PUD Honored by NWPPA for Safety
Sound practices, regular trainings, and a commitment to a safe work environment at the Grays Harbor Public Utility District were recognized when the utility was honored with an annual Safety Award from the Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA). Presented at the association’s Engineering & Operations Conference , the PUD ranked third amongst utilities with between 260,001 and 750,000 hours of exposure, or combined number of hours worked by PUD staff.
“Safety is one of the core values at the Grays Harbor PUD and a top priority for our employees,” said PUD Safety and Environmental Director Ben Bouch. “An award like this only happens because every member of the utility believes that a safe work environment is critical to our success. I am so proud of all our staff members. They have taken the time to ensure that when they go to work, they will make their workplace safe for themselves, their colleagues, and our customers.”
Grays Harbor was one of 22 utilities honored with safety awards at the conference. NWPPA safety contest awards are based upon a review of each utility’s safety contest form, the number of recordable injury/illness cases (the incident rate) in 2022, and the lost workdays (the severity rate) in 2022.
Check for Utilities Before Beginning Outdoor Work
Without proper care and awareness, the tools of outdoor work can come into contact with overhead and underground power lines. Contact with electrical lines can cause serious injury and, in some cases, can be fatal, so as you begin these projects, make sure to note the location of the overhead power line around your home or business. Contact the Grays Harbor PUD Safety Department at 360-538-6248 for information on how you can be safe around power lines. Underground utilities can also pose a threat so be sure to Call Before You Dig at 8-1-1 for underground locates.
PUD Mission Means Reliability and Affordability
Grays Harbor Public Utility District #1 faces some challenges unique to rural Washington. Providing power to an area with a low housing density and a large geographic area can mean high costs in transmission and distribution. Requiring new resources would drive those costs even higher.
For over 80 years, our primary power source has been hydroelectric power, making up 79% of our 2021 portfolio. It’s a reliable, affordable resource. We have not relied on energy sources such as coal and natural gas, which bring environmental challenges. In recent years, there has been much talk about alternative energy sources. However, access to wind and solar power may not be the best solution for rural communities as they often require substantial initial investment costs to purchase and install the necessary equipment. The district's location means it must rely on expensive transmission infrastructure to deliver energy to customers. It is costly to maintain, and creating new transmission lines needed for new resources means additional challenges, ranging from high costs to lengthy permitting procedures and technical difficulties. Additionally, these renewable energy sources depend highly on weather conditions, meaning their output can vary drastically. This variability can make maintaining a consistent energy supply complex, particularly without affordable solutions to store surplus energy (although I’d argue that increasing flow through dams is energy storage).
Even with our abundant hydropower, the PUD has used alternative energy sources by partnering with others to explore the opportunities and challenges of those resources. The PUD does have stakes in both solar and wind energy, but they have a significantly higher cost than our hydroelectric sources and none of the reliability. For example, one hydro generated megawatt hour costs the PUD $30.84, while wind costs $94.06. With solar energy, most of the costs associated with solar in Grays Harbor is currently borne by the small number of customers who choose to use rooftop solar. If we were to move toward a total reliance on those resources, the cost to customers would be significant due to higher energy costs or required equipment purchases.
Grays Harbor PUD's goal is to "Serve our community with high-value utility services at the lowest practical cost." To me, “high value” means reliable and affordable. We must continue to balance cost and efficiency in our current power sources and, at the same time, look to the future of new sources to ensure that they are the right fit, before we commit to them.
By Jon Martin, District Three Commissioner
Commission Meeting Dates
Meetings are held in the Nichols Building, 220 Myrtle Street, Hoquiam.
May 2023
Monday—May 1
Monday—May 15
June 2023
Monday—June 5
Monday—June 19
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.