by Scott M. Lindsay - Northwest Public Power Association

NWPPA 

9817 N.E. 54th Street, Ste. 200 • Vancouver, WA 98662 

(360) 254-0109 • Fax (360) 254-5731 

E-mail: nwppa@nwppa.org • Web site: www.nwppa.org 

Who We Are: NWPPA is an international Association representing 

and serving consumer-owned, locally controlled utilities in the Western 

U.S. and Canada. 

What We Do: NWPPA exists to enhance the success of its members 

through education, training, public information, governmental relations, 

and value-added services. 

Where We Want To Go: NWPPA shall be a leader in promoting the 

value and benefits of consumer-owned, locally controlled 

utilities. 

What’s Important To Us: NWPPA values local control, member 

needs, integrity, safety, quality of products and services, effective representation, 

and accountability. 

NWPPA 2009-2010 Board of Trustees 

Board President: 

EVERETT GOSSETT, Kootenai Electric Co-op 

1st Vice President: 

NEAL R. HARTH, Wasco Electric Co-op 

2nd Vice President: 

ROBERT TITUS, City of Ellensburg 

Secretary/Treasurer: 

SCOTT ODEGARD, Sun River Electric Co-op, Inc. 

Past President: 

JOHN DISTASIO, Sacramento Municipal Utility District 

Board of Trustees: 

ERIC ANDERSON, Northern Lights Inc. 

MICHELLE CAIRD, Inland Power & Light Co. 

FRANK CORBIN, Nushagak Electric & Telephone Cooperative 

RANDY CORNELIUS, Orcas Power & Light Co. 

DAVID DOVER, Fergus Electric Cooperative 

LARRY DUNBAR, City of Port Angeles 

PAUL ELIAS, McMinnville Water & Light 

RON FARMER, Eugene Water & Electric Board 

BYRON HANKE, Clark Public Utilities 

DOUG HARDY, Central Montana Electric Power Cooperation, Inc. 

RON HATFIELD, Pacific County PUD No. 2 

HARRY HEWITT, Tillamook PUD 

MEERA KOHLER, Alaska Village Electric Co-op 

MICK LLOYD, Lincoln County Power District No. 1 

REBECCA LOGAN, Chugach Electric Association, Inc. 

RICHARD MORRIS, Trinity PUD 

STUART NELSON, Franklin County PUD 

WILLIAM NORDMARK, Golden Valley Electric Association 

KEVIN OWENS, Columbia River PUD 

JIM POSEY, Anchorage Municipal Light & Power 

PAUL ROGERS, Kittitas County PUD 

GERALD RUTLEDGE, Hill County Electric Cooperative 

DAVE SABALA, Douglas Electric Co-op, Inc. 

BOB SPECKMAN, Salem Electric 

LARRY WEIS, Turlock Irrigation Distrcit 

KENNETH WEISS, Clearwater Power Co. 

RALPH WILLIAMS, United Electric Co-op, Inc. 

BOB WITTENBERG, Skamania County PUD 

MARY WRIGHT, Wells Rural Electric Company 

Associate Member Representatives to the Board: 

JEFF BAKER, Platt Electric 

STEWART COX, Waukesha Electric Systems, Inc. 

RUSSELL GREEN, Ruralite Services, Inc. 

GARY SALEBA, EES Consulting 

ROB SIRVAITIS, The Energy Authority 

JOE SUTTON, Northwest Line Constructors Chapter (NECA) 

2 NWPPA Bulletin August 2009 

AUGUST 2009 • VOLUME 63 • NUMBER 8 

4 Association News 

7 

18 

22 

24 

30 

Sign up now for NWPPA’s annual 3 Cs Workshop • CEWD offers 

valuable resources for NWPPA members • California looking at SF 6 

reduction • A look back at public power 

Training Opportunities 

September, October, and November 2009 

Member News 

Highlights from: Tacoma Power; Seattle City Light; Clatskanie PUD; 

Benton PUD; Pend Oreille PUD; Turlock Irrigation District; Chelan 

County PUD; Clark Public Utilities; Washington Rural Electric 

Cooperative Association; Flathead Electric Cooperative; Oregon Trail 

Electric Cooperative; Mason County PUD No. 3; Sacramento 

Municipal Utility District; Big Bend Electric Cooperative; and 

ColumbiaGrid • We Remember 

Associate Member News 

News from: S&C Electric Company; National Information 

Solutions Cooperative; Elster; Professional Computer Systems, 

Co.; The Energy Authority; Border States Electric; and 

TerraSpatial Technologies 

Washington, D.C. Report 

Federal climate change and energy bill moves to the Senate, 

by Scott M. Lindsay 

Job Mart 

Contents 

Visit our Web site for more details on the jobs listed — 

www.nwppa.org 

Advertisers 

In Every Issue 

Ater Wynne LLP ..........................................................................7 

C. Richard Nordstrom...............................................................17 

Commonwealth Associates ..........................................................9 

Dustman Enterprises, LLC.........................................................12 

Energy Northwest......................................................................29 

Henkels & McCoy.....................................................................31 

POWER Engineers........................................................Back cover 

Professional Computer Systems, Co.............................................5 

Substation Technical Resources..................................................15

16 

26 

The Bulletin is a publication of Northwest Public Power Association, a 

regional organization of diverse utilities. The membership is made up of 

utility districts, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and crown corporations 

in Alaska, British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, 

Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. We are also a trade association for 

over 280 companies, individuals, and organizations affiliated with the 

electric power industry. 

