Washington PUD Association Welcomes New Policy Director (WPUDA, Olympia, WA)

Nicolas Garcia

(OLYMPIA, WA) -- Nicolas Garcia will join the WPUDA staff on October 2, 2017.

"Nicolas has an extensive policy and utility industry background and will be a valuable asset to our organization," said George Caan, WPUDA Executive Director. "We are excited to have his depth of knowledge and experience to further the interests of our members." 

"I am excited to come to WPUDA and build upon the resource planning and policy making experience I have had at Tacoma Power," said Garcia. "WPUDA has an outsized presence in legislative and regulatory policy development for the energy, water and telecommunications industries. I hope that my skills and experience, in combination with the WPUDA team and member utilities, can further and build upon this presence to benefit the people served by Washington Public Utility Districts."

Nicolas comes to WPUDA from Tacoma Power where he served as the Assistant Power Section Manager in charge of the Energy Resource Planning and Evaluation unit. In this capacity, Nicolas was responsible for long-term resource planning, conservation planning and evaluation, compliance with the Energy Independence Act, long-term energy price forecasting, and administering the BPA power supply and transmission contracts. Nicolas worked closely with Tacoma Power's legislative liaison to assess the implications of legislative bills on the utility and was active in a number of regional forums such as the Public Generating Pool.

Prior to Tacoma Power, Nicolas worked at the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), the Washington State Energy Office, the Washington Department of Ecology, the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Nicolas received a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington and a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Washington State Native Joins Pend Oreille PUD as Communications and Public Contracts Manager (Pend Oreille PUD, Newport, WA)

Kenna Tornow

(NEWPORT, WA) -- Pend Oreille County Public Utility District has hired Kenna Tornow as Communications and Public Contracts Manager.

Tornow comes to the PUD from Gallatin Public Affairs where she consulted with clients on media relations, crisis communications, and government affairs. She will leverage her experience with Gallatin to help build and grow the PUD’s existing brand, connect with the public, deliver information and oversee all contracts for the PUD.

“A major component of providing quality service is open communication,” said Colin Willenbrock, PUD General Manager. “Kenna will help the PUD continue that open dialogue so the Commissioners and our team can make informed decisions about what our customers need out of their utility.”

The Eastern Washington University Journalism grad was also a writer for the student newspaper and interned at KHQ-TV. With her established journalistic background she will be able to craft informational releases about the PUD for the public.

“This small rural PUD is doing a lot of great things and making thoughtful decisions for the future,” said Tornow. “It is my goal to listen carefully and get the information out there in a way that our customers and communities know about the important work going on around them. I simply want people to know what we do.”

Tornow grew up in Chehalis, where she inherited her family’s knowledge of agriculture and business. She is a proud EWU Football fan and a huge supporter of the Seahawks and Mariners.

Bonneville Power Administration Coordinating with U-S Forest Service on Eagle Creek Fire (Bonneville Power Administration)

No BPA utility customers are without power from this fire

Portland, Ore. – The Bonneville Power Administration is actively working to ensure we keep the power flowing throughout the Pacific Northwest while working with emergency responders and communities affected by the Eagle Creek Fire located 60 miles east of Portland, Ore.

BPA is coordinating its transmission actions with the Forest Service Fire Management Team 6 in order to safely take lines and facilities out of service (de-energize and re-energize) in order to provide fire crews with safe access to fight the wildfire while maintaining the reliability of the BPA transmission system.

Currently, we have only one line out of service – North Bonneville-Hood River 115-kilovolt line from Acton Substation to Cascade Locks. All other lines are in service. BPA has a robust, high voltage transmission system with the ability to route power along multiple paths for much of its service territory throughout the Pacific Northwest. No BPA customers are experiencing outages from BPA service at this time.

With the fire expanding to the Washington side of the Columbia River, we are closely monitoring transmission corridors in the vicinity of the fires. A useful resource for tracking the fire relative to BPA’s transmission system can be found at:

http://bpagis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Viewer/index.html?appid=a1dde3b6edee4abea69f3a2bc7c5cca9

Previously, we de-energized Acton Substation at 8:50 p.m. on Monday at the request and in coordination with the City of Cascade Locks. Working with Cascade Locks, we re-energized the substation at 10:04 p.m. It remains in service at this time.

