News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Companies in Grant County that “mine” cryptocurrency with high-powered computers have filed a lawsuit against Grant PUD, whose commissioners voted in 2018 to raise electric rates for the emerging industry. The companies say they chose to locate their businesses in Grant County because of the cheap power rates, and that increased rates will inevitably hurt their businesses. They are seeking money for financial losses they say they face, and they’re asking the court to order the electric utility not to implement its new “Schedule 17” rates for...
STATE MEASURE 1631 G O L D Statewide Yes 3,585 2,448 718 1,825 850,861 No 16,005 6,414 4,040 6,288 1,097,277 STATE INITIATIVE 1634 G O L D Statewide Yes 14,474 5,441 3,362 5,374 1,062,381 No 5,731 3,395 1,394 2,726 876,921 STATE INITIATIVE 1639 G O L D Statewide Yes 6,316 3,153 1,207 2,962 1,181,218 No 13,900 5,730 3,549 5,177 775,902 STATE INITIATIVE 940 G O L D Statewide Yes 7,775 4,071 1,630 3,367 1,151,495 No 12,232 4,719 3,049 4,728 793,581 SENATE BILL 6269 G O L D Statewide Repealed 15,190 5,967 3,647 2,236 982,524 Maintained 4,239 2,451...
Looming at the PUD is replacement of a complicated (and vital) energy sales contract, new infrastructure to meet growing power demands, and the resolve and creativity to finally finish building out the PUD fiber optic network. We need commissioners who actually understand how debt works — not folks who throw around scary debt numbers with no context. Terry Brewer and Patti Paris will begin on Day 1 of the new term as effective PUD Commissioners. No learning curve needed. Please look beyond the $$ onslaught of Ag Power User road and yard s...
We have important PUD Commissioner choices on the ballot this year. The platform of two of the PUD Commissioner candidates seems solely to be reducing rates for irrigation and residential customers. But, history is full of unintended consequences from seemingly simple solutions. Irrigation and residential electric rates in Grant County are among the lowest in the nation. Much of that is due to the foresight of prior PUD commissioners in building Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams, but it’s also due to the practice of current PUD commissioners in a...
I have known Terry for 15-plus years, quite some time before he became a PUD commissioner. Terry has integrity, incredible character and is highly qualified for the PUD commissioner position. There is no question in my mind that he is the best person to work through, and address the complexity of, challenges we face. His dedication to this resource we have has been tireless; in fact, he has not missed one PUD meeting in the last five years. There is unfortunate buzz that if you vote for one candidate, you are voting for agriculture; and if you...
Did you know that irrigated agriculture accounts for 24 percent of the employment in Grant County? Grant County agriculture directly employs over 7,000 Grant County residents, and indirectly creates employment for another 10,000. Agricultural processing and manufacturing creates another 17 percent (9,000) jobs for Grant County. All total, this means 41 percent, or 26,000 jobs are created by irrigated agriculture. Irrigated agriculture represents approximately 25 percent of the energy used from Grant County PUD. Terry Brewer and Patti Paris are...
I support Terry Brewer for Grant County PUD Commissioner. I have known Terry for over 20 years. It has been my pleasure to work with him as Director of the Grant County EDC and in his role as a PUD Commissioner. Don’t mistake Terry’s quiet demeanor and even disposition when evaluating his commitment to the people of Grant County and his advocacy for public power. Terry brings to this position extensive experience with private and public power. He is respected in the Public Power Field because of his knowledge and experience navigating the com...
Two candidates for leadership of the public electric utility in Grant County laid out their cases for election last Thursday at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Siam Palace. Nelson Cox and Judy Wilson both feel the Grant County PUD has amassed too much debt while serving large industrial users of power, such as server farms. And they take issue with some of the top management living out of county. Cox, a Warden area farmer, said the PUD has done great things but its finances are out of control. “I really don’t und...
I’d like to take this opportunity to ask the citizens of Grant County to re-elect Terry Brewer to the board of commissioners of Grant County PUD. My name is Jack Janda and I serve as a commissioner of Mason County PUD #1. As a fellow PUD commissioner, I have had the opportunity to work directly with Terry and observe his enthusiasm in protecting the rights of the customers he serves. Terry is informed and engaged with public power organizations that protect and support utilities, such as Grant County PUD, and he works with other member u...
