Your PUD PUD News Line

1/11/2007

Power outage update

Last night, power was restored to an additional 1,000 PUD customers, leaving 500-600 customers without power, down from a high of 19,000 following the Sunday wind storm.

Work will continue today to restore service to customers in the remaining Wenatchee neighborhoods, on the south shore of Lake Chelan north of the yacht club, areas near Manson and around Malaga. Two-person service crews will also be working to restore individual services in various parts of the county.

Depending on locations and tree damage, it could take through the weekend to get power to all customers.

PUD crews are also focusing on damage to fiber-optic service boxes. While fiber in many areas is still working, the cable has been damaged and will need to be replaced. Customers who have power back on, but no service on PUD fiber are asked to call the PUD at 663-8121 or 1-877-783-8123.

A 240-ton mobile crane normally used by the PUD for its own heavy work was called into service to help replace power poles and remove trees in the area along South Miller Street. The large crane will remain near Washington Park in Wenatchee Thursday to help reset power poles that are in backyards and difficult to reach with service trucks. Homes in that area were especially hard hit by winds Sunday that snapped two 85-foot poles and brought down both transmission and distribution lines.

Tips for coping with cold weather, advice on water systems and explanations of power restoration procedures were being hand-delivered by PUD employees to neighborhoods where power has been out since Sunday. There are expected to be individual customers with service problems that will cause them to be without power into the weekend.

High winds predicted Tuesday night were less severe than anticipated, but power was knocked out on Wenatchee Heights to an estimated 200-300 customers. Another isolated outage lasted about an hour in the Chelan area, and customers in the Hamlin Road area near Malaga were also knocked out of service by the winds.

Photo caption: Storm damage on Lake Chelan's South Shore.

Due to Sunday’s wind storm and the resulting damage, PUD commissioners rescheduled community meetings in Wenatchee, Chelan and Leavenworth to discuss contingency planning for a forecast low-water year complicated by volatile wholesale power prices.

The rescheduled meetings will be held:

• Jan. 22 - 1 p.m., Wenatchee Headquarters board room 
• Jan. 23 - 5:30 p.m., Chelan Office auditorium
• Jan. 24 - Leavenworth Office auditorium

A formal public hearing to take place at 1 p.m. on Feb. 12 in the boardroom at Wenatchee Headquarters, with a final decision on a surcharge Feb. 20.

Click here for more information on the PUD’s contingency planning efforts.

Welcome Commissioners Bolz and Smith

Randy Smith of Cashmere (left) and Dennis Bolz (right), Wenatchee, were sworn in Jan. 2, as new Chelan County PUD commissioners, taking the oath of office from Chelan County Auditor Evelyn Arnold.

“It’s good to be here, and I appreciate the opportunity to serve,” said Bolz as the new commissioners were invited to comment at the end of the meeting. Smith added, “I’m looking forward to working with what I consider a top-notch organization.”

Bolz is serving a 4-year term representing at-large District B, which includes part of Wenatchee, Entiat and the Chelan/Manson area. Smith represents District 2, which includes parts of West Wenatchee, and the Upper Valley and has a 6-year term.

Commissioners also elected officers for 2007. Norm Gutzwiler, Malaga, was elected president of the board. This is Gutzwiler’s first chance to serve as board president since being elected in the fall of 2002. Commissioner Ann Congdon, Manson, on the board since 2005, was elected vice president. Werner Janssen, Leavenworth, was elected secretary.

Click here for commissioner contact information.