Additionally, BPA’s Knight-Ostrander 500-kilovolt line automatically went out of service due to heavy smoke on the northern portion of the line at 9:21 p.m. Monday. The line was left out of service until the fire safely burned through underneath. The line was re-energized at 7:12 a.m. this morning.

Energy News Digest for September 5, 2017

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for September 5, 2017

Heat Advisory for Mason County & Western Washington State

Air Quality Alert for Mason County & Western Washington State

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Eagle Creek Fire Grows, Spreads to Washington State – Officials Say Fire a ‘High Priority’ in the Nation (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/index.ssf/2017/09/eagle_creek_fire_grows_overnig.html

Richland Nuclear Plant Running Again after 13 Days Offline (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article171110032.html

Northwest Power & Conservation Council Report Shows BPA’s 2016 Fish/Wildlife Costs Account for One-Third of Wholesale Power Rate (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/439471.aspx

Oregon Regulators May Deflate PacifiCorp’s $3.5 Billion Renewables Plan (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/08/31/pacificorps-wyoming-wind-plan-runs-into-opposition.html

Avista Asks Washington State Regulators for Rate Adjustments (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/sep/01/avista-asks-state-regulators-rate-adjustments/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Richland Nuclear Plant Running Again after 13 Days Offline
• Avista Asks Washington State Regulators for Rate Adjustments
• Idaho: Public Speaks Up as Avista Considers Raising Rates
• Roselyn Marcus Named Interim Chair of Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council
• Op/Ed: A Diverse Mix of Energy Resources Key to Low Cost, Reliable Power
• Privatizing the Pacific Northwest’s Electricity Transmission System
• Peace River Dam Hearings to Be Held Around British Columbia, Including Victoria
• U-S House Energy Chairman Greg Walden Eyes New Direction for Energy Department
• Op/Ed: U-S Department of Energy Grid Study Helps Set the Table at FERC
• Documents: Utilities Were Warned Before South Carolina Nuke Plant Flop
• The U-S Backs Off Nuclear Power – Georgia Wants to Keep Building Reactors
• Colorado Public Utilities Commission Nears Decision on Xcel, Boulder Muni Debate
• Nation’s Largest Grid Operator Suffers 4,000 Attempted Cyberattacks a Month, Former Chief Says
• Michigan: Jump the Line to Get Power Back? Some Utility Customers Demanded Favoritism, Report Finds
• Third Party Billing Services: Convenience with a Cost?
• Northwest Power & Conservation Council Report Shows BPA’s 2016 Fish/Wildlife Costs Account for One-Third of Wholesale Power Rate
• Douglas PUD Cancels Wells & Methow Hatchery Contracts with Washington State over Misconduct Accusations
• Oregon: Catherine Creek’s Facelift Goes Swimmingly - Young Salmon Numbers Increase
• British Columbia: First Nations, Environmentalists Occupy Salmon Farm
• Vermont: After Generations, Salmon Back in Lake Champlain Tributaries
• Pend Oreille County Dam Removal Begins
• Oregon Regulators May Deflate PacifiCorp’s $3.5 Billion Renewables Plan
• Vestas Joins with Tesla to Combine Wind Turbines with Batteries
• Wind Power Developer Takes Golden Valley Electric Association to Court in Four-Year Quest to Sell More Renewable Energy
• Oregon Hazelnut Company Celebrates Shift to Solar Power
• Can This Giant Turbine Turn the Tide for Ocean Energy?
• Denver Will Vote on ‘Green Roof’ Rule for Buildings
• AT&T to Expand 5G U-S Broadband Trials
• Montana Governor Highlights Broadband Gains in Schools
• Apple’s Call for ‘Strong’ Net Neutrality Rules Is a Hint about the Future of Its Business
• Comcast Sues Vermont after Being Forced to Expand Broadband
• Ignoring These Website Fundamentals Is Sinking Your Social Media Efforts
• The Vine Resurrection- Six-Second Commercials Are Coming to N.F.L. Games on Fox
• Press Releases: Ten Common Mistakes
• Tips for Aspiring Op-Ed Writers
• Federal DACA Is Being Rescinded with ‘Wind Down’ Period, Jeff Sessions Announces
• Congress Returns to a Busy Twelve-Day Schedule. What’s on the Agenda?
• The Surprising Ways Your Side Hobby Can Wind Up Helping Your Career
• Eagle Creek Fire Grows, Spreads to Washington State – Officials Say Fire a ‘High Priority’ in the Nation
• Hikers Say the Columbia River Gorge is Burning Because Teenage Boys Were Tossing Firecrackers Off a Cliff
• Ash is Falling in Seattle
• Two Arrested After Pioneer School Burglary
• YMCA of Sequim Reports Explosive Membership in First Months
• Colville Tribe Proceeds with Hemp Crop Project
• Bellevue Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty in Sales Tax Theft

