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New rate will add approximately $3.24 to the monthly household bill

In a measure to help Grant PUD withstand the impact of inflation, Grant PUD’s commissioners on Dec. 13 approved a plan for new electricity rates in 2023. The new rates take effect April 1.

This is the first power rate increase for Grant PUD customers since 2018. The overall increase of 3% will be allocated partly on Grant PUD’s cost to serve each rate group. The 3% increase and careful financial planning will help the utility withstand the 8.7% impact of inflation to its 2023 budget, which was approved by commissioners in November.

The new rates mean a typical residential customer using 1,700 kilowatt-hours in a month will pay an additional $3.24 a month. By comparison, a large industrial customer with an average monthly usage of 20 million kilowatt hours would see an increase of $12,600 a month.

“No one likes rising costs,” stated commission President Judy Wilson after the meeting. “This increase is necessary for us to try to keep pace with inflation while at the same time continuing to provide our vital services to our growing county.”

Grant PUD’s proposed all-in Residential power rate of 5.8 cents per kilowatt hour is much lower than the average Washington residential rate of 10.19 cents per kilowatt-hour and the average United States rate of 14.88 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Each rate will increase by the following percentage:

Customer type                                                              % increase

Residential(1) 3.40

General Service (2) 3.40

Irrigation (3) 3.40

Street lighting (6) 3.40

Large General (7) 3.40

Industrial (14) 4.35

Large Industrial (15) 1.75

Agricultural Food Processing (16) 4.35

Agricultural Food Processing Boiler (85) 4.35

The commissioners also agreed to table for further discussion next year creating a rate for commercial charging stations for electric vehicles, increasing Rate Schedule 17 for evolving industries, such as bitcoin mining.

They also approved a new, three-year collective bargaining agreement with Central Washington Public Utilities and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 77, effective April 1, 2023.

The agreement includes the following general wage increases:

Apprenticed craft employees: Year 1: 8%. Year 2: 5.25%. Year 3: 5.25%

Non-apprenticed craft employees: Year 1: 8%. Year 2: 3%. Year 3: 3%

A majority of union employees approved the agreement Nov. 17, 2022.

“I think its’s safe to say this keeps us competitive with our counterparts,” Commissioner Larry Schaapman said, prior to commissioners’ approval, pointing to the due diligence that resulted in the agreed-upon wage increases.

-- Unanimously approved the following new slate of officers, effective Jan. 1, 2023: President, Nelson Cox; Vice President, Tom Flint; Secretary, Terry Pyle; Commissioners, Larry Schaapman and Judy Wilson.

-- Unanimously authorized the general manager/CEO, on behalf of Grant PUD, to increase by $3.1 million the contract with IMCO General Construction for a new, not-to-exceed contract amount of $61 million. The increase will fund a revised plastic concrete mix design, installation of a river-water-supply system and additional dust-control measures needed for the ongoing construction of a new embankment on the Yakima County side of Priest Rapids Dam. For more information see pages 1-13 of the presentation materials. Hear the full discussion at 58:13 on the commission audio.