NWPPA eBulletin | December 26, 2017

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  Legislative Announcements  

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Congress Passes Final Tax Reform Legislation; Congress Passes CR, Leaves Massive

Disaster Relief Bill for 2018; EPA Requests Comment on Re-Proposing the Clean Power Plan;

and Interior Eyes Endangered Species Act Changes.

 

 

Public Power Industry Announcements

Welcome to New Members!; Cordova Electric Cooperative Welcomes DOE and National

Laboratory Microgrid Experts to Alaska; TPU Board Seeks Feedback to Inform Hiring Process

for New Director; SMUD Thanks Customers Who Donate through EnergyHELP; City of Shelton

Nets $267,000 Grant for Continued Streetlight Upgrades; Chelan PUD Continues Free Parking

at Local State Parks in 2018; CRPUD Board Adopts $38.8M Operating & Capital Budget for

2018; SMUD Board of Directors approves 2018 budget; FERC Rules on AK federal land fees

for hydro; Chelan PUD Customers Urged to Contact Utility before Mining for Bitcoin; E-ISAC

Launches New Portal with Enhanced Features, Performance, Capacity for Further

Improvements; and Anchorage Mayor Proposes to Sell ML&P to Chugach Electric in $1 Billion

Deal.

 

 

 

Associate Member Announcements

New T&B Cable Tray Combo Clamp Speeds Installation with Tighter Hold; California Water &

Power Magazine to Debut in 2018; and Terex Utilities Ships A330 Auger Drill to Antarctica for

Scientific Research. 

 

  Call for NWPPA Award nominations

Receiving an award from your industry peers is a high honor and NWPPA is proud to provide

the avenue to recognize individuals and organizations throughout our membership. Below is a

brief description of the annual awards offered by NWPPA. Please give serious consideration to

nominating individuals and/or organizations for the Life Member Award, Paul J. Raver

Community Service Award, John M. George Public Service Award, Wm. “Bill” McCrorie

 

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Distinguished Service Award and the Homer T. Bone Award for a federal legislator’s lifetime

work on behalf of public power.

New this year – utilities have several ways to access nomination forms. You may use the

attached fillable nomination form PDF included below or you can also submit nominations for an

award by using NWPPA’s Survey Monkey nomination forms. Here are links to all Survey

Monkey nomination forms:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LifeMemberAward

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PaulJRaverCommunityServiceAward

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JohnMGeorgePublicServiceAward

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WmMcCrorieDistinguishedServiceAward

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HomerTBoneAward

NWPPA’s Awards Committee will consider all award nominations at its March 2018 meeting.

Deadline for nominations is January 31, 2018. Here are eligibility requirements for the

following awards:

Click here to view a PDF of the nomination form

 

  Upcoming Educational Opportunities

Check out NWPPA's class offerings in the eCatalog of Events. Click on the button below. 

Don't miss these upcoming training events:

Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Training for Utility Personnel

January 8, 2018 in Seattle, WA

Situational Self Leadership

January 17-18, 2018 in Vancouver, WA

Staking Technician Certification Program - NESC & Utility Specifications

February 5-7, 2018

Leadership Skills #2 - Leadership Challenges 

February 7-8, 2018

 

Event Catalog

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Staking Technician Certification Program - Obtaining Permits

February 8-9, 2018

Staking Technician Certification Program - Phase 2 with Transformer and Conductor

Sizing

February 12-16, 2018

Warehousing - Overview, Shipping and Receiving and Safety

February 13-14, 2018

Communication Tune Up Webinar Series - All Three Sessions

February 13- April 17, 2018

Senior Leadership Skills Series – All Five Sessions

February 27 through December 5, 2018

Power Diversion Workshop

February 27, 2018

**ATTENTION 2018 E&O EXHIBITORS - NWPPA has been notified that some exhibitors for the

April 2018 Engineering & Operations Conference have been contacted by an individual offering

to help them register for early hotel room specials. NWPPA has not contracted with anyone to

do this. Do not give them any credit card information and just hang up. Beware there are

people out there always looking for a scam!

 

Industry Calendar of Events

A list of upcoming industry events and meetings.  

 

  RFP's and RFQ's  

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On This Day in History

Bugsy Siegel Opens Flamingo Hotel; Porgy and Bess Opens

in Leningrad; Jimi Hendrix Writes “Purple Haze”; and Truman

Dies.

You have received this email because you have subscribed to NorthwestPublic Power Association as . If you no longer wish to receive emailsplease unsubscribe9817 N.E. 54th Street, Ste. 200, Vancouver, WA 98662 (360) 254-0109© 2017 Northwest Public Power Association, All rights reserved

Utilities: NWPPA offers its utility members the opportunity (at no cost) to post RFPs and RFQs

on our website at no charge. Reach out to NWPPA's almost 4,000 associate member contacts

that supply goods and services to the utility industry and might be interested in responding to

your utility RFP/RFQ. To post your RFP/RFQ, visit our RFP/RFQ page. For more information,

contact Debbie at debbie@nwppa.org or Mark at mark@nwppa.org.

Associate Members: Make sure to check out NWPPA's RFP/RFQ Web page to view utility

RFP listings. Listings are posted as they are received by NWPPA.

New RFPs posted December 22, 2017!

 

 

Recent Industry Jobs

View the job opportunities posted to NWPPA's website in the past week.  

 

   

 

 

Like us on Facebook

Don't forget to like us on Facebook so you can keep up with what's happening at NWPPA, utility

news, and other items of general interest. Visit www.facebook.com/NWPPAssoc and like us today.

 

   

Legislative Announcements

 

Congress Passes Final Tax Reform Legislation

Update provided by Meguire Whitney

On December 20, the House of Representatives passed the final, conferenced tax reform bill by a vote

of 224-201, with several Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition. President Trump signed the

bill on December 22.