WORD OF THE DAY

Propagate • \PROP-puh-gate\ • verb – 1: to reproduce or cause to reproduce biologically: multiply 2: to cause to spread: extend *3: to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (as an idea or belief): publicize

Humming absently to himself, Seymour paid no attention to the little tag on his new plant that warned him that under no circumstances was he was to propagate the little fella. It wasn’t until he had coated the last of thirty cuttings with rooting hormone that his blood froze upon hearing the voice of the Four Tops’ Levi Stubbs crooning, “feed me Seymour.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Richland Nuclear Plant Running Again after 13 Days Offline (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article171110032.html

Avista Asks Washington State Regulators for Rate Adjustments (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/sep/01/avista-asks-state-regulators-rate-adjustments/

Idaho: Public Speaks Up as Avista Considers Raising Rates (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/aug/31/public-speaks-up-as-avista-considers-raising-rates/

Roselyn Marcus Named Interim Chair of Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (Washington State Wire)

https://washingtonstatewire.com/inslee-names-roselyn-marcus-interim-chair-energy-facility-site-evaluation-council/

Op/Ed: A Diverse Mix of Energy Resources Key to Low Cost, Reliable Power (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/a-diverse-mix-of-energy-resources-key-to-low-cost-reliable-power/

Privatizing the Pacific Northwest’s Electricity Transmission System (Power Technology)

http://www.power-technology.com/features/featureprivatising-the-northwests-transmission-system-5915452/

Peace River Dam Hearings to Be Held Around British Columbia, Including Victoria (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/site-c-hearings-to-be-held-around-b-c-including-victoria-1.22428293

U-S House Energy Chairman Greg Walden Eyes New Direction for Energy Department (Washington Examiner)

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/house-energy-chairman-greg-walden-eyes-new-direction-for-energy-department/article/2633391

Op/Ed: U-S Department of Energy Grid Study Helps Set the Table at FERC (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-grid-study-helps-set-the-table-at-ferc/504012/

Documents: Utilities Were Warned Before South Carolina Nuke Plant Flop (Associated Press0

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/south-carolina/articles/2017-09-04/apnewsbreak-utilities-warned-1-year-before-nuke-plant-flop

The U-S Backs Off Nuclear Power – Georgia Wants to Keep Building Reactors (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/business/georgia-vogtle-nuclear-reactors.html

Colorado Public Utilities Commission Nears Decision on Xcel, Boulder Muni Debate (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/colorado-puc-nears-decision-on-xcel-boulder-muni-debate/504066/

Nation’s Largest Grid Operator Suffers 4,000 Attempted Cyberattacks a Month, Former Chief Says (Washington Examiner)

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nations-largest-grid-operator-suffers-4000-attempted-cyberattacks-per-month-former-chief-says/article/2632256

Michigan: Jump the Line to Get Power Back? Some Utility Customers Demanded Favoritism, Report Finds (Detroit Free Press, MI)

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/09/03/power-outage-michigan-report/627358001/

Third Party Billing Services: Convenience with a Cost? (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/daily/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=48739

FISH & WILDLIFE

Northwest Power & Conservation Council Report Shows BPA’s 2016 Fish/Wildlife Costs Account for One-Third of Wholesale Power Rate (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/439471.aspx

Douglas PUD Cancels Wells & Methow Hatchery Contracts with Washington State over Misconduct Accusations (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://kpq.com/douglas-pud-cancels-wells-methow-hatchery-contracts-wdfw/

