Grant PUD reliability more than 99 percent

Shortage of candidates for line crew jobs

EPHRATA — Grant County PUD kept the electricity on 99.977 percent of the time in 2019, but that didn’t quite meet the goal set for the year. When a power outage did occur, it lasted an average of 168 minutes, which was almost an hour more than the 2019 target.

Jeff Grizzel, managing director of power delivery, said the utility missed the reliability target by fractions of a percentage point. The PUD experienced 305 power outages in 2019, he said.

Power poles catching fire are one cause of outages, and PUD crews are replacing aging transmission equipment in an effort to combat that. In answer to a question from PUD Commissioner Dale Walker, Grizzel said in the case of most pole fires, it’s not the power pole that’s the problem, it’s the equipment. Excessive dust on transmission equipment seems to contribute to the potential for fires, he said.

Grizzel reviewed the 2019 results with Grant County commissioners at their Jan. 28 meeting.

In terms of the average length of an outage, “We were almost an hour off,” Grizzel said. Utility district personnel are reviewing the system to determine where equipment should be upgraded.

The department ended 2019 about 1 percent over budget, Grizzel said. That was due in part to the need to pay overtime to some crews and hire outside crews for some projects. Commissioner Larry Schaapman asked if PUD crews could do some of the work currently being done by outside crews. But, said General Manager Kevin Nordt, the problem is a shortage of qualified workers, including PUD line crew jobs that are going unfilled. As of Jan. 28, four jobs were open, and had been for four to five months, Grizzel said.

Fewer people are entering the trade, Nordt said, and many current line workers can make more money out of state. Grizzel said the PUD is trying to recruit local residents for the training, with the idea that people who already live in North Central Washington will be more likely to stay.

Grizzel said PUD employees will be starting to write a 10-year plan in 2020, working to identify equipment that should be replaced, upgraded or repaired.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].