Northwest Open Access Network's CEO Announces Retirement (Washington PUD Association)

After over 17 years of service, Northwest Open Access Network's (NoaNet) founder and Chief Executive Officer, Greg L. Marney, has announced his retirement effective December 31, 2017. Back in 2000 Marney saw an untapped opportunity to bridge the internet digital divide by connecting the capacity of isolated fiber networks deployed by PUDs by linking them, building a high capacity backbone network connecting major cities to many rural areas.  Marney working with the NoaNet Board of Directors and member utilities worked to expand open access broadband in all counties in the state. 

Dave Spencer, who has served as NoaNet's Chief Operating Officer since NoaNet's launch, will be acting CEO effective August 1st, 2017 while Greg enjoys accrued vacation time through year end. A permanent CEO is to be selected by NoaNet's Board of Directors in the coming months.

Three Days in a Row – Heat Wave Shatters Bonneville Power Administration’s Summer Record for Electricity Use (Bonneville Power Administration)

(PORTLAND, OR) – Several Days of intense heat pushed Northwest temperatures above the 100-degree mark sending regional summertime power consumption to record highs.  As the mercury soared, air conditioners and fans hummed along breaking the Bonneville Power Administration’s record for peak summertime electricity consumption three days in a row.

BPA customer power usage broke the 2014 peak of 7,861 megawatts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 1, 2 and 3, with Wednesday being the highest. BPA’s customers consumed 8,048 MW on Tuesday, 8,226 MW Wednesday and 8,208 on Thursday.  For reference, just one MW can power an estimated 700 Northwest homes or 1,200 MW can power an entire city the size of Seattle.

BPA, in concert with its federal partners, prepared for the heat wave by safely delaying routine-maintenance activities, ensuring the turbines in federal dams were optimized for power generation and working closely with the Columbia Generating Station, a nuclear plant that generates up to 1,200 MW of clean, reliable power.

BPA transmission crews also stood ready to quickly address outages and kept in constant contact with firefighters as wildland fires across the region threatened transmission lines. However, so far, problems on BPA’s transmission system have been kept to a minimum.

“Our crews have done an outstanding job preparing for this stretch of hot weather. And not just the equipment and the system, they’ve also been watching out for each other’s safety in this sweltering heat. We’ve not had a single injury, heat-related or otherwise, during this event,” says Robin Furrer, vice president of Transmission Field Services for the Bonneville Power Administration. “Our mission is to keep the lights on even under the most extreme conditions. So this is a job well done.”

Jefferson PUD Names New Telecom Manager (Jefferson, PUD, Port Townsend, WA)

(PORT TOWNSEND, WA) --  The Jefferson County Public Utility District has announced Jerry Wilson as its new telecom manager.

Wilson will work directly with internet suppliers to provide internet and bandwidth for the county by spearheading the transition from NoaNet to a PUD-controlled fiber network, according to a news release.

The new network will offer citizens enhanced opportunities for broadband services, the release said.

Wilson relocated to Port Townsend during 2013 with years of experience in telecommunications and information technology environments.

He has worked for companies such as MCI, Verizon and Emprix.

According to the release, he has also designed and deployed a national internet service provider network, conducted large-scale stress testing for distributed call centers and managed the installation of digital fiber, as well as radio broadband systems for universities.

Heat Wave Poised to Break Bonneville Power Administration’s Summer Peak for Electricity Use – Readiness Actions in Motion Agency-Wide (Bonneville Power Administration)

(PORTLAND, OR) – The Bonneville Power Administration’s electric power and transmission experts are working together to keep the electrons flowing to millions of Northwest consumers and businesses during the expected heat wave this week, which they anticipate will break BPA’s record for peak summertime electricity consumption.

The previous BPA summertime record was set on July 16, 2014. During that week, when the mercury soared, air conditioners and fans were humming and electricity peaked at 7,861 megawatts at 6 p.m. Compare that peak to a typical 80 degree summer afternoon when electricity consumption may be 600 MW less. For reference, one MW can power more than 700 Northwest homes.

With the region yet again facing a potential multi-day summer heat wave above the 100-degree mark, BPA is preparing for extremes.

“As we take a number of steps BPA-wide to get ready, it’s also important to note that in the utility business, unforeseen issues can emerge at any time,” said Janet Herrin, BPA’s Chief Operating Officer. “The goal is to be as prepared as possible so if something does occur we can quickly restore delivery of power where needed to meet demand, whether from wholesale power generated at federal dams or power coming from other sources.”

Herrin also stated, “All of our hot weather operations across BPA must take into account our commitment to both public safety and environmental sustainability.”

BPA, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 142 electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.

BPA delivers power via more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and 260 substations to 511 transmission customers.

One variable BPA’s experts are monitoring closely are the wildfires burning near electrical transmission corridors in multiple locations in the Northwest. Winds can intensify or shift in a matter of seconds, which drive the path of flames in any direction. In addition, excessive heat over multiple days places additional stress on all parts of the grid and can cause power lines to sag, sometimes by a factor of several feet, which is why BPA works hard to keep rights-of way beneath high voltage transmission lines clear of vegetation and debris.

