Your PUD
News Release
SNAP celebrates Alcoa community solar endowment
Chelan County PUD
News Release
5/23/2005
PUD commissioners, employees, community members, Alcoa, IBEW 191, and the Wenatchee Aluminum Trades Council joined in celebrating a program that has made Chelan County the leader in the state for solar power production.
Solar panels to generate enough electricity for an average classroom have been installed at 28 schools and six nonprofit agencies through Alcoa’s Community Solar Endowment. The effort was coordinated by the PUD’s SNAP (Sustainable Natural Alternative Power) program.
In 2004, Alcoa provided direct funds to purchase $439,740 in solar power equipment, plus arranged for labor valued at $666,810 by Alcoa employees to install the solar systems. McCandlish Electric of Wenatchee was also involved in the installations.
Half the revenue from solar power generation at each site is returned to the school or nonprofit organization. The other half goes to Alcoa to be used at the company’s discretion for additional community projects.
Plaques honoring involvement in the project were presented to Jim Baxter of Alcoa; Jack Eidukas, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 191; Loren McCandlish, owner of McCandlish Electric; and to PUD engineer Jim White, who launched the SNAP program and has designed each solar installation.
An open house at the Bank of America Peforming Arts Center in Wenatchee, one of the nonprofit agencies that received solar panels, followed the board meeting.
Overall there are 39 solar installations in the SNAP program, plus two wind projects and a small hydro generator. Checks or credits totaling $32,092 were mailed April 22 to the producers for power received from April 2004 to April 2005. All the money was contributed by about 900 voluntary SNAP supporters who are PUD customers.
PUD sees insurance costs decrease for 2005-2006
The District’s insurance costs for liability, property and machinery coverage will decrease about 13 percent for the coming year, coming in under budget by about $400,000 and continuing a trend started last year.
“This is a good news story,” Kathy Lee, Safety and Enterprise Risk Management director, told commissioners on Monday. She noted that insurance costs have finally returned to levels seen before the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
Ron Gibbs, property claims manager, joined Lee in the annual presentation.
Commissioners accepted their recommendation to purchase coverage from June 1, 2005, through June 1, 2006, for premiums of about $2.1 million. Last year’s coverage cost about $2.4 million, down from $2.6 million the previous year.
The commission commended the work done by Lee and Gibbs to negotiate the cost decrease.
In other business, commissioners:
Began a discussion about the possibility of using interest rate swaps, a type of derivative transaction, to help lower debt costs for the District. Treasurer Debbie Litchfield and Andrew McKendrick of PFM Asset Management described the process. Commissioners will be asked to consider a new financial policy on swaps and an agreement for advice from PFM at the May 31 meeting. Any actual transaction would require additional approval from the board.
Purchased three trucks with manlifts from Altec Industries, Dixon, Calif., for $507,267, determined to be the lowest responsible bid received.
Approved a new franchise agreement with Chelan County for placement of fiber-optic distribution equipment in county rights of way. The 17-year agreement, which runs concurrent with the PUD’s electric franchise, now goes to the Chelan County Commission for final approval.
Listened to a recap of the 2005 state legislative session provided by Andrew Munro, PUD governmental affairs director; consultants Dave Arbaugh and Rob Makin; and Mike Armstrong, 12th District representative and PUD facilities manager. Suzanne Bacon, Licensing communications specialist, also provided an update on the federal energy bill.
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The next meeting of the PUD Board of Commissioners is at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, a change from Monday because of the Memorial Day holiday. They will meet in the PUD boardroom at 327 N. Wenatchee Ave.
Most PUD commission meetings are recorded, and a link to the audio is available on the PUD’s home page at www.chelanpud.org.
Kimberlee Craig
Public Information Officer
661-4320, direct line
679-6858, cell
kimc@chelanpud.org