The final bill preserves the general exemption for municipal bond interest, though it ends tax-exempt

advance refunding bonds after December 31, 2017. NWPPA opposes any proposals to restrict

municipal bonding, and had sent a letter to its delegation requesting that the provision be removed

from the final bill. Some members of Congress have already suggested that there will be a “technical

corrections” bill in 2018 to address language and drafting errors contained in the final tax reform bill,

and municipal bond advocates plan to urge Congress to reverse course in that vehicle.

The bill does not address renewable tax credits, thereby preserving the 2015 agreement that

extended the wind production tax credit and solar investment tax credit and their respective

phasedown schedules. The tax credit for electric vehicles is also not affected by the bill. The bill does

not address credits for fuel cells, geothermal, and other renewable technologies that were left out of

the 2015 legislation, the so-called “orphan” credits.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R–Utah) has already introduced legislation

extending those credits, along with the nuclear production tax credit fix NWPPA supports, and

indicated that he intends to move the package in early 2018.

Congress Passes CR, Leaves Massive Disaster Relief Bill

for 2018

Update provided by Meguire Whitney

On December 21, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR), extending last fiscal year’s funding

levels until January 19, 2018. This CR is the third extension of FY17 funding levels since the fiscal year

began. The CR provides three weeks of government funding, a three-week extension of a key FISA

provision, anomalies to cover defense program funding increases, and a temporary extension of the

Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The Senate approved the CR on December 21, but left without acting on a historically large disaster

relief package totaling $81 billion, nearly doubling the proposed $44 billion requested by the White

House last month. As wildfires in the West continue to blaze and much of Puerto Rico remains without

power, this package would bring the total spending for emergency disaster relief to over $130 billion.

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EPA Requests Comment on Re-Proposing the Clean

Power Plan

Update provided by Meguire Whitney

On December 19, the Environmental Protection Agency released an Advance Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking calling for public comment on a potential re-proposal of the Clean Power Plan. The filing

makes strong indications that NWPPA’s suggestions for a re-proposed rule (focusing on “inside the

fence line” measures and allowing states to set their own performance standard) are being strongly

considered.

The ANPR follows the agency’s formal withdrawal of the Clean Power Plan, which said the previous

administration had exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act by regulating the power sector

broadly and put forth a new regulatory interpretation of EPA’s authority to regulate generating units

individually. The ANPR makes further indications that any new rule will be focused on only measures

that can be undertaken at individual units, rather than the fuel-switching envisioned by the previous

administration.

It also requests comment on the roles of the states and EPA in regulating greenhouse gases under

Sec. 111(d), noting that the statutory text commits responsibility for setting a performance standard

to the states, not EPA. The prior administration had set targets for each state; the ANPR suggests the

EPA is likely to allow each state to set its own emissions goal.

Further, the ANPR acknowledges the Endangerment Finding, which critics of federal regulation hoped

the Trump Administration would challenge. However, the proposal notes that the previous

administration relied on that finding – which was based on automobile emissions – to justify

regulating emissions from the electric sector. That may indicate the EPA plans to delay re-proposing a

new rule pending a separate review and finding of electric utility greenhouse gas emissions’ effect on

human health.

Interior Eyes Endangered Species Act Changes

Update provided by Meguire Whitney

On December 14, the Department of Interior publicized its intent to change the way it implements the

Endangered Species Act. The move was announced as part of President Trump’s Unified Agenda to

reduce regulatory burdens and improve government efficiency. The plan, while sparse on details, will

“revise the regulations… for listing endangered and threatened species and for designation of critical

habitats.”

The plan calls for a more narrowly tailored regulatory approach that may remove more than a dozen

species from a listing as threatened or endangered. While this move will likely alarm

environmentalists, many Westerners are unhappy with the law as it is currently implemented. Any

proposed changes at the Interior Department will go through a formal rulemaking process, including

a public comment period.

The House Committee on Natural Resources approved a package of ESA deregulation bills, including

H.R. 717, sponsored by Rep. Pete Olson (R–Texas), requiring the review of the economic cost of adding

a species as threated or endangered. None of the bills have yet made it to the House floor.

Public Power Announcements

   

Welcome to New Members!

Connector Products

NAES Corporation

Cordova Electric Cooperative Welcomes DOE and

National Laboratory Microgrid Experts to Alaska

Leading experts from the U.S. Department of Energy met earlier this month with various national

laboratories and statewide associations at the Cordova Center in Cordova, Alaska, to strategize the

implementation of an innovative three-year microgrid modernization effort entitled “RADIANCE,”

which is set to begin in Cordova in 2018. This project is anticipated to make significant advances to

microgrid technology applications from the smallest rural Alaskan utilities to the continental American

power grid. In Cordova, the project will build on the modelling, optimization, and installation of a grid-

scale battery that will liberate 500 kilowatts of currently wasted hydroelectricity (two supersize

Walmarts or about 15 percent of Cordova’s average electricity use) at about one-tenth the cost of

developing new hydro. This and other value streams are projected to save over 100,000 gallons of

diesel fuel annually in Cordova and improve power quality. The pioneering project was propelled by

the vision and leadership of Dr. Imre Gyuk, national energy storage expert and director of the DOE’s

energy storage program.

The DOE is invested in developing tools and technologies to establish a more resilient, secure,

sustainable, and reliable electricity system across the nation; in September 2017, it announced awards

of up to $50 million to DOE’s National Laboratories to improve the resiliency of the nation’s critical

energy infrastructure, including the electrical grid. This innovation effort at DOE has selected Cordova,

Alaska, as one of the premier locations to develop and implement new technology and Cordova

Electric Cooperative has found a new partner in executing its Smart City vision for the coming years.

The four primary goals of this project are 1. Resilience; 2. Multiple networked microgrids; 3.

