounts and power service, said Cary West, Senior Manager of Customer Solutions during his department’s quarterly report for the PUD commissioners during their meeting on Sept. 10.

West said that there are two customer service reps on duty on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. These reps have access to customer account information, can take payments, and can relay information about outages and other power concerns to utility staff on the weekends. On Mondays through Fridays during typical peak days of the week, more local customer service representatives are on duty to perform the same services from 6 to 6. 

“This enhances our customer experience,” West said about the weekend coverage. “It also adds bandwidth, alleviating workload pressure Mondays through Fridays.”

One of the greatest benefits are during large outages. Prior to having customer service reps answering calls, Grant PUD’s Power Dispatch Center would often be overwhelmed by call volumes. Now with the two reps on duty, they can take a high volume of calls during large outages, freeing up staff in the Power Dispatch Center to focus on restoring power safely and quickly. 

West added that his department is achieving its goal have having less than a five-minute hold time for at least 80% of calls to the call center. The average through June is 90%. One area needing improvement are for wait times exceeding 10 minutes. The goal is for fewer than 1% of calls to have a wait time of more than 10 minutes. Through the first six months of the year, the average is just over 4%. West said calls with longer wait times typically occur during major power outages or times when staffing levels dip during the day due to lunch coverages for the team. 

Grant PUD has 75 applications for new and expanding power service from large-load customers in a queue maintained by the Large Power Solutions team. 

Andy Wendell, Senior Manager of Large Power Solutions, told commissioners during their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 27 that those 75 applicants are asking for the equivalent of 2,897 total peak demand megawatts (MW) of power load. By comparison, Grant PUD’s peak load in July was set at about 1,050.

Data centers account for the highest interest in growth in the queue with 1,568 MW. Growth from port districts and other utility and government entities is 547 MW, and chemical companies round out the top three with 343 MW. Cryptocurrency, mineral and metal processing, and general manufacturing sectors are all wanting about 100 MW each. Quincy is the area with the highest level of interest with 1,578 MW while Moses Lake has 1,153 MW. 

Wendell said his team is working to make process improvements and recommend policy changes so the queue more accurately reflects applicants who are making a significant commitment to growing in Grant County. One possibility is for more of an up-front cost contribution from applicants, Wendell said.

The contributions would go toward necessary Contributions in Aid of Construction payments that the customers would make to pay for infrastructure built to serve their load. Wendell added that a number of infrastructure studies and improvements would need to be made in order to serve the applicants presently in the queue. These improvements would including transmission line projects, plus new switchyards and substations. 

(NOTE: Portions of this meeting weren't recorded due to technical troubles. We're working to fix them. Until then, you can find the recorded portion on YouTube here.

Grant PUD is planning to bring in more power resources to serve Grant County customers in 2026. Before that happens, staff is working with the commissioners to reaffirm the long-standing policy that core customers – residential, agricultural, and small business customers – will be the first supplied with low-cost power generation benefits provided by the Priest Rapids Project (PRP).  

Commission policy dictates the following non-core sectors -- industrial, food processing, evolving industry, and commercial electric vehicle charging – would receive any remaining PRP generation resources after core customers’ power needs are met. These non-core customers would also pay extra costs associated with new power resources required to serve their load. 

Ty Ehrman, Chief Customer Officer, said the Rates and Pricing group will work with the rest of the Grant PUD team to firm up this policy draft. Once it is reviewed and affirmed by commission, work would begin to determine the appropriate costs incurred for PRP power and then allocate that cost on a kilowatt hour basis annually as part of each customers’ rate.  

He added that staff is considering having the incremental non-PRP power charge elements showing up as separate line on every customer’s bill. Non-core customers would be subject to having incremental power charges displayed as an additional kilowatt hour expense on their bills. Core customers would have zeros associated with the incremental power-supply costs, because they would not be subject to the additional charge. 

Commissioners said they would like to continue exploring the recommendations from staff on rate-making policy during their upcoming workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. at 30 C Street SW and invited customers to attend and give feedback. They also plan to discuss the concepts during their Aug. 27 and Sept 10 commission meetings.  

At Grant PUD, there is a strong belief in the power of coming together to create opportunities for the next generation. This belief was at the heart of the recent Solar Car Days event at Big Bend Community College, where Grant PUD collaborated with eight amazing partners to bring this annual event to life.