Opinions expressed in single articles are not necessarily policies of the 

Association. For permission to reprint articles, write or call the associate 

editor. 

Editor: Debbie Kuraspediani 

Associate Editor: Brenda Dunn 

Design Layout: Glenda Waite 

Advertising: Brenda Dunn (360) 816-1453 or fax (360) 254-5731 or by 

e-mail at brenda@nwppa.org 

In This Issue 

11 Accounting & Finance 

How cool is your accountant?, by Rick Betts, Trent Martin, and 

Julie Desimone 

13 Fish Issues 

Mythbusters, provided by Ruralite 

14 Legal 

Does the Uniform Commercial Code apply to power purchases or 

sale agreements?, by Richard G. Lorenz and Lindsay R. Kandra 

16 Safety 

How to be safe and save money at the same time, by Randy Shipley 

Cover Story 

26 Social media and the utility 

industry — one cooperative’s 

voyage, by Michael Howe 

Bulletin (USPS 397-440) (ISSN 1094-0049) 

The Bulletin is published monthly by Northwest Public Power 

Association, 9817 N.E. 54th Street, Vancouver, WA 98662. 

Periodicals postage paid at Vancouver, Wash., and additional offices. 

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Bulletin, 9817 N.E. 54th Street 

Vancouver, WA 98662, (360) 254-0109, Fax (360) 254-5731 

©Copyright 2009 by the Northwest Public Power Association. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. 

NWPPA Bulletin August 2009 3

T 

Association News 

he NWPPA Utility 3 Cs Workshop, 

the annual mini-conference for 

credit, collections, and customer 

service managers and staff, is coming up 

October 21-23, 2009, at the Silver 

Legacy Hotel in Reno, Nev. As always, a 

pre-workshop session will be held for 

managers, supervisors, and lead staff on 

Tuesday, October 20, at the same 

location. 

With tight travel budgets affecting 

utilities and organizations, NWPPA and 

the Silver Legacy are offering an unbeatable 

deal for workshop attendees: hotel 

rooms are just $49 per night! In addition, 

registration fees are holding steady 

for the third straight year, are lower 

than they were back in 2005, and 

include three breakfasts, two lunches, 

and a networking reception. 

As for the actual workshop, a committee 

of customer service and collections 

professionals from NWPPA member 

utilities plans it, ensuring that the 

topics and content at the workshop 

match the needs of workshop attendees. 

This year’s committee includes Joel 

George, Tillamook PUD; Dalene 

Morrison, Mission Valley Power; 

Pamela Wambach, Flathead Electric 

Cooperative; and Sue Wilson, Golden 

Valley Electric Association. 

This year’s workshop will kick-off 

with roundtable discussions to get everyone 

introduced, energized, and primed 

to share ideas. Roundtables are consistently 

the highest-rated aspect of the 

3 Cs Workshop, so this year there are 

more than ever. Attendees will have six 

hours during the course of the workshop 

to share challenges, success stories, and 

specific information that often varies 

from state to state. 

Breakout sessions follow in the 

afternoon and provide an opportunity to 

interact with presenters in a smaller 

group session. Both breakout sessions 

are repeated later in the afternoon, 


Sign up now for NWPPA’s annual 

3 Cs Workshop 

allowing everyone to hear 

the same information, 

while still participating in 

small groups. This year’s 

topics for breakout sessions 

are “Responding to 

the Recession,” which 

will cover utility programs 

such as heating 

assistance and pre-paid 

meters; and “Customer 

Service Security,” which 

will outline many policies, 

procedures, and installations 

that utilities can 

implement for safety, 

especially when angry 

customer incidents are 

becoming more likely. 

The featured speaker 

for this year’s workshop, 

Jim Mathis, arrives on 

Thursday morning for an 

extended session that will cover personality 

types, communication skills, and 

strategies for working with challenging 

customers. Mathis is a certified speaking 

professional and has been described by 

some as a cross between Jeff Foxworthy 

and Dr. Phil. He’ll use humor and direct 

language to motivate attendees and create 

interactions throughout the morning. 

Following more time for roundtable 

discussions on Thursday afternoon, the 

workshop continues Friday morning 

with two sessions that seem different, 

but relate to each other very well. “Fun 

in the Workplace” will look at having 

fun while getting the job done, so that 

you can avoid burnout and understand 

when it’s OK to have fun at work. 

Those skills come in handy whenever 

changes take place in the office, and few 

changes are more stressful than new 

technology. Speaking of, the final conference 

session, “Dealing with Technology 

Changes,” will seek to balance the fact 

that technology is the future of the 

The Silver Legacy, Reno, Nev. 

industry with the need to have a smooth 

transition and easy-to-use systems. 