Cybersecurity; and 4. Field validation of resiliency enhancement methods.

“CEC is thrilled to partner with DOE’s National Laboratories and leading experts to upgrade and

improve Cordova’s energy grid and resiliency,” said Clay Koplin, CEO of Cordova Electric Cooperative.

“The improvements we implement throughout this partnership with the Department of Energy will

not only improve the energy efficiency and security of the people of Cordova, it will benefit rural

Alaskans who depend on isolated microgrid use and potentially all Americans; this is public-private

partnership at its best.”

Alaska is a world leader in microgrids with an estimated 15 percent of the world’s hybrid microgrids

and a leader in integrated technologies on those grids. The night prior to the DOE meetings, Cordova

experienced wind gusts up to 108 mph. The Cordova electrical system, however, did not experience

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outages due to past innovation of converting to 100-percent underground lines. This was a point of

conversation at the meeting and an example of innovation that can be expanded upon in rural Alaska

and the American grid in the future.

Participating partners convened at the Cordova meetings were as follows:

Idaho National Laboratory, Leading Lab; Dr. Rob Hovsapian, project PI

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Alaska Center for Energy & Power

Department of Energy

Sandia National Laboratory, Dr. Abraham Ellis

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative

Washington State University

New Mexico State University

Florida State University

Siemens, Inc.

Click here to read the full news release.

TPU Board Seeks Feedback to Inform Hiring Process for

New Director

The Tacoma Public Utility Board (Wash.), in coordination with the Tacoma City Council, is in the

process of hiring a new Tacoma Public Utilities director. The five-member utility board is appointed by

the Tacoma City Council and serves as the governing body for TPU. Hiring the director is an important

decision.

The board wants feedback from customers to help inform the hiring process, which will include

development of the candidate profile, interview questions, and selection process. They want to know:

What do you like about Tacoma Public Utilities?

What do you not like about Tacoma Public Utilities?

What questions would you like the Public Utility Board and Tacoma City Council to ask the

applicants for utility director?

Customers can provide feedback in one of three ways: online, in person at the next Public Utility

Board meeting, or via mail.

“Selecting a new director will likely be the most important decision the board makes this year,” said

Tacoma Public Utility Board Chair Monique Trudnowski. “We are here to provide vital services, and I

very much appreciate our customers taking a few minutes to help us understand their perspective.”

SMUD Thanks Customers Who Donate through

EnergyHELP

Some Sacramento, Calif., residents find it tough to make ends meet, particularly during the holiday

season. With EnergyHELP, SMUD customers can quickly and easily help others in the community who

are struggling to pay their electric bills.

Participating in EnergyHELP is easy. Customers can sign up at smud.org/EnergyHELP in about two

minutes. They simply enter their account information, choose a donation amount, and choose one of

four partner nonprofit agencies—Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services; the Salvation Army;

Travelers Aid Emergency Assistance Agency; or the Folsom Cordova Community Partnership. Those

agencies then provide up to $200 in bill assistance to low-income customers whose electric power has

been, or is about to be, disconnected for non-payment.

The agencies also work directly with the households receiving bill assistance to provide in-person

resources and support to help them get back on track and moving toward a more stable future. So far

this year, the agencies have assisted more than 4,000 community members via the EnergyHELP

program.

About 14,000 SMUD customers now donate monthly to EnergyHELP. Typical monthly tax-deductible

donations range between $1 and $10, but some customers contribute as much as $100 per month. By

December 31, SMUD customers will have donated more than $500,000 this year.

Since its inception in 2004, EnergyHELP has raised more than $5 million and benefitted more than

37,000 households in crisis.

City of Shelton Nets $267,000 Grant for Continued

Streetlight Upgrades

The future of Shelton, Wash., is getting brighter, thanks to a grant award for nearly $267,000 to

continue an upgrade of outdated streetlights to new, energy efficient LED lights.

On December 14, the City of Shelton received a $266,913 grant from the Washington State

Transportation Improvement Board’s Relight Washington program. It will fund the ongoing conversion

of old high-pressure sodium streetlights to LED lights. The goal of Relight Washington is to lower

energy use and operating costs by helping cities pay for the initial expense of making the conversion.

The City of Shelton and Mason PUD 3 have partnered to continue the streetlight conversion

throughout Shelton. All the lights are owned and maintained by PUD 3.

So far, PUD 3 has upgraded over 500 HPS lights in the city to LED technology. There are approximately

250 streetlights left to replace. The average cost of updating one street light is $346. The grant covers

the cost of upgrading the remaining streetlights, and reimburses PUD 3 for previously converted

streetlights. Under the terms of the Relight Washington program agreement, the grant money will be

paid directly to Mason PUD 3.

“Associate Engineer Logan Brady did a fantastic job spearheading the efforts to secure funding to

continue this important project. His innovative approach and creative application of this grant

program is greatly appreciated,” said City Manager Ryan Wheaton. “We are excited to continue our

partnership with Mason PUD 3 to increase energy savings and reduce operating costs for both

organizations.”

In October, PUD 3 commissioners agreed to lower the City of Shelton’s streetlight daily rate by 30

percent from original HPS rate levels. The change was contingent upon the award, and payment of the

TIB grant through the Relight Washington program. The reduced rate translates to an annual cost

savings of over $38,000. A sustainable return on investment study conducted by TIB found that cost,

energy, and environmental benefits from making the conversion will return over twice the cost of the

initial installation after 15 years. The 30-percent rate reduction will save the City of Shelton an

estimated $570,000 over the next 15 years alone.

“Easier maintenance, longer bulb life, and a reduction in energy consumption are all part of the cost-

savings equation,” said Justin Holzgrove of Mason PUD 3. “By updating the remaining streetlights, the

city will capitalize on a 69-percent wattage reduction. That equates to an annual energy savings of

about 416,000 kilowatt-hours per year. That’s enough to power about 35 average homes in Shelton

for a full year.”

