Find Out if Solar Energy is the Fit for Your Home
Everywhere you turn, it seems you can find an offer from private solar energy contractors to install a solar panel system on your home or business. While programs are available to help with this transition, it’s important to gather necessary information before you commit to purchase solar panels. If home or business solar is something you are interested in, contact your Grays Harbor PUD to learn about the utility net metering program that integrates your privately installed solar panels into the PUD system. PUD engineering staff are ready to work with your contractor to bring your system online and allow excess energy to flow into the PUD energy network. Please do your research to ensure that solar power is the best fit for your home or business energy needs and that the proposed system is the right one for you.
Appointments Opening for Low Income Program
Need help paying your home energy bill? If you qualify, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) may provide the aid you are looking for. Depending on monthly household income and the number of residents in the home, one-time federal assistance can help make home heating more affordable, help avoid utility shutoffs, and maintain a warm and safe home for you and your family. Appointments open on November 9th and are on a first come first served basis. For program information or to make your appointment, call (800) 828-4883 or go online to www.coastalcap.org.
Supply Chain Issues Challenge Energy Utilities
Supply chain issues have been plaguing the electrical industry and many other businesses since the beginning of the pandemic. Parts and supplies that are critical to building and maintaining the PUD system and that were once readily available now have long wait times before replacement supplies can be delivered. While the Grays Harbor PUD has a well-stocked warehouse with most of the supplies that are needed to keep our system up and running, the wait time for some critical parts, such as transformers, have prompted the utility to take the step of allowing the emergency purchase of some equipment as soon as it becomes available. By doing so, we reduce the risk of critical equipment not being available when we need it. Our warehouse crew does an excellent job of keeping those critical items in our inventory, and always staying prepared for inclement weather and storms. Because we live in Washington, poles are readily available, however equipment like vehicles, line trucks and bucket trucks remain a challenge, with wait times of over a year in the best of times. Unfortunately, now manufactures won’t give a firm price or delivery date because of the rising costs and availability of parts from suppliers. In my time as a commissioner, I have never seen such challenges. I am grateful for the professional staff we have working to find a way through these times and hopeful the worst is behind us. Our warehouse team is just one example of the dedicated employees who work to keep the lights on for our customers. It really is a team effort.
by Commissioner Arie Callaghan, District One
Keep Track of Power Outages, Restoration
If power goes out, your Grays Harbor PUD has several ways to track the efforts being made to restore power to you and your neighbors. Outage updates are available online at ghpud.org, where you can also sign up for outage alerts, sent by both text and email. Your PUD is also active on social media, providing outage updates and PUD information on Twitter @GHPUD and Facebook under the page title Grays Harbor Public Utility District. If your power is still off once restoration is complete, call the outage reporting hotline at 360 537 3721 or 888 541 5923.
Commission Meeting Dates
Meetings are held in the Nichols Building, 220 Myrtle Street, Hoquiam.
November 2022
Monday—November 7
Monday—November 21
December 2022
Monday—December 5
Monday—December 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.