Oregon: Catherine Creek’s Facelift Goes Swimmingly - Young Salmon Numbers Increase (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Catherine-Creeks-facelift-goes-swimmingly-young-salmon-numbers-increase.aspx

British Columbia: First Nations, Environmentalists Occupy Salmon Farm (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/first-nations-environmentalists-occupy-b-c-salmon-farm-1.4268234

Vermont: After Generations, Salmon Back in Lake Champlain Tributaries (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/After-generations-salmon-back-in-Lake-Champlain-12170355.php

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT LOCKER

Pend Oreille County Dam Removal Begins (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/sep/05/pend-oreille-county-dam-removal-begins/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Oregon Regulators May Deflate PacifiCorp’s $3.5 Billion Renewables Plan (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/08/31/pacificorps-wyoming-wind-plan-runs-into-opposition.html

Vestas Joins with Tesla to Combine Wind Turbines with Batteries (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2017/09/vestas-joins-with-tesla-to-combine-wind-turbines-with-batteries.html

Wind Power Developer Takes Golden Valley Electric Association to Court in Four-Year Quest to Sell More Renewable Energy (KUAC-Radio, Fairbanks, AK)

http://fm.kuac.org/post/wind-power-developer-takes-gvea-court-4-year-quest-sell-more-renewable-energy

Oregon Hazelnut Company Celebrates Shift to Solar Power (KGW TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/money/business/oregon-hazelnut-company-celebrates-shift-to-solar-power/470315458

Can This Giant Turbine Turn the Tide for Ocean Energy? (Philadelphia Inquirer, PA)

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/energy/can-this-giant-turbine-turn-the-tide-for-ocean-energy-20170901.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

Denver Will Vote on ‘Green Roof’ Rule for Buildings (Denver Business Journal, CO)

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/09/05/denver-will-vote-on-green-roof-rule-for-buildings.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AT&T to Expand 5G U-S Broadband Trials (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-at-t-5g/att-to-expand-5g-u-s-broadband-trials-idUSKCN1BA1C4

Montana Governor Highlights Broadband Gains in Schools (Edscoop)

http://edscoop.com/montana-governor-highlights-broadband-gains-in-schools

Apple’s Call for ‘Strong’ Net Neutrality Rules Is a Hint about the Future of Its Business (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/08/31/why-it-matters-that-apple-is-speaking-up-on-net-neutrality/?utm_term=.fe5791af70fa

Comcast Sues Vermont after Being Forced to Expand Broadband (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Sues-Vermont-After-Being-Forced-to-Expand-Broadband-140244

MARKETING & MEDIA

Ignoring These Website Fundamentals Is Sinking Your Social Media Efforts (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/digital/john-stevens-hosting-facts-guest-post-website-fundamentals/

The Vine Resurrection- Six-Second Commercials Are Coming to N.F.L. Games on Fox (NY Times)

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/business/media/nfl-six-second-commercials.html

Press Releases: Ten Common Mistakes (The Guardian, UK – The first, calling it a “press” release)

https://www.theguardian.com/culture-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/feb/16/common-mistakes-writing-press-releases

Tips for Aspiring Op-Ed Writers (NY Times)

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/opinion/tips-for-aspiring-op-ed-writers.html

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Federal DACA Is Being Rescinded with ‘Wind Down’ Period, Jeff Sessions Announces (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article171292557.html

Congress Returns to a Busy Twelve-Day Schedule. What’s on the Agenda? (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/us/politics/congress-fall-agenda-hurricane-aid-debt-ceiling.html

The Surprising Ways Your Side Hobby Can Wind Up Helping Your Career (Fast Company)

https://www.fastcompany.com/40460140/why-your-side-hobby-can-make-you-better-at-work

GENERAL NEWS

Eagle Creek Fire Grows, Spreads to Washington State – Officials Say Fire a ‘High Priority’ in the Nation (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/index.ssf/2017/09/eagle_creek_fire_grows_overnig.html

Hikers Say the Columbia River Gorge is Burning Because Teenage Boys Were Tossing Firecrackers Off a Cliff (Willamette Week, OR)

http://www.wweek.com/news/2017/09/04/hikers-say-the-columbia-river-gorge-is-burning-because-teenagers-were-tossing-firecrackers-off-a-cliff/

