Vehicle Collisions, Storms Cause Increase in Outages
Multiple large-scale events, increased car versus pole collisions, and storm systems that impacted the entire county led to an increase in power interruptions for Grays Harbor PUD customers in 2022. While last year’s total number of outages fell from 312 to 278, the outages impacted more customers and for longer periods of time.
Of the 278 major outages, 22 events were considered “large scale,” in which customer hours without power was over 3,000. Those events accounted for 77% of the total customers impacted in 2022 and nearly 90% of the customer hours without power for the entire year. While wind, storm, and tree related outages caused the majority of the power interruptions, car versus pole collisions accounted for over 40% of the customer hours without power. The month of December proved to be a significant one for PUD crews, with half of the 22 large scale outages occurring that month. Vehicle collisions, windstorms, snow, and ice were responsible for large scale outages that stretched from Tokeland to Kalaloch and from the ocean beaches to East County. One area that did break the normal cycle for the PUD was tree related outages. Fallen trees accounted for 152 total outages, the lowest number since 2019 and well below the five-year average. In addition, the utility saw a decrease in the number of outages caused by equipment failures.
East County Fiber Project Receives Broadband Grant
Last month, the Grays Harbor PUD was informed that it was one of 16 utilities to receive grant funding from the Washington State Broadband Office to fund broadband construction projects. The $6.9-million awarded to Grays Harbor will help pay for the construction of fiber and broadband infrastructure on State Route 12 from South Elma to the Porter and Cedarville communities.
“This is great news for the PUD and our customers,” said PUD Core Services Director Rob Hanny, whose department oversees the utility telecommunications operations.
Fleet Maintenance Keeps Tires Rolling and PUD Working
At a recent board workshop, PUD Fleet Supervisor Mark Robecker presented on the district vehicles and equipment that he and his team maintain and repair. It takes a lot of equipment (236 trucks, trailers, and other equipment) to maintain our large system, and our shop crew does an excellent job keeping the wheels turning.
During the workshop, we toured the district fleet maintenance facility, located at the main PUD campus on Cherry Street. During the tour, we were shown the work that the fleet department does to keep the trucks rolling out to work sites. In addition to the trucks and line equipment, the fleet department also works and maintains much of the gear used for programs like vegetation management and tree trimming. Brush mowers and smaller skid steer mowers keep underbrush mowed down to maintain access to those hard-to-reach areas for the line crews. This equipment has certainly proven its value.
We were also informed of the challenges the fleet department faces. One of those challenges is the disruption of the supply chain, and how shortages can inflate the cost and delivery time of some of the equipment the district uses to maintain our system. For example, line trucks can take two or three years to be delivered after one is ordered. When you have a set rotation for vehicle replacement, longer wait times can have a big impact. These trucks may not get lots of mileage in their life span but the boom, bucket, and other gear accumulate many hours of wear and tear while doing work maintaining our system. With crew safety as a top priority, Mark explained how the equipment must always be inspected and tested to make sure it’s in top working order.
It takes a lot to keep the power flowing and fiber connections working. Without the work of our fleet department, that work can’t be done.
By Arie Callaghan, District One Commissioner
Commission Meeting Dates
Meetings are held in the Nichols Building, 220 Myrtle Street, Hoquiam.
June 2023
Monday—June 5
Monday—June 19
July 2023
Monday—July 3
Monday—July 17
Utility workshops are held at 3:30 pm. Regular business meetings are scheduled to begin at the conclusion of the utility workshop. Public comment periods are included at the open and close of every meeting.
Commission meetings may be cancelled, and special meetings may be scheduled. Commission meetings are open to public attendance. Those who wish to attend virtually may do so. For more information, go to www.ghpud.org.