Current News & Press Releases
Another Clean Audit for PUD - 2018 Financial Statements
PUD Prepares for Future and Improves Bond Ratings
System Inventory Project - Crews in your area during 2019
Hydropower, the Nation's Premier Renewable Energy Resource
On April 2, 2019, the National Hydropower Association issued a call to action identifying six recommendations:
- Design markets that value hydropower services
- Choose technology-neutral policies that achieve societal goals for carbon reduction
- Improve the hydropower licensing process
- Improve hydro project performance
- Expand the options for state contracting practices to improve long-term hydropower life-cycle planning
The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind and Water Power Technologies Office also published a report that finds U.S. hydropower could grow to nearly 150 GW by 2050. Read the full reports:
Reinvigorating Hydropower, NHA Whitepaper
Hydropower Vision, U.S. Department of Energy
AQUATIC WORKSHOP COMING SOON!
Aquatic Plant Management Workshop Available August 9 - The low runoff along the Pend Oreille River this year is sure to make aquatic plant management an early and constant issue for landowners. To help arm shoreline managers with the best control techniques, up to date permitting processes, and tools for management the PUD is partnering with the County Noxious Weed Control Board to organize an Annual Aquatic Weed Workshop that is FREE and open to the public. This year’s workshop will take place on August 9 at the Kalispel Wellness Center starting at 9:00 a.m., with presenters from the County Weed Board, Department of Ecology, the PUD and a variety of contractors. Participants will have the opportunity to handle and test a variety of aquatic vegetation removal tools and learn to identify beneficial native aquatic plants from noxious and invasive weeds. Presentations will also explain the benefits of maintaining a healthy native plant community both above and below the water line.
PUD Water Department Receives TOP Honors
On Monday, May 13 the Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water awarded Pend Oreille PUD with the Treatment Optimization Program Gold 
Certificate of Achievement. The River Bend Water System is one of seven to receive the award in recognition of consistently achieving high quality drinking water for calendar years 2009 - 2018.
Preparing to Serve Generations to Come
Over three years ago we began the strategic process of evaluating our facilities, with the main focus on our operations headquarters in the City of Newport. We initially explored moving out of the city due to space constraints and to allow for new business development. However, we determined that the most cost effective and economically prudent path was to renew our longstanding partnership with the City of Newport and remain in our current location. That commitment also meant we would need to step up as an anchor tenant and improve the appearances of our facilities. With that, we began by purchasing the adjacent parcels on the north and south ends of our current lot. We removed the existing buildings and temporarily graveled and fenced the parcels. We then engaged an architecture firm (Cortner Architectural Company) to design a multi-phased improvement plan that would advance our efficiency, reliability and aesthetic appearance and still fit within the budget we had set from annual reserves to fully fund the project without affecting our customer rates. We are currently finishing the design on the first phase, which includes a new mechanics building on the south
graveled lot. In partnership with the City of Newport’s vision the lot will be landscaped, surrounded with decorative black fencing and feature new signage. We will also be removing the old storage building in the center of the existing lot. Bidding for construction companies is anticipated in June of this year with the project completion in 2020. Future phases will be contingent on our reserves but will include expansion of the landscaping, fencing and updated building facades. We have also contem
plated adding vehicle charging stations near the facilities. We continue to work with the Washington State Department of Transportation to continue improving our cross-walks and signs in order to facilitate a more pedestrian friendly downtown for both our employees who regularly cross the busy highway and the annual series of local business events.
Sincerely,
F. Colin Willenbrock General Manager
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