Information and online registration 

for the NWPPA Utility 3 Cs Workshop 

is available at www.nwppa.org. Or you 

can contact Barry Fuchs, training manager, 

at (360) 816-1446. NWPPA

The 2009-2010 Northwest 

Electric Utility Directory will be 

mailed in mid-August. Watch 

for it in your mail this month. 

T 

CEWD offers valuable resources 

for NWPPA members 

he Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) 

held its Northwest Regional Meeting on July 28-29, 2009, 

for CEWD member energy companies in the northwest 

region, NWPPA members, and invited guests. The purpose of 

the meeting was to discuss workforce development issues, 

recruitment needs, and concerns, and to share solutions to these 

issues. The meeting was geared toward human resources, technical 

training, operations, community relations, workforce planning, 

and workforce development professionals. 

The meeting was sponsored by NWPPA, Idaho Power, 

Portland General Electric, Puget Sound Power, Bonneville Power 

Administration, Idaho National Laboratory, and the Center of 

Excellence at Centralia College. Topics ranged from career 

awareness, workforce planning, social media, understanding 

and working with high schools and the community college systems, 

competency models, and other non-traditional resources 

in your community. 

To view the presentations, visit NWPPA’s Web site at 

www.nwppa.org and click on the Center for Energy Workforce 

Development banner 

on the top right-hand 

side of the page. This 

link will take you to 

CEWD’s Web site. (You 

will need a username 

and password for this 

portion of the site. 

Please call Fatou Bah at 

NWPPA at (360) 254- 

0109 and she will give members a username and password to 

use.) Once in the member’s area, locate the Member Services 

icon and click on the Regional Meetings link. All presentations 

will be posted here. 

We encourage you to take the time to browse around the 

rest of the CEWD site and see the workforce development tools 

available for utilities to use. If you have any questions, please 

contact Arnie Winkler at (360) 816-1445 or by e-mail at 

Arnie@nwppa.org. NWPPA 


Association News 

California looking 

at SF 6 reduction 

A 

t a Technical Working Group meeting on July 27, 2009, in 

Sacramento, Calif., staff of the California Air Resource Board 

(ARB) staff presented draft SF6 regulations. The regulations 

are intended to reduce, and eventually curtail, the use of SF6 gas in 

electric utility facilities below 70kv after December 31, 2019. 

SF6 has been listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) as a green house gas and is used throughout the electric utility 

industry for circuit breakers, switchgear, and other electrical equipment. 

It is often used to replace oil-filled breakers that use PCBs. 

Equipment using SF6 as an insulator requires less space and maintenance 

than oil-, air-, or vacuum-insulated equipment. This is because 

SF6 has higher dialectic strength than other forms of insulation used 

in equipment and provides more reliable equipment operation over 

time. 

The draft regulations would require the installation of new, and 

replacement of retiring, 70kv or lower, gas-insulated circuit breakers 

with non-SF6 breakers. Utilities would also be required to have or 

install automatic emission (leak) detection and notification systems, 

to repair leaks within 24 hours of detection, and establish and maintain 

a detailed emission detection and repair log. 

The ARB staff’s current analysis presumes that leak detection 

and repair costs would be offset by costs savings from a reduction in 

the purchase and consumption rate of SF6. New recordkeeping and 

reporting requirements were presumed by staff to not increase costs 

to utilities. The cost of replacing gas circuit breakers is still being 

analyzed by ARB staff. 

Another public workshop is scheduled for September 2, 2009. 

Following this, an ARB staff report is scheduled to be released on 

October 23, 2009, for a 45-day comment period and the final proposed 

regulations will be presented to the California ARB on 

December 10, 2009. 

For more information, go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/sf6elec/ 

sf6elec.htm. NWPPA 

The Linecrew Wage & Benefit 

Survey for 2009 is now open for 

utility members to participate. 

Visit NWPPA’s Web site at 

http://www.nwppa.com/Surveys/ 

survey_survey_start.htm. 

Questions? Call NWPPA at 

(360) 254-0109. 


A look back 

at public power 

50 years ago — 1959 

Seattle City Light and Tacoma City Light 

jointly took steps to acquire the properties of 

the Puget Sound Power & Light Company 

between the two cities (Wash.) … Douglas 

PUD published “An Economic Survey of 

Douglas County” by William T. Nordeen 

(Ore.) … Despite the nationwide recession, the 

Federal Power Commission revised upward by 

eight percent its 1958 estimates of the nation’s 

power needs for 1980 from 366 to 421 million 

kilowatts. 


On August 21, the Bonneville Power Administration 

(BPA) put into effect a near-term policy 

that regulated the sale of power on the intertie 

to California … Joe Custer, general manager of 

Vera Irrigation District (Wash.) and a member of 

the NWPPA Board of Trustees, was honored 

with the Administrator’s Exceptional Public 

Service Award by BPA … The Participants 

Review Board of the Washington Public Power 

Supply System was reinstated and Vera Claussen 

was chosen as chairwoman … Alan Jones, general 

manager of the McMinnville Water and 

Light Department, was selected as chairman for 

the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference 

Committee (Ore.). 