Chelan PUD Continues Free Parking at Local State

Parks in 2018

Chelan County PUD (Wenatchee, Wash.) customer-owners and county residents can apply now for

their 2018 pass to park free during the day at the three PUD parks managed by Washington State

Parks & Recreation: Wenatchee Confluence, Daroga, and Lincoln Rock.

Offered as a Public Power Benefit since 2015, the passes are popular, said Parks Manager Ryan Baker.

His goal is to issue at least 1,700 passes for 2018. Baker said that is about 60 more passes than were

issued this year.

“Customers tell us over and over how much they enjoy using the pass to spend time in our local state

parks,” he said. “Many people use the parking at Confluence and Lincoln Rock as a starting point to

walk, run, or bike on the Loop Trail and the Rocky Reach Trail extension. In fact, a survey of pass users

showed Lincoln Rock is the top destination.”

Free parking at the PUD-owned state parks was one of the highest-ranked customer priorities in the

2015–2019 strategic plan. The popularity has continued since it started as a pilot project in 2015.

PUD customers and county residents can submit an application for a 2018 pass now online, and at

utility offices in Chelan, Leavenworth, and Wenatchee. Parks staff will start processing the applications

on January 2 and mailing them out by the following week.

For more information or to apply online, visit chelanpud.org/ParkingPass or search for “Day Use

Parking Pass.”

CRPUD Board Adopts $38.8M Operating & Capital

Budget for 2018

During their December 19 meeting, the Columbia River PUD (St. Helens, Ore.) Board of Directors

unanimously approved a $38.8 million Operating and Capital Budget for 2018. Rates will remain

stable, with no increases planned in 2018.

“The 2018 Budget was a collaborative effort between staff, the board, and the Budget Advisory

Committee. We continue to maintain focus on providing reliable and affordable service to our

customers,” said General Manager John Nguyen.

Net power costs are expected to be $20.7 million, or 53 percent of the PUD’s budget. This is an

increase of $1.3 million, or 7 percent above the 2017 Budget. The increase is a result of a wholesale

power cost increase from Bonneville Power Administration, and a slight increase in projected energy

sales. 

Controllable expenses are projected to be $13.7 million. This is an increase of $2.3 million, or 20

percent over the 2017 Budget. A large portion of this increase is the result of $305,000 in cash

reserves used to limit the October 2017 rate increase to 5.1 percent system-wide, and $1.5 million

used to construct the new Betsy Johnson Substation.

The design and construction of the Betsy Johnson Substation in Scappoose is the largest capital

project planned in 2018. The new substation will accommodate load growth in the Scappoose area

and will ensure the PUD can continue to provide reliable service to Scappoose customers. 

The substation accounts for approximately 40 percent of the $3.59 million earmarked in the Budget

for system improvements.

The Betsy Johnson Substation is scheduled to be operational by October 2018.

The PUD will continue to fund other capital projects designed to improve the safety, security,

reliability, and capacity of its electric distribution system. “The staff has worked very hard to control

expenses and to build up our cash reserves. Being able to use cash to offset costs in 2018 is good

news for our customers,” said Board President Jake Carter.

Click here to read the full news release.

SMUD Board of Directors approves 2018 budget

The SMUD (Sacramento, Calif.) Board of Directors approved a $1.74 billion budget. The 2018 budget

provides funding for all capital and operations and maintenance (O & M) programs needed to meet

the Board’s Strategic Directions in the year ahead.

The 2018 budget also positions SMUD for changes coming to the utility industry so SMUD can

continue to meet our community’s energy needs. The budget sets the stage for operational

efficiencies and improvements, as well as expansions of customer offerings in the near future, and

opens up SMUD to seek new revenue opportunities.

SMUD is in a strong financial position. SMUD has a robust cash balance and operating cash flow, and

will fund the majority of capital investment with cash on hand, only planning to borrow $200 million

next year. Recently Fitch and S&P upgraded SMUD’s credit ratings to AA, from an already impressive

AA-, while Moody’s continues to rate SMUD Aa3. This is the strongest SMUD’s credit ratings have been

in 33 years.

The 2018 budget is $161 million more than the 2017 budget, due mostly to higher planned capital

expenditures. SMUD continues to upgrade electrical infrastructure to maintain safe and reliable

service, as well as invest in the technological foundations to meet future challenges. Offsetting these

increases is a lower commodity budget due to declining natural gas costs, which SMUD locked in

through hedging programs.

As the utility business evolves, SMUD is increasingly reliant on technological solutions in all business

areas. As a customer-owned utility, SMUD continues to focus on improving the digital channels its

customers use to do business with SMUD. The 2018 budget includes initiatives to deliver a new SMUD

app with bill pay and outage communications functionality, as well as increasingly personalized

customer experiences on SMUD’s digital channels.

Click here to read the full news release.

FERC Rules on AK federal land fees for hydro

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a final rule on December 21 on its methodology for

calculating per-acre land value for hydropower projects in Alaska. According to the final rule, FERC will

use a statewide per-acre land value, rather than the current regional per-acre land value, to calculate

annual charges for use of federal lands for all hydropower projects in Alaska, expect those located in

the Aleutian Islands area.

FERC’s rule is in response to a petition from six Alaska hydropower licensees. The group petitioned

FERC to change its calculation methodology, pointing out that due to a small number of farms that

contribute to the data compiled in the National Agricultural Statistics Service Census – which FERC

uses to calculate annual charges for use of government land – there is not sufficient data in any

individual Alaska area to produce a fair estimate of land values in that area.

Under Section 10(e)(1) of the Federal Power Act, hydropower licensees that occupy federal lands for

project purposes must compensate the government through payment of an annual fee.

