Northwest power planners challenged by increasing demand of data centers

(The Center Square) – With energy-intensive artificial intelligence, or AI, consuming more electricity than traditional data-center activities, reliability of the electrical grid should be the top priority, according to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Grant PUD: New rate policy looks forward, not back

EPHRATA — Customers designated as core customers will be first in line for the lowest Grant County Public Utility District rates, according to a new rate policy unanimously approved by PUD commissioners Tuesday. Ty Ehrman, senior vice president of retail operations, said there will be less emphasis on the cost of actually providing service to customers, a process he called unbundling. “That is meant to support the premise (that) growth pays for growth. And most of our growth has ended up being in the industrial sector,” Ehrman said. “We want to make sure that we’re not unduly burdening our core customers with those higher-cost sources of power. And most of the growth (in demand) is actually occurring elsewhere.”

Young demo drivers take the stage

MOSES LAKE — Day two of the Moses Lake Demo Derby kicked off with a special exhibition, the Youth Power Wheels Demo, just before the main event. “They love it,” said Mackenzie Cafferty, whose children participated in the event. “They don’t get to run into things at home, so it’s better for them to come out and run into other kids and have a good time.” Cafferty said she got her two children, Wesley and Hadley, involved in the Power Wheels Demo Derby through her father, Stan Cafferty, who’s on the board of directors with Moses Lake Roundup and is heavily involved in the events that take place at the Grant County Fair. She said she enjoys having her children involved and staying with the family traditions.

Grant PUD considering solar power agreement

EPHRATA — Grant County Public Utility District commissioners will consider purchasing the electricity produced at a proposed solar farm between the Grant County International Airport and Rocky Ford. Under the agreement with Quincy Solar, the PUD would receive all the electricity generated by the project. It's planned to produce 120 megawatts of power. The contract would run for 20 years.

Supreme Court fast tracks Trump tariff case

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The Supreme Court granted an unusually quick hearing on President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on Tuesday, putting a policy at the center of his economic agenda squarely before the nation's highest court.

Decision delayed on condemnation proceedings along proposed power line route

EPHRATA — Grant County Public Utility District commissioners will delay a decision on beginning condemnation proceedings for property along the route of a projected power line between Wanapum Dam and Quincy for six weeks. Commissioners voted to table a resolution that would’ve started the condemnation proceedings at the April 8 meeting, following testimony from residents along the proposed route.

Ferguson orders assessment of data center impacts

OLYMPIA— Earlier this month, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed an executive order to create a workgroup aimed at assessing the impacts of data centers on energy use, state tax revenue, and the environment. The order stemmed from concerns about the sustainability of data centers – large warehouses filled with stacked computers that power the modern internet – which consume significant amounts of energy putting a strain on Washington’s power grid. “We must ensure Washington remains a leader in technology and sustainability – these experts will help us do that,” Ferguson said in a public statement. “This group will help us balance industry growth, tax revenue needs, energy constraints, and sustainability.”

Mattawa man cited for hit and run after damaging power pole

MATTAWA — A Mattawa man was cited for hit and run after he hit a power pole near Mattawa early Tuesday morning.

Sharon Kay Davis

1940 – 2025

It is with great sadness that our family announces the passing of Sharon Kay Davis at the age of 84. Sharon was born on July 7, 1940, and passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 5, 2025, surrounded by her family.

Grant PUD general manager leaving for Georgia job

EPHRATA — Grant County Public Utility District General Manager Rich Wallen has announced his resignation from the PUD to take a new job in Georgia. Wallen will take the job of chief operating officer and executive vice president at Oglethorpe Power in Tucker, Georgia. Wallen worked there from 2014 to 2017.

Grant PUD commitment: Our lowest possible rates for core customers

Grant Public Utility District commissioners and leadership are committed to ensuring that our “core customers” – residential, ag, irrigation and small/medium-sized business – continue to receive the most favorable rates this utility can offer.

Power line sparks small fire near Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — A downed power line sparked a small fire in the McConihe Flats area northwest of Moses Lake Friday afternoon.

Two major power outages in Grant County

MARDON — On both Wednesday and Thursday, Grant Public Utility District had large-scale power outages. A major outage affects more than 50 customers, according to the PUD.

Groff transferred back to permanent power

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District announced Groff Elementary repairs are going well, with a focus on electrical grounding and related systems. The school has successfully transitioned Groff’s electrical service back to permanent power from the Grant County Public Utility District. It had been transferred to a special line to ensure any problems with the facility did not cause a power outage in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Washington state faces two-front challenge to meet future energy demand

(The Center Square) – As Washington state invests in the electrification of its public transportation fleet while preparing for a ban on privately owned new gasoline-powered vehicles in 2035, regional energy stakeholders are addressing the practical issues of having the transmission lines necessary to meet demand.

Homeschool Science Fair showcases student learning

EPHRATA – What do electricity, water, food, volcanos and slime have in common? These were some of the topics covered at this year’s science fair for the Little House in the Desert homeschool group in Ephrata on Saturday, Nov. 1. Six-year-old Joshua Wilson made homemade slime. He learned “that if you put in more water, the more it stretches.”

Stolen forklift leads to Soap Lake power outage

SOAP LAKE — A Soap Lake man was arrested for DUI and theft of a motor vehicle after he allegedly stole a forklift from the Soap Lake School District and broke off a power pole. The man, who was not identified, also was charged with first-degree malicious mischief, according to a statement from Soap Lake Police Chief Patrick Canaday. The incident was reported at about 3:15 a.m. “The suspect drove the forklift off the school property after taking out several sections of fence from the football field. The suspect drove across Second Avenue Southwest on to Dogwood Street Southwest and struck the asphalt with (the) front forks, damaging a large portion of the asphalt,” Canaday said. “The suspect continued driving northbound on Dogwood, striking five parked vehicles on both sides (of the street). (He) drove the forklift eastbound on Main Avenue West with the telescoping fork rail extended.”

Public opinion sought on Grant PUD rate proposals

EPHRATA — Grant County PUD customers are invited to give their opinions about electrical rates for 2026 and beyond at a public hearing at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the PUD’s main office, 30 C St. SW, Ephrata. It’s the start of a two-week public comment period on the new rate proposal.

COLUMN: It’s time to get serious about solving our state’s energy challenges

For residents of the Pacific Northwest, January 2024 might be memorable because of the winter storm that brought ice and severe cold to the region, leading to major power outages. It might be memorable, but there’s also a good chance you have moved on with little or no recollection of that particular storm amid a jumble of winter memories. But for anyone who works for an electric or gas utility, the dates Jan. 12-16, 2024, really do stand out. That’s the week in which the region came dangerously close to not having enough energy to keep our homes warm and lights on. The memory of that storm, and the wakeup call that it provided about the urgent need to produce more energy, came up for discussion at the Energy Solutions Summit on Oct. 30 in SeaTac. The gathering was the first in a series of solutions summits stemming from Washington in the Making 2040, a long-term economic vision for Washington launched in June by the AWB Institute and Washington Roundtable.

Power outages affect hundreds in Moses Lake and Ephrata on Sunday

MOSES LAKE – On Sunday morning at around 10 a.m., Grant Public Utility District announced there was a power outage affecting nearly 300 customers in the Ephrata and Winchester area. An outage later in the day impacted more than 700 residences on the Moses Lake peninsula later in the day.