PUD celebrates 50-year license of Priest Rapids Dam
Next meeting to include look at project history
EPHRATA — The Grant County Public Utility District announced Monday plans to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the federal license to build the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project and mark the end of its first long-term power sales contracts.
"The expiration of our first license is a significant milestone," said Bill Bjork, PUD commission president. "We have a proud history at Grant PUD and it is important that we take time to acknowledge the efforts and the people that created our success. At the same time, we look to our next 50 years and reconfirm our dedication to do what's right for the county while balancing the energy and resource challenges of the future."
The public, PUD staff and commissioners will begin the Oct. 31 commissioner's meeting with a look at historic photos, a short video presentation and speeches to commemorate the expiration of the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project's first operating license and the beginning of new power sales contracts for electricity produced at Priest Rapids Dam.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission received the PUD's final license application in October 2003 seeking a new 50-year license for continued operations of the Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams.
The PUD expects to be issued an annual license from FERC at the expiration of the first 50-year license.
"After the first annual license is issued, it is deemed automatically renewed until the FERC Commission takes action on the application," according to a recent PUD press release. "FERC's current schedule, which is subject to change, anticipates that Grant PUD's license application will be ready for a decision by FERC in July 2006."
New Priest Rapids Hydro-electric Project power sales contracts will go into effect on Nov. 1, 2005.
"The new contracts provide that Grant PUD can meet our county energy load requirements at project cost while continuing to share power broadly throughout the Northwest," the PUD stated.
In other commission meeting business:
? The board of commissioners approved a motion for a five-month contract with Battelle Memorial Institute's Pacific Northwest Division in Richland, to work with the PUD's fish, wildlife and water quality staff to develop a thorough critique and response to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report on fall Chinook salmon spawning, rearing and stranding in the Hanford Reach area of the Columbia River. The technical review by Battelle is set at a not-to-exceed amount of $45,700.
? A motion was approved to increase a turbine oil contract at Priest Rapids Dam to modify the contract quantity from 133,000 gallons to 139,000 gallons. The added oil is needed because of extra bearing flushing use of oil and to ensure a full change of oil left in clean oil tank storage at the end of the turbine oil changing process. The added amount of oil will cost $24,360 for a new contract total of $564,340 with Sun Pacific Energy. This grade of turbine oil costs $4.06 per gallon.
? The commissioners approved on-site training of personnel to administer and maintain a new voice mail system. The training for six people will be provided by Information Management Systems, Inc. of Atlanta for $16,170.