BPA’s preparedness steps range from delaying certain maintenance activities that can be safely scheduled for another week to working with federal dam operators to ensure the water intakes for hydro turbines are free of debris and optimized for power generation. The agency has also stepped up its non-wires efforts. These are tools and processes that can be employed as an alternative to building transmission lines and can increase reliability during times of extreme weather and high power demand.

BPA has also reached out to its workforce throughout the Northwest to take the proper steps in staying hydrated and reducing heat exhaustion. “A stronger, healthier workforce has fewer safety incidents and also is better prepared to respond to unplanned events,” said Brad Bea, BPA’s chief safety officer.

At the conclusion of this summer heat event, BPA will share with the public whether or not a new summer peak was recorded.

BPA also encourages consumers who are interested in energy savings tips and heat wave preparations being made in their communities to plug into their local utility provider.

CenturyLink's acquisition of Colo. company approved (South Sound Business Examiner)

The state’s Utilities and Transportation Commission has approved an all-party settlement to transfer control of Level 3 Communications LLC to CenturyLink.

CenturyLink is the largest local telephone company in Washington, serving approximately 720,000 residential and business phone lines. The company serves Tacoma, Olympia, and the rest of the South Sound, as well as, among others,  Seattle, Spokane, Bellevue, Bellingham, Yakima and Walla Walla.

The settlement agreement, filed in April, establishes that CenturyLink, Inc. will acquire the Level 3 parent company, a multinational telecom and Internet provider based in Colorado. As a result, CenturyLink will also acquire the six Level 3 competitive local exchange companies registered in the state of Washington.

In approving the acquisition, the UTC commission stated that it is satisfied the conditions agreed to in the settlement provide a net positive effect in Washington and that CenturyLink will become a more competitive company as a result of the merger. The cash and stock transaction is valued at approximately $34 billion.

Climate Change Cage Match – Pruitt's Ready for Prime Time (Politico)

(WASHINGTON, DC) – EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told Reuters Tuesday his plans for a "red team" review of climate change science may be televised, Pro's Alex Guillén reports, and accused scientists of not sufficiently exploring the issue. "It is a question about how much we contribute to it. How do we measure that with precision? And by the way, are we on an unsustainable path? And is it causing an existential threat?" Pruitt said. The review is "not necessarily" the first step toward undoing the 2009 endangerment finding that declared climate change a threat, according to Pruitt.

Ruralite Services Names New Managing Editor (Ruralite)

Leon Espinoza

(HILLSBORO, OR) Ruralite Services Inc. has named veteran Northwest journalist Leon Espinoza as its new Managing Editor. Espinoza was selected after a national search.

He replaces Curtis Condon, who is retiring.

Espinoza is currently Assistant Managing Editor of The Seattle Times, a position he has held since 2013.

“Leon Espinoza is regarded by his colleagues as a tremendous coach, co-worker and leader,” said Michael Shepard, CEO of Ruralite Services. “He has been at once a steady and creative hand during a time of unprecedented change in the media world. I’m confident he is just the right person to lead our

journalistic efforts and partner with our award-winning staff and the public utilities we work with every day.”

Espinoza has risen through the ranks since joining The Seattle Times as a reporter in 1990. He has been the company’s Executive News Editor, Deputy News Editor, Sunday News Editor, Night News Editor and worked on the copy desk. He holds a BA in communications from California State University, Fullerton.

He has been actively involved in developing the Times’ popular digital offerings and worked both as a hands-on editor and overseer of editing and presentation for multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning (and nominated) stories and news series.

Espinoza is a member of the Associated Press Media Editors association, the Washington Coalition for Open Government, the American Copy Editors Society, the International Association of Business Communicators and he has judged reporting and design competitions, including the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s. Leon and his wife, Michelle, have three adult children.

“It is an honor and thrill to join Ruralite Services and have the chance to lead a communications team that already knocks it out of the park for the public utilities and hundreds of thousands of consumers it serves,” said Espinoza of joining Ruralite Services.  “The chance to guide a winning team, impact communities and support our consumer-owned utility partners with meaningful communication and quality magazine products, all within the framework of a co-op rooted in community values, was too good to pass up.”

“As Managing Editor, with a background in public-service journalism and transformation, I look forward to the role we can play in the rapidly evolving energy industry. I’m eager to learn about our utility partner’s desires, wishes and needs and how we can diversify what we offer to meet them. These are exciting times.”

Condon will leave the company at the end of July as its longest-tenured current employee – and one of its most liked and respected. He joined Ruralite as an editor in 1990 and within two years had been tapped to lead the magazine staff as managing editor. Under his leadership, Ruralite magazine won the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s George W. Haggard memorial journalism award in 2015. The award is annually given to the nation’s top cooperative magazine.

The number of utilities using Ruralite’s magazine brands grew by nearly 20 percent during Condon’s tenure and he oversaw the expansion of magazine brands under the company’s umbrella from one (Ruralite) to four, and total circulation of the magazines went from just over 250,000 to more than 440,000 today.