Bringing STEM to Life for Moses Lake Students

This year, a challenge arose when the Moses Lake School District informed Grant PUD, just a week before the event, that they would have to cancel their participation due to a lack of funds. Determined not to let the students miss out, Annette Lovitt from the Public Affairs team sprang into action. Through the Pay It Forward funds, Grant PUD was able to cover the transportation costs, ensuring that the students could attend and enjoy this enriching experience.

A Heartfelt Thank You from the Students

The impact of this event on the students was profound, as evidenced by the thank you notes received:

(Editor's note: We'll add timestamps as soon as the meeting recording is available. Sorry for the delay. )

Proposed changes to Grant PUD’s rate-setting policy would preserve the lowest-cost power for “core” residential, irrigation, agricultural and commercial customer classes and create new parameters for how much all customers pay for their electricity.

Grant PUD staff shared the draft proposal with commissioners Tuesday after public meetings April 16, May 21 and June 4 to hear concerns and suggestions from customers of all rate classes. Outreach also included an online survey that until early July had garnered 103 responses.

The draft proposal is a work in progress and will likely change with further discussion and feedback. It contemplates all input from both in-person meetings and digital survey responses. The draft is built on three policy “guiding directives:

• Protection of core customers
• Rate making based on social fairness
• Rate making aligned with the utility’s load growth strategy, especially for industrial customers.

In a key change, the draft would replace the old rate-setting “targets,” in effect since 2015, that established that rates will be adjusted over time so that by the end of 2024 no rate class would pay more than 15% above Grant PUD’s cost to generate and deliver their electricity, nor less than 20% below that cost.

The draft proposal relies on a new set of rate increase “bands.” No customer class would receive a compound rate increase of more than approximately 22% — or less than 5% — over a five-year period, assuming an average rate increase of 2% per year.

A participant (and fellow detective) in Grant PUD’s Monster Detective Collective in Ephrata, WA

We recently had the pleasure of hosting the Monster Detective Collective Learning Lab, a series of interactive and educational events designed to teach elementary-aged kids about energy conservation and sustainability. These events were all about sparking curiosity, having fun, and connecting with our community. 
(Photo caption:  Annette Lovitt with the Public Affairs Team at Grant PUD teaching the Learning Lab to young detectives)

Event Highlights

Electrifying Adventures at Ephrata Library

Our first event kicked off at the Ephrata Public Library, where Annette Lovitt and her Public Affairs team led the session. We had a great turnout, with kids eagerly participating and parents expressing their appreciation for such an engaging initiative. The energy in the room was fun as the young detectives learned how energy is made, used, and conserved.

Hands-On Learning and Fun 

 Interactive Learning Lab

 The Monster Detectives (our curious and colorful characters) took the kids on an educational journey. Through fun activities and hands-on experiences, the children became energy detectives. They got to hold a piece of a solar panel, sparking their interest in renewable energy sources and briefing them on how this renewable energy works. We talked through how energy comes from many sources, and which sources are clean, as well as which sources power their homes. 
 (Photo caption: Caden, External Affairs intern at Grant PUD, handing out stickers to Learning Lab participants at Ephrata Library)

Grant PUD has been offered $1.1 million in state grant funding to buy and install energy-saving electric appliances for qualifying low- or moderate-income customers and small businesses.

Appliances and services eligible for the program could include ducted or ductless heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters, heat-pump clothes dryers, induction cooking equipment, and electric panel and wiring upgrades, when required, Chris Buchmann, Energy Services supervisor, told commissioners.

Qualifying low-income households must have a collective annual income of less than 150% of the Area Median Income, which differs from zip code to zip code.  Small businesses may be sole proprietorships, corporations, partnerships or nonprofits that employ 50 or fewer employees and meet additional state qualifications (see RCW 39.23.10 (22)).

Qualifying customers would be prohibited from reselling their new appliance to third parties, Buchmann said. Homeowners and renters may both apply.

Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposed grant funding at their next meeting, July 23, 2024. If they approve, qualifying customers could begin applying for the appliances and electric upgrades as early as this fall. 

(Note: We'll post the audio timestamps as soon as the commission recording becomes available. Sorry for the delay.)


Commissioners kicked off their June 25, 2024 meeting by celebrating the 14 employees since the COVID pandemic ended who had successfully completed three-year apprenticeships for careers as Grant PUD power plant operators, power system electricians, linemen, electronic technicians and meter relay technicians.

“Grant County has always wanted to be in control of its own destiny and not be reliant on anyone else,” Commission President Tom Flint told the gathered employees and their supervisors. “That’s the heritage quality reflected in Grant PUD and staff. Congratulations!”