Ash is Falling in Seattle (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2017/09/ash-is-falling-in-seattle.html

Two Arrested After Pioneer School Burglary (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/27178

YMCA of Sequim Reports Explosive Membership in First Months (Peninsula Daily New, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/ymca-of-sequim-reports-explosive-membership-in-first-months/

Colville Tribe Proceeds with Hemp Crop Project (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/colville-tribe-proceeds-hemp-crop-project

Bellevue Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty in Sales Tax Theft (Associated Press)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/sep/01/restaurant-owner-pleads-guilty-in-sales-tax-theft/

PANTONE LOBSTER EDITION – DIVERSIONS

Ghostly, Translucent Lobster Hauled from Ocean Off Maine

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/ghostly-translucent-lobster-hauled-from-ocean-off-maine/article_1d167584-36dc-5656-9da4-394f8fc253bc.html

Library: Fines Can’t Be Paid with Chuck E. Cheese Tokens

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/library-fines-can-t-be-paid-with-chuck-e-cheese/article_d2833602-53c3-50ba-ae80-5d468f8d278a.html

The Lost Origins of Playing-Card Symbols

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/the-lost-origins-of-playing-card-symbols/537786/

Girl Casually Finds ‘Excalibur’ at the Bottom of the Same Lake It Was Hurled

https://www.yahoo.com/news/girl-casually-finds-apos-excalibur-105839339.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Richard Burton – Camelot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h7E5rtnFH4

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LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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REPORT: HOW TO GET HYDROPOWER DEPLOYED FASTER (Politico)

The R Street Institute released a report Thursday detailing a series of changes to the hydropower licensing process that it said would speed deployment of the renewable power source. "Congress and the administration should prioritize the reduction of uncertainties and delays in hydropower licensure, which largely stem from duplicative processes, poor dispute resolution and lack of schedule discipline," the report said. Among the top suggestions are making FERC the sole federal decision-maker and studying the possibility of privatizing federally owned dams.

PERRY'S GRID STUDY LAYS BLAME ON NATURAL GAS: (Politico Morning Energy)

(WASHINGTON, DC) Months of breathless anticipation culminated late Wednesday with the release of the Energy Department's grid study that concluded the surge in supplies of cheap natural gas had weighed on power prices and was the key factor in the closure of many coal-fired power plants, Pro's Darius Dixon reports . The report, requested by Secretary Rick Perry, doesn't call for Congress to change any laws but does seek "reforms" - from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the EPA and FERC - to power markets that would help bolster the electricity network's resilience and provide support for some plants.

The agency linked four factors - cheap gas, low electricity demand growth over the past decade, government regulations and the influx of renewable energy into the grid - to the struggles of coal and nuclear power, but didn't try to assign a percentage of blame to each of them. 

Still, Perry did cast some side-eye at renewables incentives, saying in a letteraccompanying the report "[i]t is apparent that in today's competitive markets certain regulations and subsidies are having a large impact on the functioning of markets, and thereby challenging our power generation mix. It is important for policy makers to consider their intended and unintended effects."

But the report takes a softer tone than Perry's April memo that ordered up the study, which said Obama era regulations had "destroyed jobs and economic growth" and threatened the grid, and suggested that federal support for renewable power "create[s] acute and chronic problems." That document, energy guru Peter Fox-Penner told Darius, was "looking through a preconceived, political lens broadly at baseload and blaming renewables policy, which is looking at the wrong culprit. The right direction for a solution is market design." 

Part of the reason for DOE's call for FERC, EPA and other bodies to help alter electricity market and aid power plants is because the agency has limited power to direct energy policy. "DOE has no authority," former FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, a Democrat, said ahead of the report's release. "It's FERC that has all the authority .. .and DOE does not control FERC. I would say that when I was there, and I'd say it now."

