Your PUD
News Release
Agreements with city of Wenatchee approved
Chelan County PUD
News Release
1/17/2005
PUD commissioners approved two agreements with the city of Wenatchee for providing electric, water and telecommunications services on Monday.
A 25-year franchise agreement allows the PUD to build and maintain electric and water lines in city rights of way. A second 25-year agreement covers the use of PUD lines on city rights of way to deliver wholesale communications services, including video from private providers over the PUD’s fiber-optic network.
The city held a public hearing on the agreements on Jan. 13 and will vote on them Jan. 27.
In other business, commissioners:
- Approved the payment of almost $6 million to Alcoa for proceeds from power sold on their behalf in December. A $7.6 million payment was made in December for October and November power sales. The sale of the power was part of an agreement, amended in November, which allowed Alcoa to access dollars to purchase raw materials necessary for an early restart of the aluminum plant.
- Participated in a discussion with PUD staff on the intricate web of federal, state and regional agencies that regulate the PUD and the hydropower industry.
- Authorized bid invitations for disposal of rotor poles that are being removed from seven rehabilitated generators at Rocky Reach Dam. During their removal, unexpected asbestos was found on the poles.
- Heard that Energy Northwest, an organization made up of 19 public utilities, refinanced debt associated with the Nine Canyon wind farm near Richland for a savings of more than $5 million. Chelan County PUD is a member of Energy Northwest and holds a 12.5-percent share of the project. The PUD’s savings will be about $660,000.
- Authorized changes to an agreement with Dix Corp., Spokane, for $159, 654 for work not anticipated in the original contract for rehabilitation of crane runways at Rock Island Dam. This work is in preparation for major modernization work in the dam’s 71-year-old powerhouse.
- Received word that Chelan County PUD has been awarded the Tree Line USA Award, sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation, for the seventh year in a row. The award goes to utilities with comprehensive tree management plans in place.
- Approved a motion to honor Jim Lynch, late mayor of Wenatchee and Chelan County commissioner. A letter will be sent from PUD commissioners to Grace Lynch.
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The next regular meeting of the PUD commission will start at 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 24, in the boardroom of the Headquarters Building, 327 N. Wenatchee Ave.
Most PUD commission meetings are recorded and a link to the audio is available on the PUD’s home page, www.chelanpud.org.
Christine Shearer
Communications Specialist
509.661.4258
509.421.4258, cell
christin@chelanpud.org