The graduates received the training they needed to take their journey level exams. They’re now embarking on the next level of their careers and will begin passing on their knowledge and experience to new generations of apprentice hopefuls, Casey Raab, Apprenticeship & Workforce Development Program Manager, told commissioners.

“Going through an apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity and a rewarding experience but requires great determination and hard work,” Raab said.

Many begin their training with a six-month trial period to be sure a craft position is a good fit. If they meet their journeyman and supervisors’ expectations, they’re admitted to the three-year, 6,000-hour apprentice training program.

Grant PUD plans to spread some powerful fun throughout Grant County this year through the North Central Washington Libraries’ free 2024 Summer Program.

Annette Lovitt, Grant PUD Public Affairs Officer – Community Engagement, told the commissioners that the utility’s Public Affairs Staff plans to bring the Public Power Monster Detective interactive program to children throughout the county through their local libraries.

“We’re excited to share this fun program with area students and we’re looking forward to visiting them in their hometown libraries," Lovitt said. 

The Grant PUD Public Power Monster Detective Program schedule for public libraries includes:

• Ephrata, 45 Alder St NW, June 25 at 2 p.m. 

• Coulee City, 405 W Main St, June 27 at 3:30 p.m.

• Grand Coulee, 225 Federal St., July 10 at 2 p.m.

• Warden, 305 S Main St., July 11 at 4 p.m.

• Moses Lake, 418 E 5th Ave, July 15 at 3 p.m.

• Quincy, 208 Central Ave S, July 17 at 3 p.m.

• Royal City, 136 Camelia St. NW, July 23 at 4 p.m.

• Soap Lake, 32 E Main St, July 24 at 4 p.m.

Along with the library activities, Grant PUD Public Affairs is planning Grant PUD participation in local parades and summer events, including the Grant County Fair, which is Aug. 13 through 17.  Lovitt said Grant PUD plans to have a booth in the Commercial Building focused on customer conservation and low-income assistance programs. The utility will also focus on safety with the lineman safety demonstration trailer, and Grant PUD’s Cultural Resources Group also plans to have a Wanapum Native American demonstration. 

(Note: Work continues on a new system for posting commission audio. When the audio is availble for this and previous meetings we'll post it and add timestamps in each respective recap. Sorry, again, for the delay.)

Grant PUD Commissioners learned Tuesday that the Washington State Auditor’s Office found three issues during a recent audit of utility’s compliance with the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) from Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2021. This was Grant PUD’s first compliance audit for CETA which was enacted into Washington state law on May 7, 2019.     

According to Thomas Bernard, of the auditor’s office, who spoke with the commissioners, there were three findings that will be documented in their report. Read the audit findings report here.

In the first finding, the auditor’s office determined Grant PUD did not perform and report to the state’s Department of Commerce required cumulative assessment of its previous energy assistance funding levels compared to those needed to meet its 2030 and 2050 energy assistance funding goals. Also, the utility did not include its plan to increase the effectiveness of its energy assistance programs and strategies in producing short-term and sustained energy burden reductions as required by CETA. 

In its response submitted to the auditor’s office, Grant PUD stated that it used a reporting template provided by the Department of Commerce believing it covered all the requirements. This method resulted in Grant PUD not submitting the required information as it was omitted by the Department of Commerce in the reporting template.  

Since the audit, Grant PUD has communicated with Commerce to define the reporting requirements and parameters. Additionally, Grant PUD has dedicated a CETA Program Manager to assist with compliance and program development. 

EPHRATA – Grant PUD commissioners announced today during their monthly workshop that Rich Wallen will remain as the utility’s Chief Executive Officer/General Manager. 

The commission had reluctantly accepted Wallen’s resignation on May 7 when he let them know he intended to take a position with Chelan PUD.  

Speaking for the entire board, Commission Vice President Terry Pyle dispelled rumors by asserting that the commission at no time asked for Wallen’s resignation and affirmed the commission’s support. 

“Rich has been a positive force for opportunity and growth in virtually every area of Grant PUD. His leadership has put us in the strongest financial position Grant has ever experienced,” he said in a prepared statement. “He has not allowed us to rest on the good work we are, and have been, doing for years. He has pushed us to prepare for the wave of change that is now on our doorstep. We are well on our way to solving the challenges that lie immediately in front of us.” 

He added, “So in the spirit of cooperation between Rich Wallen and the board, we are excited to announce Rich will continue to lead us on this voyage.”