Other voices weigh in: Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy, said grid operators weren't having the troubles adjusting to a wide array of resources as suggested: "This report seriously overstates the challenges associated with new energy resources," he said. Consumer Energy Alliance President David Holt called it an important step in discussing the future of the energy grid: "While utilities, electric cooperatives, and grid operators have been able to absorb the changes brought about by increases in renewable energy and the abundance of low-cost natural gas, it is clear that they will have significant challenges as the pace of change accelerates," he said in a statement. Others were not so positive. "Coal and nuclear can no longer compete on their own, and they are now pushing Trump to save them. This study is a shoddy attempt to do just that," the Sierra Club's Mary Anne Hitt said.

Bonneville Power Administration Focuses on Safety &Reliability During Total Eclipse (Bonneville Power Administration)

Public’s cooperation requested in interacting with crews on or near transmission lines and facilities

(PORTLAND, OR) – While the pending total eclipse may capture the nation’s attention and turn eyes skyward, Bonneville Power Administration remains focused on the region’s high-voltage transmission lines directly overhead.

Between Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, officials from the state of Oregon expect an influx of more than one million visitors, many of whom may be camping in areas near BPA facilities and critical infrastructure. Likewise, the state of Idaho anticipates significant travel in and out of the state. BPA is keenly aware that its high-voltage corridors may appear an attractive vantage point for the public even as the lines may pose potential hazards.

These pop-up populations may put additional strain on BPA as it seeks to deliver power reliably and safely throughout the Northwest. BPA’s Security and Continuity of Operations Office has been analyzing the path and timing of the eclipse relative to BPA facilities and interests, and working both within BPA and with external agencies to identify and mitigate those potential impacts to our operations.

“We’re expecting significant traffic congestion, which could create challenges in responding to any potential power outages. We’re also concerned about the possibility of trespassing and vandalism on BPA property, as well as an elevated risk for wildfires,” says Sarah Laylo, chief security and continuity officer for BPA.

One concern for the agency is the interaction between the public and our transmission field crews who may be responding to a power outage or performing needed maintenance on the high-voltage transmission system.

“If you encounter a BPA field crew in or near a BPA right-of-way or facility, please remember they have a job to do and that job is directly tied to providing reliable power to the people of the Northwest,” said Robin Furrer, vice president of Transmission Services for BPA. “And if they give you instructions or request that you leave an area, it is for your safety. High voltage cannot be taken lightly.”

As a way of introduction to visitors and a reminder to residents of the northwest, BPA operates three-fourths of the region’s high-voltage transmission system. That system includes more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines that move vast amounts of power from hydroelectric projects and other power plants to urban centers hundreds of miles away.

Here are some key safety facts to remember with power lines or substations:

BPA’s high-voltage transmission lines range from 69,000 volts to 500,000 volts – that’s 50 to 100 times the amount of electricity that flows through the distribution lines delivering power to your home;

Unlike the wiring in your home, overhead power lines are not enclosed by electrical insulating material;

Electricity can “arc” or “flashover” from wires, through the air, to trees, other vegetation or equipment up to 15 feet away, where it can cause fires, injuries or even fatalities to anyone nearby;

When power lines carry more electric load, they normally heat up, which causes the wire to expand and sag. In summer, for example, when the air is hot and customers demand lots of electricity, lines can sag up to 14 feet;

Under some high-voltage lines, vehicles can collect induced voltage, particularly if on a nonconductive surface such as asphalt or dry rock. BPA crews use specific restrictions for parking and roads within the right-of-way to keep potential shocks at a low level.

Additionally, wildfires are an ever-present danger, particularly during a dry, hot summer. While BPA’s right of ways are used on occasion as fire breaks by firefighters, they are not immune to fire. Something as simple as the heat from an idling vehicle’s exhaust pipe can result in combustion of grasses or low vegetation.

BPA is asking the public to report any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the high-voltage transmission system. Damage to lines or substations or other related facilities and equipment is a crime. BPA incurs direct costs to replace stolen or damaged equipment. But those costs, along with lost revenues and economic losses due to power interruptions, are ultimately passed on to electric ratepayers in the Northwest.

Crime Witness Program

BPA offers up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of individuals committing crimes against BPA facilities and infrastructure. If you have information about illegal or suspicious activity on BPA property, please call BPA’s 24-hour, toll-free, confidential Crime Witness hotline at 800-437-2744. If you see illegal or suspicious activity happening in real time, please first contact local law enforcement. For more details about the program, go to www.bpa.gov/goto/CrimeWitness.