Your PUD
News Release
New solar and wind incentive on the books
Chelan County PUD
News Release
8/22/2005
Commissioners discussed possibilities to expand the PUD’s Sustainable Natural Alternative Power program Monday.
The SNAP program, an award-winning alternative energy program, allows Chelan County residents to support solar and wind power from local producers. The program has vaulted Chelan County to the largest solar producing county in Washington state.
PUD Energy Services Engineer Jim White, who created the SNAP program, told commissioners that the state Legislature passed a new law this spring that allows the PUD to give funds, which had previously gone to a state utility tax, to county residents who produce power for SNAP.
The new law also has incentives for alternative power producers to purchase Washington-made equipment, allowing larger credits.
The tax credit with Washington products would allow the PUD to pay up to $92,500 more for local producers, three times the current proceeds of the SNAP program.
Commissioners might be asked in the near future to approve adding the incentive to the SNAP program. Similar to conservation loans now offered by the PUD, low-interest loans might also be available in the future to pay for the equipment needed to start renewable power production.
Ron Johnston Rodriguez, economic development director for the Port of Chelan County, thanked commissioners for supporting the SNAP program and said five companies have looked into locating their solar technology businesses in the area.
PUD seeks input – and receives it
Members of community groups, who gather quarterly in all areas of the county to discuss PUD business, spoke with commissioners Monday to share observations and suggestions and to thank the Board for the opportunity to get an inside look into the utility.
The groups were started by the PUD as a way to meet face-to-face to listen and respond to customer-owners on many subjects, including fiber-optics and overhead power lines.
Each group, made up of 10-20 customer-owners, is a cross-section of the community it represents.
Members of the Lake Chelan, Entiat, Cashmere, Wenatchee and Malaga/Colockum groups attended Monday’s meeting.
Mike Chambers, an Entiat group representative, said the meetings cleared up misconceptions in his community about the PUD. “Perceptions are no longer being made from a lack of information,” he said.
The representatives encouraged the PUD to continue the meetings. “No one can tell the PUD story better than the PUD,” said Wenatchee-group member Mary Thresher.
In other business, commissioners:
- Heard an update on a fish enhancement project near Dryden. Staff reported that work on an 840-foot channel off the Wenatchee River would soon begin. The project is part of an innovative settlement with the Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Damage Assessment in lieu of fines resulting from two small oil spills into the Columbia River, one in 1998 and another in 2002. The agreement allowed the PUD to choose a project to assign the funds to. The channel will be ground-water fed and a safe haven for fish escaping high river flows.
- Talked with city of Wenatchee Executive Services Director Allison Williams about development of the Wenatchee riverfront. Williams reported that the city is about to apply for a grant from Washington State Transportation Improvement Board for the design and construction of Riverside Drive, the street that would run through the newly developed area. Commissioners, who asked questions about changes to PUD parks, will be asked next week to sign a letter supporting the project.
- Participated in a discussion with customer-owners and consultants Martha Steinborn, of Steinborn and Associates, and Vicki Sharlau, of 501 Consultants, Inc, regarding working better as a team.
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The next regular meeting of the PUD commission will start at 10 a.m., Monday, Aug. 29, in executive session to evaluate General Counsel Carol Wardell. Public session will start at 1 p.m., 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 Web site, www.chelanpud.org.
Christy Shearer
Communications Specialist
509.661.4258
509.421.4258, cell
christin@chelanpud.org