Grant County PUD net expenses projected at $413.4 million in 2026

EPHRATA — The Grant County PUD is projected to spend about $413.4 million, when expenses and payments are added up, and end the year with about $251.9 million in carryover. Rates for 2026 have not been set yet; commissioners will be discussing rates for a while, possibly into early 2026. Commissioner Tom Flint said Oct. 21 that PUD commissioners are making some changes in how rates are set. 

“I think it’s important to understand we’re now looking at the rates a little bit differently,” Flint said.  

The budget carryover projected for 2026 is about $124.3 million less than the 2025 projection. Bryndon Ecklund, manager of forecasting and planning, said the PUD is projected to spend a lot more in 2026 than it did in 2025. The PUD plans to spend about $322.3 million for capital projects, a 43% increase from 2025, and $198 million for labor costs, a 16% increase. Expenses are also projected to increase due to inflation, he said.  

Terrah Bicondova, manager of budget and recording, said increased expenses reflect increased customer demand.  

“Our utility is growing. There’s a lot of additional work ahead of us,” Bicondova said. 

As of August, demand for PUD electricity was lower than originally projected for 2025.  

“There was a reduction in load, (and as a result) the load forecast has decreased,” Ecklund said.  

For 2026, retail energy sales are projected to be about $320 million, which is lower than the original 2025 forecast. For 2025, revised retail sales projections are estimated to be about $294.2 million.  

Ecklund said some of the projects that were scheduled for 2025 have been delaye,d but so far have not been canceled. As a result, the demand and the revenue have been extended over time.  

The PUD made up the shortfall in retail sales with sales to other customers, mostly on the wholesale market. Power sales are projected to generate about $246.4 million in 2026. 

Labor expenses are projected at about $198.6 million in 2026, up from $171.5 million in 2025. The PUD is projected to add the equivalent of 88 positions in 2026, Bicondova said. The goal is to speed up work on planned PUD projects and expand departments that PUD officials thought were understaffed, including IT services and the finance division. 

The biggest boost in spending, however, is due to capital projects, which are projected to cost about $322.3 million in 2026.  

“Capital (projects) take up 46% of our total budget,” Bicondova said.  

The PUD had a substantial increase in its insurance premium, which increased by $1.3 million. Utility district managers plan to spend about $798,000 for customer incentive programs.  

Rates are set in April of each year.  

Rate classes have been divided into core and non-core customers, and rates for the different classes could be different. The budget included projections of rate increases ranging from 2% for all customers to 3.5% for core customers and 9.5% for non-core customers. While a 2% increase across the board kept the PUD in the black for 2026, projections showed the carryover declining over time.