According to the final rule, to calculate a statewide per-acre land value, FERC will divide the total

estimated market value by the total agricultural acreage for the Kenai Peninsula area and the

Fairbanks area to arrive at an average per acre land and building value. The Commission will then

adjust the resulting per-acre value by Alaska’s state-specific reduction to remove the value of irrigated

lands, as well as a 7-percent reduction to remove the value of buildings, according to the Final Rule.

APA’s Hydropower Working Group has been addressing this issue during its meetings. Four out of six

of the utilities or project owners who petitioned FERC are members of the group. The full roster of

petitioners includes: APA members Alaska Electric Light & Power, Alaska Energy Authority

(represented in this case by the Bradley Lake Project Management Committee), Copper Valley Electric

Association, and Southeast Alaska Power Agency. Non-APA members in the group are Ketchikan

Public Utilities and Chugach Electric Association.

To read the final rule from FERC, click here. Page 7, Section C, gives background on what led to the

rulemaking docket; page 16, Section 31 describes the Final Rule and its application.

Chelan PUD Customers Urged to Contact Utility before

Mining for Bitcoin

Chelan PUD (Wenatchee, Wash.) is concerned that increasing numbers of homeowners and small

businesses may be creating a significant safety risk by employing high-electric-use cryptocurrency

mining computers without notice to the utility. The PUD is getting indications of widespread use of

bitcoin mining machines across the county by customers knowingly or unknowingly violating District

policies for serving these energy-intense loads.

John Stoll, Customer Utilities managing director, said he understands that the financial reward can be

tantalizing, but urged customers not to act without talking with PUD staff. The potential money isn’t

worth the safety consequences – which can be severe – affecting not only the mining operator, but

their neighbors and PUD line workers, too, Stoll said. Unplanned high-electric usage taxes the electric

infrastructure potentially leading to a serious fire risk.

On December 18, Stoll updated the Chelan Board of Commissioners on the unprecedented increase

in requests for large amounts of power to serve cryptocurrency and blockchain operations.

Stoll said PUD staff is developing options to tighten policies addressing situations where customers

knowingly try to hide their bitcoin mining operation from the utility.

E-ISAC Launches New Portal with Enhanced Features,

Performance, Capacity for Further Improvements

NERC’s Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center launched its new website and secure portal

on December 19. Members will notice improved functionality and organization of content; increased

security procedures; a streamlined password reset option; the ability to tag and rate portal posts; and

a user-friendly design for tablets and mobile devices.

“The E-ISAC’s portal is an essential tool that enables portal users to communicate with other members

and fosters information sharing on potential grid security threats between industry and government

officials,” said Bill Lawrence, senior director of the E-ISAC. “The revamped portal is an important

milestone in continuing to improve our cyber and physical security services for the electricity industry.

It will enable better collaboration with our stakeholders, expedited analysis of information, and more

rapid sharing of actionable intelligence with the defenders of the grid.”

The portal upgrade builds on user experience and feedback on the prior portal in 2015. Phase II of the

portal upgrade will occur in early 2018 and includes:

Refined search capability

Enhanced collaboration features

Support for the import and export of STIX-formatted data

Current portal users’ accounts are automatically transferred to the new portal, and current and future

users are encouraged to provide feedback and seek technical support by contacting the E-ISAC at

(404) 446-9780 or operations@eisac.com.

Anchorage Mayor Proposes to Sell ML&P to Chugach

Electric in $1 Billion Deal

Update provided by Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News (12/21/2017)

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz is proposing to sell the city-owned power company that serves the

downtown core, Midtown and parts of East Anchorage to Chugach Electric Association, the member-

owned cooperative that covers much of the Anchorage Bowl.

The proposal was announced Thursday morning jointly with power company executives and will

require a series of steps, including voter approval, to take effect.

“It is a very big deal,” Berkowitz said in an earlier briefing. The estimated price tag: about $1 billion.

No employees would be laid off, rates wouldn’t go up and taxes wouldn’t go up, the mayor said.

By consolidating services and staff with Municipal Light & Power, Chugach Electric would save

hundreds of millions of dollars over a number of years and rates would eventually go down, said Lee

Thibert, Chugach CEO.

A merger or sale of 85-year-old Municipal Light & Power has been talked about for decades. Pressure

increased in 2016 when ML&P proposed rate increases that took effect earlier this year. Businesses

went to the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. with concerns about the cost of electricity in

town. The business organization created a utilities working group that concluded having two electric

utilities for a city of about 300,000 people “has resulted in inherent inefficiencies that are creating

growing costs for ratepayers.”

In June, the Anchorage Assembly passed a resolution that urged the city, ML&P and Chugach Electric

Association to begin looking at a merger.

A merger would be harder to execute than an outright purchase, Thibert said.

For Chugach, it would require a supermajority of cooperative members to participate in a vote – many

more than the portion who usually take part.

So the effort evolved from possible merger to possible sale.

For a sale to happen, the Anchorage Assembly would first need to approve a ballot proposition that

would go before voters in the April city election. Voters would then have to approve the sale. A

detailed sales document then would be hammered out and sent to the Regulatory Commission of

Alaska, which would have six months to consider it.

The sale, if all approvals come together, would happen in early 2019, officials said.

Click here to read the full article.

Associate Member Announcements

   

New T&B Cable Tray Combo Clamp Speeds Installation

with Tighter Hold

The new Cable Tray Combo Clamp from Thomas &

Betts, a member of the ABB Group, is designed to be

the only clamp or expansion guide needed to install

any series of T&B  Cable Tray, regardless of side rail

thickness.

The easy-to-install new accessory is designed to key

into the rail flange on the clamp side when tightened,

resulting in a rock-solid attachment in vertical or

horizontal applications. The guide side holds the tray

more gently, allowing it to expand or contract with

temperature fluctuations. Strategically placed built-in bumps keep the part from twisting during

installation.