Garith W. Krause became the new general 

manager at Merced Irrigation District (Calif.) 

… FERC approved installation and testing of 

advanced hydroelectric turbines at Grant 

PUD’s Wanapum Dam; this was the first commercial 

application of this new technology 

(Wash.) … Kodiak Electric Association 

appointed Dan Rohrer to fill the Board seat 

vacated by Tom Ellis (Alaska) … Energy 

Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station 

nuclear power plant surpassed its all-time best 

record of 368.98 continuous days online 

(Wash.). NWPPA


Training for September, October, and November 2009 

Please register 30 days in advance to receive the Early Bird discount. See www.nwppa.org for information. 

FRONT LINE LEADERSHIP SESSION #2: 

LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES 

Who Should Attend: Front line supervisors and 

managers, and those front line employees who will 

be transitioning to a supervisory or managerial role 

in the future. 

Overview: This enjoyable, highly interactive course 

will help you identify major managerial responsibilities, 

along with common interpersonal problems 

and communication and problem solving 

skills. The front line leader’s role in facilitating performance 

and dealing with challenges (such as 

denial and reluctance to accept accountability) are 

part of the instruction you’ll receive. 

SEPTEMBER 1-2, 2009 — RICHLAND, WASH. 

WEBINAR: UNLEASH THE POWER OF 

MICROSOFT EXCEL 

Who Should Attend: Any employee with beginner 

to intermediate experience with Microsoft Excel. 

Overview: Wouldn’t you like to learn shortcuts in 

Microsoft Excel that could potentially save you 

hours of work? Well here’s your chance to do just 

that! Join us for this can’t-miss webinar and learn 

new Excel techniques to become even more efficient; 

explore tips on mastering formats, commands, 

functions, and formulas; identify ways to 

make your spreadsheets communicate your message 

and look professional; target common Excel 

mistakes; and identify navigation tips to effortlessly 

move through worksheets and workbooks. 

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 — PRESENTED VIA WEBINAR AT 

10 A.M. PACIFIC TIME 

SUBSTATION TRANSFORMER, LOAD TAP 

CHANGER (LTC), AND BREAKER 

MAINTENANCE 

Who Should Attend: Journeymen, engineers, 

apprentices, and non-journey personnel who help 

in substation maintenance. 

Overview: This course is designed for utilities looking 

to retrain or reinforce employees in substation 

transformer, LTC, and breaker maintenance. It is 

also intended to help utilities not engaged in substation 

maintenance to establish maintenance programs. 

The training provides employees with the 

knowledge of all aspects of maintenance including 

the use of equipment and tools of the trade. This is 

your last opportunity to take this course in 2009! 

SEPTEMBER 15-16, 2009 — TACOMA, WASH. 

STAKING TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION 

PROGRAM — UNDERGROUND DESIGN AND 

SUBDIVISION LAYOUT 

Who Should Attend: Staking technicians. 

Overview: Attendees will learn the proper application 

of underground components into a complete 

system. The components of primary cables are discussed 

in conjunction with selecting the proper secondary 

cable size and length. Emphasis is placed 

on the construction and operations of the system, 

including proper grounding of cables and apparatus. 

SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2009 — TACOMA, WASH. 

NWPPA ANNUAL POWER SUPPLY WORKSHOP 

Who Should Attend: Policy makers, general managers, 

finance managers, power supply professionals, 

and engineers, or any employee who wants to 

learn about power supply issues. 

Overview: Topics will include: workforce development 

issues; reverse mentoring; smart grid; 

Tier One product choice; balancing the economic 

situation — load resource development; the 6th 

power plan; RPS options and choices; and renewables. 

SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2009 — PORTLAND, ORE. 

WEBINAR: IT FOR THE NON-IT MANAGER - 

ENABLING TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE 

Who Should Attend: Senior managers and policy 

makers 

Overview: This two-part NWPPA webinar series is 

designed to help non-IT managers gain a better 

understanding of the factors that influence the 

effectiveness of IT in relation to business performance. 

By introducing IT management solutions 

and best practices, the webinar provides non-IT 

managers with information necessary to facilitate 

technology decisions. Strategies for creating powerful 

working relationships with IT counterparts are 

also provided, so that non-IT managers can lever- 

age the effect of beneficial technology applications 

on business performance. 

SEPTEMBER 17 AND OCTOBER 1, 2009 — PRESENTED 

VIA WEBINAR AT 10 A.M. PACIFIC TIME 

NORTHWEST INNOVATIONS CONFERENCE — 

MARKETING & COMMUNICATION 

Who Should Attend: Any employee or board 

member with an interest in marketing, communication, 

energy services, and renewable energy. 

Overview: In addition to the educational sessions, 

you’ll enjoy ample time to see the latest innovations 

in the exhibit area and to network with your 

colleagues. More than 100 industry professionals 

from the staff, management, and board/commission 

levels of NWPPA member utilities look to the 

NIC for current, relevant educational sessions and 

networking opportunities. A complete agenda is 

available at www.nwppa.org. 