To my friends in Grant County, I would like to offer my endorsement of Terry Brewer for re-election to the Board of Commissioners for Grant County PUD. I have known and worked with Terry for 12 years, as we were both elected as PUD commissioners at the same time. (I am a PUD Commissioner for Douglas County.) During this time, I have seen Terry interact with PUD Commissioners, State Representatives and Senators in Olympia, and Congressmen in Washington, D.C. I have personally worked with Terry, and find him well informed, articulate, and respect...
A literal power struggle is going on in Grant County, and an electric utility commissioner explained Grant PUD's policies to chamber of commerce members last week. Commissioner Terry Brewer said the county's irrigators don't like the path the PUD commissioners set when they decided that the utility's core customers, including irrigators, would always get cheaper power made at the PUD's Priest Rapids Dam. That policy also puts the utility on a course to lessen the subsidy that keeps rates for...
Terry Brewer and Patti Paris think residential and irrigators’ power rates are subsidized. By whom … the data centers? The residents and farmers of this county built Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams 60 years ago at the cost of $100 million each and put in all the infrastructure to run power to everybody in the county. Who is subsidizing whom? The data centers came in and gobbled up a lot of our cheap power. They have only been here maybe 10 years and they think they’re subsidizing us ... come on. The data centers have negotiated with the current...
Chamber This Week Terry Brewer, Grant County PUD Commissioner and incumbent, will be the guest speaker at Chamber this Thursday, September 20. The group will be meeting at La Presa Restaurant in Grand Coulee at noon. Veteran Resource and Job Fair A Veteran Resource and Job Fair will be held Saturday, September 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grant County Fairgrounds 4H Building, 3953 Airway Drive in Moses Lake. Employment opportunities, free cold weather gear for homeless veterans, representatives from the VA, Veteran organizations,...
In the face of requests for power that total more than three times what they typically sell, Grant County PUD is considering raising electricity rates for "evolving industries" that suck up a lot of power, such as bitcoin mining operations. Atlas Blockchain Group Inc, formerly Atlas Cloud, is a Canada-based company that purchased the former Young's Welding building in Electric City to house such a facility, a decision made to take advantage of Grant County PUD's low electricity rates....
The Grant PUD is paying $41,516,398 for luxury improvements at Crescent Bar. Grant PUD ratepayers need to understand that they are paying for a golf course and a 61-slip boat marina, and these items contribute to higher monthly electric bills. The federal government required Grant PUD to make improvements at Crescent Bar as part of the re-licensing process. The improvements were approved by a split vote of the PUD Commission, with Commissioners Bob Bernd, Terry Brewer and Larry Schaapman voting to protect the privileges of the 410 residences... Full story
Commission to hire police will meet Grand Coulee’s Civil Service Commission meets Friday, Nov. 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers, where members will work on the details of how to proceed in the hiring of a new police officer, set test dates, and other matters before the commission. Church to offer Thanksgiving dinner The Church of the Nazarene will hold its community Thanksgiving dinner from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Senior Center, according to Pastor Adrian Harris. Corridor group to meet here The November monthly meeting of t... Full story
This weekend we celebrate Earth Day. This one day provides an opportunity for the nation to pause and reflect upon the environment. As customers of Grant PUD, your impact is relatively low thanks to the clean, renewable hydropower that energizes the county’s homes, businesses and farms. For nearly 75 years, Grant PUD has been committed to our community and the environment. It is our goal to provide you with clean energy for the future at the lowest possible cost. We are honored to be an integral part of Grant County, and are proud of the w... Full story
SHARP Kids to help at park The after-school and summer program for kids will take on some maintenance tasks at the Gerkhe Windmills, a parks official said Monday. Coulee Area Park and Recreation District Chairman Phil Hansen told commissioners the group will start helping spruce up the historic little roadside attraction of scrap-created whirligigs during this school year and continue through summer. The group wants to put up a kiosk as part of the deal. “I’m kind of excited about that,” Hansen said. CAPRD took on maintenance of North Dam P... Full story
A fund that has boosted Grant County’s development by hundreds of millions of dollars over the last decade is on hold, possibly permanently. The county’s “Strategic Infrastructure Program” has made it possible for large and small projects around the county to attract other grant and loan funding, resulting in economic gains from Grand Coulee to Royal City. The program added $250,000 of leverage to the funding package that built Coulee Medical Center. It helped pay for improvements that attracted Microsoft and Yahoo! to Quincy, and it was ins... Full story