The clamp’s “Guide” and “Clamp” sides are clearly marked to ensure proper installation. It can be used

on strut or I-beam installations.

The Combo Clamp is available in aluminum, 316 stainless steel, and pre-galvanized or hot-dipped

steel.

“The T&B Cable Tray Combo Clamp is a big step forward for installers who want a secure part that is

quicker to use and easier to stock,” said Shaun Brannen, senior product manager – metal framing.

“The single combination design fits any types of metallic T&B Cable Tray, which reduces the inventory

of parts that installers need to carry. And the clearly marked sides and anti-twist functions make it

very fast and easy to install.”

Thomas & Betts Corporation, a member of the ABB Group, is a global leader in the design,

manufacture, and marketing of essential components used to manage the connection, distribution,

transmission, and reliability of electrical power in utility, industrial, commercial, and residential

applications. For more information, please visit www.tnb.com.

California Water & Power Magazine to Debut in 2018

The California Municipal Utilities Association has announced a partnership with Ruralite Services, Inc.

to launch a new statewide water and energy issues magazine.

The first-of-its-kind quarterly publication, California Water & Power will explore trends and topics

around policy, technology, innovation, and management while showcasing how municipally owned

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®

utilities are confronting new challenges and embracing new opportunities to provide reliable, cost-

effective, and environmentally responsible service to Californians.

Each magazine issue will feature stories on water and energy; Q&A interviews with key industry

players; a section for news from California publicly owned utilities and private industry; a recurring

feature on technology and research; case studies about successful projects; and more.

“California Water & Power will be the go-to source for news, information, and thought leadership about

what’s happening in our rapidly evolving industry, at the state Capitol in Sacramento and statewide,”

said CMUA Executive Director Barry Moline. “Water and power issues have never been more visible or

more discussed in California, so it‘s the perfect time to introduce a new magazine giving CMUA and

our 55 member utilities and agencies a voice in the conversation.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with CMUA on this unique and visionary initiative,” said RSI

CEO Michael Shepard. “We expect California Water & Power to quickly become a must-read on energy

and water issues not just in California, but across the U.S.”

California Water & Power will be distributed in print and digital versions to CMUA members, state

regulators, policymakers, legislators, and other key influencers and stakeholders in the water and

power industries. The first issue of the magazine is scheduled for publication in the spring of 2018.

CMUA and RSI are natural teammates for the new magazine. Both organizations have worked for

decades to advance the interests of community-owned utilities. CMUA’s member agencies provide

water service to 27 million people and power service to another 9 million. Revenues for these utilities

is estimated to be $10 billion per year.

CMUA will produce the editorial content in California Water & Power, RSI will assist with content and

direct the magazine’s design, production, distribution and business functions.

For editorial inquiries, please contact CMUA Communications Manager Matt Williams

at mwilliams@cmua.org. For questions about magazine circulation, email contact@cmua.org. For

questions about advertising in California Water & Power, please contact Michael Shepard

at CW&P@ruralite.org .

RSI, a not-for-profit communications cooperative based in Hillsboro, Ore., provides customizable

magazines in partnership with consumer-owned utilities, as well as website hosting and other services

to utilities in California, the West, and nationwide. Its Efficiency Services Group subsidiary, which

focuses on providing energy efficiency services, has a long history of partnership with many CMUA

member utilities. For more information, visit www.ruraliteservices.org.

Terex Utilities Ships A330 Auger Drill to Antarctica for

Scientific Research

In December, Terex Utilities shipped a Model 330

Auger Drill to Leidos, a contractor working for the

National Science Foundation in Antarctica. Designed to

meet the specific needs of the Antarctic Support

Contract, the 330 Auger Drill features a unique

mounting configuration and numerous insulation and

The Terex Utilities team from Watertown,

S.D., responsible for building the A330

Auger Drill to meet the specific needs of the

Antarctic Support Contract, stands with the

unit prior to shipping it.

heating modifications to operate in the extreme

environment. The new Auger Drill replaces a Model

330 that has been in service by the contractor since

1990.

The 330, with blade-style auger tooling featuring

carbide tips, will be used to drill 48” diameter holes up

to 20 feet deep through the sea ice. The equipment is

used by Leidos to support the National Science

Foundation’s mission to monitor effects on sea ice

from global warming and pollution. Once the hole is

drilled, scientists place robotic probes to explore

beneath the ice, taking thickness measurements and

gathering samples of ice and water.

“It’s not every week we get to work on a unit that will be used for scientific research. Our team took

pride in building the 330 that won’t miss a beat on the job, knowing that our work is helping scientists

explore a continent that is so far from our home in South Dakota,” said Chad Rudebusch, branch

manager at the Terex Watertown Service Center.

Delivering on the customer’s unique requirements meant designing the 330 Auger Drill to perform in

temperatures as low as -45°F and to travel over uneven, icy terrain. This meant utilizing engine and

hydraulic heaters, special seals, hoses, and oil, and employing a pre-start engine system that allows

the working components to warm up before being fired up.

In normal utility applications, A330 Auger Drills are often truck or crawler track carrier mounted. For

this application, it was necessary to design the unit to be mounted on a crawler trailer that is towed

behind a snowcat-style vehicle. A carefully balanced mounting configuration is required to allow

transporting the equipment over the rugged Antarctic terrain.

“The Model 330 will be working in some of the harshest conditions possible. We take pride in

delivering the best possible solutions for our customers” said Terex South Regional Sales Manager

Gary Rice. As an example of this, the Terex Utilities team recommended a proven design of auger

tooling that delivers better performance in drilling ice. “The process of cutting through ice is more like

shaving the ice. It’s different than drilling through rock. We spec’d a blade style auger that stands up to

the abrasion caused by drilling through ice and will maximize product life and performance,” said Rice.