SEPTEMBER 20-23, 2009 — REDMOND, ORE. 



ENVIRONMENTAL TASK FORCE MEETING 

Who Should Attend: Utility environmental professionals 

(new and experienced), government agency 

staff, vendors, and anyone who is tasked with or 

interested in environmental issues, regulatory compliance 

or mitigation, in the environmental arena 

of electric utilities. 

Overview: The long-standing Environmental Task 

Force is open to all. This meeting occurs three 

times each year to review and discuss new and 

proposed regulations and issues facing each utility, 

to discuss new methods and techniques, to hear 

from subject matter experts on key issues of the 

day, and to hear from selected vendors with new 

technology or services. The meeting is typically followed 

on the next day with training on an environmental 

topic. 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 — PORTLAND, ORE. 

HAZWOPER 8-HOUR FIRST RESPONDER 

AWARENESS/RECERTIFICATION TRAINING 

FOR UTILITY PERSONNEL 

Who Should Attend: First responders who are 

likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance 

release and need to initiate an emergency response 

sequence by notifying the proper people. The first 

responder shall have received at least eight hours 

of training. 

Overview: Refresh your knowledge and understanding 

of the requirements for hazardous waste 

operations and emergency response (HAZ- 

WOPER), as required by 29 CFR 1910.120. This 

course also helps to satisfy the annual HAZ- 

WOPER training required for recertification. This 

course is designed to train operations-level responders 

to take defensive actions to a hazardous materials 

spill. 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 — PORTLAND, ORE. 

NWPPA/NRECA STRATEGIC PLANNING, 2630.1 

Who Should Attend: Cooperative board members. 

Overview: Boards have ultimate responsibility for 

ensuring and evaluating the long-term health of the 

organization. They help fulfill this duty by identifying 

goals through strategic planning and by authorizing 

the appropriate allocation of resources 

through the adoption of financial policies and by 

budget review and approval. 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 — SAN DIEGO, CALIF. 

NWPPA/NRECA ENERGY EFFICIENCY, 

CONSERVATION, AND DEMAND RESPONSE 

IN TODAY’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE 

Who Should Attend: Cooperative board members. 

Overview: The unprecedented growth in demand 

for energy will have significant impact on consumers 

and utilities everywhere as resources 

become scarcer and prices move higher. This 

course helps directors understand the basics of 

energy-efficiency technologies and how they must 

be integrated into the utility’s strategic plan and 

coordinated with power suppliers. Special emphasis 

will be placed on understanding the potential 

impacts on utility revenues and expenses. 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 — SAN DIEGO, CALIF. 


SUPERVISING UNION EMPLOYEES 

Who Should Attend: Operation directors, managers, 

line superintendents, labor relations professionals, 

and human resource managers who supervise 

union employees and deal with stewards and 

officers of the union. 

Overview: The MARC Union-Labor Relations 

program increases the skills and confidence of 

front line supervisors to serve as management’s 


front line representatives in dealing with employees, 

stewards, and officers of the union. Union procedures 

with proper documentation are consistently 

followed in handling grievances, providing 

job performance counseling, administering disciplinary 

action, and making job promotion 

decisions. 

SEPTEMBER 22-24, 2009 — SPOKANE, WASH. 

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY USING THE TLC 

APPROACH 

Who Should Attend: Communication, public information, 

and public relations employees. 

Overview: Join Dave LaBelle as he presents lessons 

from his book, I Don’t Want to Know the 

Technical Stuff…I Just Want to Shoot Pictures. 

This veteran photographer and nationally known 

instructor will teach his Timing, Light, and 

Composition (TLC) approach to taking great photos. 

Stick around for this optional session, which is 

scheduled at the conclusion of the NWPPA 

Northwest Innovations Conference. 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 — REDMOND, ORE. 

WEBINAR: EFFECTIVELY RESPONDING TO, 

AND MANAGING, THE EMERGENCY 

(Presented as a four-part webinar series) 

Who Should Attend: Operations managers and 

supervisors. 

Overview: Initiation of the emergency response; 

the initial tasks of all senior managers or their 

alternates; the task of all employees (safety and 

assessment); board emergency procedures; emergency 

coordinating committee; external coordination 

of the media and the public; and standing 

orders. 

SEPTEMBER 30, OCTOBER 7, 14, AND 21, 2009 — 

PRESENTED VIA WEBINAR AT 9:30 A.M. PACIFIC TIME 

MONTANA ENGINEERING SECTION MEETING 

Who Should Attend: Engineers and operations 

managers from public electric utilities within 

Montana. 

Overview: Join your Montana engineering and 

operations colleagues in a casual atmosphere to 

discuss the issues and hot topics that are important 

to you and your Montana customers. This longstanding 

meeting is designed to offer learning and 

networking opportunities for engineering and 

operations personnel from electric utilities throughout 

the membership within Montana. 

OCTOBER 1-2, 2009 — WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONT. 

