Your PUD PUD News Line

8/22/2006

Come join us Wednesday evening to discuss what’s ahead for the PUD

Photo of Gary Montague, board president.                                     Photo of Rich Riazzi, general manager.

Gary Montague, board president           Rich Riazzi, general manager

The first of several evening meetings is scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Confluence Technology Center to talk about the challenges and opportunities ahead for Chelan County PUD. Click here for more details from the PUD or here to read an editorial from The Wenatchee World. We’d like the community to help us determine how the PUD should position itself to be most effective for the customers it serves. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the PUD Web site, along with a link for follow-up comments.

Federal action has PUD hoping for new Rocky Reach license this fall

Chelan County PUD expects that two fish-related documents -- one from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and one from NOAA Fisheries -- are the last major items needed before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) can issue a new operating license for Rocky Reach Dam. It’s hoped the two biological opinions may be delivered by November.

In a Final Environmental Impact Statement issued Aug. 4, only minimal changes were proposed by FERC to a Settlement Agreement submitted by all the relicensing parties (local citizens, state and federal agencies and tribes) back in March. Of approximately 100 items agreed to in the Settlement Agreement, FERC said it would change six.

But while FERC recommended that the PUD scale back some of its relicensing measures, especially related to bull trout, sturgeon, lamprey and other resident fish stocking, most items will still be included in the final license order because the measures are part of a state-issued Water Quality Certificate from the Department of Ecology that cannot be altered by FERC.

The estimated cost of all the relicensing measures proposed for the next 50 years is still about $394 million. To see the full FEIS, click here.

New Web site expands ways to interact with PUD

If you haven’t done so, check out the new, improved Web site launched recently by Chelan County PUD (click here). Among new features, starting next month, you’ll be able to pay your bill online. There’s also a place to tell us what you think of the changes.