The 330 will ship from Watertown, S.D., to California, then to New Zealand. After that, it will be

transported to Antarctica. It’s expected to arrive in Q1 2018, just in time for summer in Antarctica.

Terex Corporation is a global manufacturer of lifting and material processing products and services

delivering lifecycle solutions that maximize customer return on investment. More information about

Terex is available at www.Terex.com, www.linkedin.com/company/terex,

and www.facebook.com/TerexCorporation.

 

 

Calendar of Events

 

   

2018 Upcoming Industry Meetings

Send your 2018 meeting dates and locations to Debbie at Debbie@nwppa.org.

January 2018

4 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

4 – OMEU joint lunch meeting with OPUDA and ORECA (following PPC Executive Committee Meeting),

Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR

February 2018

1 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

1 – OMEU Meeting (following PPC Executive Committee Meeting), Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland,

OR

7-8 – 5th National Conference on Next Generation Demand Response, San Diego, CA

22-28 –  NRECA Annual Meeting & Expo, Nashville, TN

26-28 – APPA Legislative Rally, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C.

March 2018

7-9 – NWPPA Board of Trustees Meetings, Hilton Hotel, Anchorage, AK 

8 – PPC Meeting, Embassy Suites Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

25-28 – NRECA 2018 Directors Conference, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV

April 2018

5 – PPC Meeting, Embassy Suites Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

8-10 – NRECA Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.

May 2018

3 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

8-10 – NRECA Connect Conference, Salt Lake City, UT

21 – NWPPA Board of Trustees Meeting, Boise, ID 

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June 2018

5-6 – WRECA Annual Meeting, Wenatchee, WA

7 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

14 – OMEU Meeting, Canby Utility, Canby, OR 

15-20 – APPA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA

July 2018

12 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

August 2018

2 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

September 2018

6 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

12-14 – NWPPA Board of Trustees Meetings, Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conf. Center, Walla Walla, WA 

25-27 – NRECA Region 7 & 9 Meeting, Anchorage, AK

October 2018

4 – PPC Meeting, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR, 8 a.m. to noon

18-19 – OMEU Meeting, Salishan Lodge, Gleneden Beach, OR

December 2018

13 – PPC Annual Meeting & Lunch, Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR – 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

13 – OMEU Meeting (following PPC annual meeting), Sheraton Portland Airport, Portland, OR 

 

Jobs

   

Recent job openings within the industry in the last

week:

Director of Engineering – Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative

Electric Program Supervisor-Substation Maintenance – City of Redding

Electrical Distribution Engineer – Salem Electric

Energy Efficiency Engineer – Cowlitz PUD

Engineer II/III Electrical (R17-633) – Portland General Electric

Engineering Manager – PUD #1 of Clallam County

GIS/Staking Technician – Vigilante Electric Co-op

High Voltage Electrician – Western Area Power Administration – Desert Southwest Region

High Voltage Electrician (CIT) – Western Area Power Administration – Desert Southwest Region

Information Technology / IS and Application Support – Cowlitz PUD

Journeyman Lineman – City of Milton-Freewater

Journeyman Lineman – Consumers Power, Inc.

Journeyman Wireman – Portland General Electric

Line Crew Storeroom—Wilsonville (WLC) (U17-249) – Portland General Electric

Lineman – City of Port Angeles

Lineman Journeyman – Benton PUD

Manager of Power System Planning, Operations and Asset Management – City of Tacoma

Plant Equipment Operator-Boardman (U17-246) – Portland General Electric

Safety and Loss Control Instructor – Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association

Assistant IV, Prerequisite Coordination (R17-619) – Portland General Electric

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 View all available jobs

This Day In History

 

Bugsy Siegel Opens Flamingo Hotel

December 26, 1946

On December 26, 1946, in Las Vegas, Nevada, mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opens The Pink

Flamingo Hotel & Casino at a total cost of $6 million. The 40-acre facility wasn’t complete and Siegel

was hoping to raise some revenue with the grand opening.

Well-known singer and comedian Jimmy Durante headlined the entertainment, with music by Cuban

band leader Xavier Cugat. Some of Siegel’s Hollywood friends, including actors George Raft, George

Sanders, Sonny Tufts and George Jessel were in attendance.

The grand opening, however, was a flop. Bad weather kept many other Hollywood guests from

arriving. And because gamblers had no rooms at the hotel, they took their winnings and gambled

elsewhere. The casino lost $300,000 in the first week of operation.

Siegel and his New York “partners” had invested $1 million in a property already under construction

by Billy Wilkerson, owner of the Hollywood Reporter as well as some very popular nightclubs in the

Sunset Strip. Wilkerson had wanted to recreate the Sunset Strip in Las Vegas, with a European style

hotel with luxurious rooms, a spa, health club, showroom, golf course, nightclub and upscale

restaurant. But he soon ran out of money due to the high cost of materials immediately after the war.

Siegel, who held a largest interest in the racing publication Trans America Wire, was drawn to Las

Vegas in 1945 by his interest in legalized gambling and off-track betting. He purchased The El Cortez

hotel for $600,000 and later sold it for a $166,000 profit.

Siegel and his organized crime buddies used the profits to influence Wilkerson to accept new

partners. Siegel took over the project and supervised the building, naming it after his girlfriend

Virginia Hill, whose nickname was “The Flamingo” because of her red hair and long legs.

Two weeks after the grand opening, the Flamingo closed down. It re-opened March 1, 1947, as The

Fabulous Flamingo. Siegel forced Wilkerson out in April, and by May, the resort reported a profit, but it

wasn’t enough to save Siegel.

Convinced that Siegel wasn’t giving them a “square count,” it is widely believed that his partners in

organized crime had him killed while he was reading the paper June 20, 1947, at Hill’s Beverly Hills

mansion. Hill was in Paris, having flown the coop after a fight with Siegel 10 days prior. The crime

remains unsolved to this day.