ELECTRIC UTILITY SYSTEMS OPERATION 

Who Should Attend: Employees in engineering, 

legal, rates, purchasing, computer applications, 

marketing, customer service, public relations, 

inventory control, finance, accounting, safety, and 

risk analysis, as well as those from generating 

plants. 

Overview: This popular two-day course presents a 

clear understanding of the technical heartbeat of 

the utility by providing employees with a comprehensive 

understanding of electrical system operations 

including fossil fuel; hydro and nuclear generation; 

and transmission and distribution. In addition 

to technical information, the course also covers 

the economics of operation, system and equipment 

protection, and safety. The course assumes 

no electrical background and builds on the basics 

to provide a comprehensive understanding of the 

equipment and operation of the electrical system. 

OCTOBER 6-7, 2009 — TACOMA, WASH. 

WEBINAR: EMERGING MEDIA 101 

Who Should Attend: Communication and marketing 

staff, and any utility employee or policy maker 

with an interest in electronic communication. 

Overview: Twitter. Facebook. Blogs. RSS feeds. 

Podcasts. The world of emerging media is changing 

rapidly. You’re not alone if you have questions, 

but your key audiences are counting on you to 

start thinking about how to use these new technologies 

to communicate. Through this webinar, 

we will help your team understand these techniques 

by defining the language and showing you 

how other organizations in the utility sector are 

dabbling in using emerging media techniques. 

OCTOBER 8, 2009 — PRESENTED VIA WEBINAR AT 


ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS 

Who Should Attend: Engineers, line workers, substation 

workers, apprentices, and support staff 

who have direct responsibility for the construction, 

operation, and maintenance of a utility’s distribution 

system. 

Overview: This course provides in-depth coverage 

of an electric utility’s distribution system, from the 

distribution substation to a customer’s outlet. 

Topics covered include substation transformers and 

testing; step and touch potential; various systems 

which customers may request such as single-phase 

and three-phase power; details of overhead and 

underground electrical systems; reliability; transformer 

and capacitor details; and substation communications. 

It is imperative that managers not 

send people to this class who have not completed 

the Electric Utility Systems Operation class. 


CHALLENGING FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 

Who Should Attend: Anyone who has completed 

the first three modules of the NWPPA Utility 

Accounting Certificate Program. Anyone with 

extensive utility accounting experience. 

Overview: This course is a computer-intensive class 

that will teach you how key ratios are developed; 

techniques for evaluating various financial reports; 

components of cash flow; how to review your system’s 

cash flow; and the determination of optimum 

equity. 

OCTOBER 13-14, 2009 — EUGENE, ORE. 

INTERNAL CUSTOMERS — ACHIEVING 

SUCCESS THROUGH COMMON GOALS 

Who Should Attend: Anyone with an interest in 

customer/member service skills or interoffice relationships. 

Overview: The success of any organization rests on 

individual employees and their commitment to 

working together as a team to make the organization 

the best it can be. How well employees work 

together has a lot to do with their individual success, 

the success of their fellow employees, the utility, 

and their customers/members. This seminar is 

intended to assist participants in improving the 

communication skills between internal and external 

employees as a means of enhancing their work 

with others and their customers. 

OCTOBER 14, 2009 — EUGENE, ORE. 

UNBUNDLED COST OF SERVICE AND RATE 

DESIGN 

Who Should Attend: Any utility employee or policy 

maker with an interest in ratemaking and/or 

cost of service analysis. 

Overview: The course provides an introduction to 

utility ratemaking and the potential impact to utilities 

in our restructured industry. Participants will

develop an understanding of the theory surrounding 

unbundled rates and the development of unit 

costs by function (generation, transmission, distribution, 

etc.), customer class, or rate schedule. Rate 

design in a competitive environment will be a key 

topic covered in the course. 


UNDERSTANDING RESIDENTIAL ENERGY 

USAGE 

Who Should Attend: Employees who work with 

customers to explain energy use and answer customer 

questions about their energy consumption; 

this can include staff from the areas of energy services, 

member/customer service, conservation, and 

marketing. 

Overview: This workshop will provide a comprehensive 

understanding of how energy is used in a 

home and explain what to look for when determining 

the causes of higher-than-expected energy 

use by a customer (including weather, seasonal 

appliance usage, home occupancy, and instant-on 

appliance usage). Students will learn about the 

amount of energy used by different types of appliances 

and how to effectively communicate with 

customers who are concerned about energy consumption 

and its effect on their bill. 


PRE-SESSION FOR UTILITY 3 Cs WORKSHOP 

— BEST45 LEADERSHIP WORK SESSION 

Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors, and 

lead staff attending the Utility 3 Cs Workshop. 

Overview: In this bonus day for the Utility 3 Cs 

Workshop, leaders will explore how to advance an 

employee’s success skills through a coaching conversation 

that takes about 45 seconds to execute. 

Using cutting-edge adult learning methodology, 

leaders will develop, practice, and hone their business 

coaching skills using real scenarios from their 

own work environments. 

OCTOBER 20, 2009 — RENO, NEV. 

BUILDING EFFECTIVE TEAMS 

Who Should Attend: Managers, supervisors, and 

team leaders. 

Overview: This workshop will explore the importance 

of task and process, and how it affects the 

work we do; the aspect of individual contributions 

to the dynamics of teams and groups; the types of 

teams that are characterized by the work they do 

and the product or service they create; and the 

stages in the development and re-development of 

teams as internal and external factors influence 

them. 

OCTOBER 20-21, 2009 — SPOKANE, WASH. 

FOREMAN LEADERSHIP SKILLS #3 — 

REDUCING CONFLICTS & COMMUNICATION 

AND CUSTOMER SERVICE 

Who Should Attend: Foremen and crew leaders. 

Overview: This is the third two-day course in the 

Foreman Leadership Skills Certificate Program. 

On day one, the session will provide participants, 

through group discussions and small group activities, 

with a variety of alternatives, techniques, and 

action plans for effectively handling difficult 

employees and situations. On day two, participants 

will gain a perspective of service excellence from 

the customer’s point of view when conducting 

business transactions both in person and via the 

telephone. 

OCTOBER 20-21, 2009 — SPOKANE, WASH. 

UTILITY 3 Cs WORKSHOP: CREDIT, 

COLLECTIONS, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE 

Who Should Attend: This workshop is designed 

for all credit, collections, and customer service 

providers, including managers, supervisors, and 

front line employees. 

Overview: The Utility 3 Cs Workshop is a miniconference 

with many different sessions scheduled 

during the two-and-a-half day program. The topics 

change from year to year, so even if you have 

attended recently, you can count on learning new 

information and practicing new skills at this year’s 

workshop. For more information, see page 4. 

OCTOBER 21-23, 2009 — RENO, NEV. 

NWPPA/APA ALASKA ELECTRIC UTILITY 

PRE-CONFERENCE COURSE: LINEMAN 

RIGGING 

Who Should Attend: Linemen and line crew foremen. 

Overview: The class objective is to cover basic lineman 

rigging skills and techniques. Due to the 

hands-on nature of this course, the class is limited 

to 15 students, so register early! 

OCTOBER 27, 2009 — ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 

FRONT LINE LEADERSHIP SESSION #4: HR 

AND THE LAW 



be transitioning to a supervisor or manager role in 

the near future. 

Overview: This course is designed to provide an 

overview of the most pressing legal issues facing 

supervisors. Participants will learn about ADA, 

EEOC, sexual harassment, the Civil Rights Act of 

1991, and more. Participant groups will analyze 

court decisions, prepare a deposition, and walk 

through a progressive discipline case study. 



PRE-CONFERENCE COURSE: ELECTRIC 

UTILITY SYSTEM OPERATION 

Who Should Attend: Any employee whose job performance 

will benefit from a basic understanding 

of the operations side of the business. 

Overview: This popular two-day course presents a 

clear understanding of the technical heartbeat of 

the utility by providing employees with a comprehensive 

understanding of electrical system operations 

including fossil fuel; hydro and nuclear generation; 

and transmission and distribution. In addition 

to technical information, the course also covers 

the economics of operation, system and equipment 

protection, and safety. 

OCTOBER 27-28, 2009 — ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 




PRE-CONFERENCE COURSE: PERSONAL 

PROTECTIVE GROUNDING 

Who Should Attend: All electrical workers 

involved in protective grounding. 

Overview: This course stresses grounding theory, 

design, and application of modern grounding systems. 

Personal protective ground application, 

installation and removal, and inspection of 

grounding systems is explained. Detailed practical 

exercises associated with grounding transmission 

and distribution lines are covered by using examples. 

Grounding of substation equipment, busses, 

conductors, and the use of grounding transformers 

are also explained. 

OCTOBER 28, 2009 — ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 


CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW 

Who Should Attend: Utility engineering and operations 

personnel, as well as those in information 

technology, accounting, customer service, or any 

area where a more in-depth knowledge of engineering 

and operations would be beneficial. 

Overview: The theme of this year’s conference is 

“Power for Alaska’s Tomorrow.” From meeting 

utility customers’ demand for reliable, low-cost 

electricity and service, to wildly fluctuating fuel 

prices, how we meet the challenges in our industry 

and in Alaska are on all Alaskans’ minds. This 

event is only held once every other year and provides 

a mix of education and networking, along 

with over 60 exhibit booths that can help you get 

on top of the challenges that you face. 

OCTOBER 29-30, 2009 — ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 

WEBINAR: OPERATIONAL RISK 

MANAGEMENT 

Who Should Attend: All utility employees whose 

work involves risk, whether operating machinery 

or making management decisions. 

Overview: Operational risk management (ORM) 

enhances the management of risk in every task in 

the work environment. Whether you operate intricate 

machinery or are involved in management, 

any job contains an inherent amount of risk. 

Unnecessary risks can be reduced through this 

practice, thus reducing injuries, down time, rework, 

and every aspect of organizational operations. 

These continuously employed principles are 

applicable before, during, and after all operations 

and tasks. 