Surviving a series of name and ownership changes, the hotel is known today as The Flamingo Las

Vegas, owned and operated by Harrah’s Entertainment. The property offers 3,626 hotel rooms and a

77,000-square-foot casino.

Porgy and Bess Opens in Leningrad

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December 26, 1955

In one of the most publicized cultural exchanges of the Cold War, Porgy and Bess, an opera featuring

an African-American cast, opens in Leningrad. Performances were also staged in Moscow in January of

the next year.

The opera was only one part of a significant U.S. effort during the 1950s to use American culture as a

force in the nation’s Cold War propaganda. The effort was based on the conclusion that while much of

the world certainly appreciated (or, at least, respected) America’s military and economic might, this

was not enough. Too many people overseas viewed the United States as a military behemoth lacking

the culture and refinement that were so highly prized in many nations. Porgy and Bess, not only

illustrated that Americans did not lack culture, it was also a response to critics, particularly the Soviets,

who maintained that America was a racist nation.

As a Cold War public relations tool, Porgy and Bess performed admirably. While American reporters

traveling with the show indicated that the average Russian seemed somewhat taken aback by the

“unorthodox form” of the opera, the overall response was very favorable. As a New York Times critic

declared, “the pervasive Gershwin melodies that distinguish this opera have recreated here at least

temporarily an emotional bond between Russians and Americans.” The opening night audience in

Leningrad gave the cast a 10-minute standing ovation. Even the Soviet press acknowledged that, “Our

American guests have shown that original art is understandable for people of all countries.”

Jimi Hendrix Writes “Purple Haze”

December 26, 1966

After a stint in the U.S. Army and a creatively unfulfilling stretch as a session musician and sideman to

acts like Little Richard and The Isley Brothers, 21-year-old Jimi Hendrix moved to New York City in 1964

to set about building a solo career. “Discovered” two years later by the British manager/producer Chas

Chandler, a former member of the The Animals, Hendrix moved to England in 1966 and teamed up

with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell to form The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The

group scored an almost immediate UK hit with “Hey Joe,” which was released in mid-December. It was

10 days later, however, on December 26, 1966, that Hendrix wrote “Purple Haze”—the song that

would not only give him his breakthrough hit in the United States, but also go on to define an entire

musical era.

In fact, Jimi Hendrix had been fooling around with the guitar riffs that became “Purple Haze” for

several months, but it was on the afternoon of this day in 1966, while in a backstage dressing room at

the Uppercut Club in London, that he wrote the song’s famous lyrics. And while critics and fans alike

rightly hail Jimi Hendrix for having revolutionized the very sound of rock’s most important instrument,

his status as arguably the greatest electric guitarist who ever lived sometimes overshadows his talents

as a songwriter. “Purple Haze” was a song that instantly grabbed listeners’ attention with its famous

opening riff—”a ferocious two-note guitar march scarred with fuzz,” in the words of Rolling Stone—and

didn’t let go through a little more than three minutes of tightly constructed instrumental chaos. But its

lyrics—”‘Scuse me, while I kiss the sky“—sounded just as revolutionary in 1967, and may be just as much

a part of the song’s appeal today.

Released in the United States as the lead single from The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut album, Are

You Experienced, in June 1967, “Purple Haze” actually had relatively little commercial success as a

single. It was Hendrix’s legendary, guitar-burning live performance at the Monterey Pop Festival that

same month that established him as a star—though not too big a star to act, briefly, as the opening

act for The Monkees later that summer. 

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked “Purple Haze” #17 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All

Time.”

Truman Dies

December 26, 1972

On this day in 1972, former President Harry S. Truman dies in Independence, Missouri.

Then-President Richard Nixon called Truman a man of “forthrightness and integrity” who had a deep

respect for the office he held and for the people he served, and who “supported and wisely counseled

each of his successors.”

Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884. The son of a farmer, he could not afford to go to

college, so he too worked as a farmer before joining the army in 1916 to fight in World War I. After the

war, Truman opened a haberdashery in Kansas City. When that business went bankrupt in 1922, he

entered Missouri politics. Truman went on to serve in the U.S. Senate from 1934 until he was chosen

as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fourth vice president in 1945; it was during his Senate terms that he became

known for his honesty and integrity.

Upon FDR’s death on April 12, 1945, Truman became the 33rd president of the United States,

assuming the role of commander in chief of a country still embroiled in World War II. With victory in

Europe was imminent, Truman agonized over whether to use nuclear weapons to force Japan to

surrender. Just four months into his tenure, Truman authorized the dropping of two atomic bombs on

Japan in August 1945. He and his military advisors argued that using the bombs ultimately saved

American and Japanese lives, since it appeared that the Japanese would fiercely resist any

conventional attempt by the Allies to invade Japan and end the war. The use of the new weapon,

dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August, succeeded in forcing Japan’s

surrender, but also killed, injured and sickened thousands of Japanese and ushered in the Cold War.

Although harshly criticized by some for his decision to use the devastating weapon, Truman also

displayed integrity and humanitarian virtues throughout his political career. In 1941, Truman drove

10,000 miles across the country in his Dodge to investigate potential war profiteering in defense

plants on the eve of World War II. As president, Truman pushed through the Marshall Plan, which

provided desperately needed reconstruction aid to European nations devastated by the war and on

the verge of widespread famine. He also supported the establishment of a permanent Israeli state.

Truman served as president for two terms from 1945 to 1953, when he and his wife Bess happily

retired to Independence, Missouri, where he referred to himself jokingly as “Mr. Citizen.” He was

hospitalized on December 4, 1972, with lung congestion, heart irregularity, kidney blockages and

failure of the digestive system. He died on December 26. A very subdued and private funeral, fitting

for the down-to-earth Truman, was held in Independence according to his and his family’s wishes.