NOVEMBER 2, 2009 — ONLINE PRESENTATION 


PROGRAM — UNDERGROUND DESIGN AND 

SUBDIVISION LAYOUT 

Who Should Attend: Staking engineers. 

Overview: This workshop is structured to teach 

the skills necessary to design and lay out URD residential 

subdivisions. Attendees will learn the 

proper application of underground components 

into a complete system. The components of primary 

cables are discussed in conjunction with 

selecting the proper secondary cable size and 

length. Emphasis is placed on the construction and 

operations of the system, including proper grounding 

of cables and apparatus. 

NOVEMBER 2-4, 2009 — SPOKANE, WASH. 


SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP 





Overview: Participants will be introduced to situational 

leadership as taught by the Ken Blanchard 


Companies and will evaluate their own leadership 

styles through a self-evaluation. They will learn a 

common vocabulary for leadership and understand 

the differences between successful and effective 

leadership. Diagnosis, flexibility, and partnering for 

performance will be covered. Participants will 

learn how to measure a person’s competence and 

commitment to a specific goal or task. New skills 

for diagnosing and addressing the development 

level of employees will be learned. 



PROGRAM — JOINT USE STAKING AND 

MAKE-READY SURVEYS 


Overview: The communications industry is forever 

scrambling for pole rental space on distribution 

structures to attach telephone, CATV, and fiber 

optic cables. With right-of-way becoming harder to 

obtain, electrical utilities, both distribution and 

transmission, are combining circuits on one pole 

line to maximize efficiency and reduce costs. This 

course will teach students how to handle joint use 

attachments; they will learn how to perform makeready 

surveys, measure clearances, determine 

strength requirements, prepare construction estimates, 

make final inspections, and understand the 

requirements of joint use. 



PROGRAM — CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT 

ADMINISTRATION 


Overview: A well-written construction contract 

and properly drawn set of plans and specifications 

will go a long way toward getting the lowest bid 

prices and ease of administration. Accurate 

accounting of the materials and close monitoring 

of the contractor’s progress are essential to completing 

a project on time and on budget. Students 

will learn how the construction contract affects 

every aspect of the project, and how to administer 

the contract terms and conditions for a successful 

outcome. 


WEBINAR: INTRODUCTION TO THE ADOBE 

CREATIVE SUITE 

Who Should Attend: Marketing and communication 

professionals, including public information 

officers, member service managers/directors, and 

anyone with an interest in using graphic design 

software. 

Overview: When you begin to design marketing 

materials, you may think that Photoshop is the 

tool for you. Others may claim it’s InDesign or 

Illustrator. The reality is that each of these applications 

plays a unique role in the design process. 

This webinar series will uncover the benefits of 

each application, which to use when, and why. In 

the process, we will also cover some basic principles 

of graphic design. A single registration gives 

you access to all four programs, including recordings, 

in this webinar series. 

NOVEMBER 10 AND 17, DECEMBER 1 AND 8, 2009 — 

PRESENTED VIA WEBINAR AT 10 A.M. PACIFIC TIME 

SMART GRID FOR UTILITY ENGINEERS 

Who Should Attend: Engineering managers, engineers, 

planners, operations managers, and superintendants, 

and anyone seeking to gain a more 

detailed understanding of smart grid topics from 

an engineer’s point of view. 

Overview: This one-day class will focus upon the 

strategy and context of smart grid. The class will 

explore ideas through case studies on how to capi- 

talize on smart grid technologies to achieve the 

most benefits for the utility and its customers. 

NOVEMBER 17, 2009 — SEATTLE, WASH. 

APPLICATION OF ELECTRIC UTILITY 

ENGINEERING FUNDAMENTALS: SHORT- 

CIRCUIT ANALYSIS & PROTECTION 

Who Should Attend: Early-career engineers, graduates 

of two-year engineering/electrical technology 

programs, and senior technical personnel. 

Overview: Attendees of this course will learn about 

the basics used to calculate fault current in a 

power system; the per unit system; symmetrical 

components; the effect of transformer connections 

on fault current calculations; and the concept of an 

assumed fault impedance and how this is often 

used to establish a sensitivity level for overcurrent 

devices. 

NOVEMBER 17-19, 2009 — TACOMA, WASH. 


SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP 





Overview: Participants will be introduced to situational 

leadership as taught by the Ken Blanchard 

Companies and will evaluate their own leadership 

styles through a self-evaluation. They will learn a 

common vocabulary for leadership and understand 

the differences between successful and effective 

leadership. Diagnosis, flexibility, and partnering for 

performance will be covered. 

NOVEMBER 18-19, 2009 — LOS ANGELES, CALIF. 

WEBINAR: 60 MINUTES WITH AN NESC 

EXPERT 

Who Should Attend: Engineers, technicians, linemen, 

safety personnel, management, or anyone 

with an interest in an overview of the National 

Electric Safety Code (NESC). 

Overview: Are you new, or need a refresher, to the 

National Electric Safety Code (NESC)? This webinar 

will discuss the scope of the NESC, four NESC 

rules that require daily attention, and examples of 

lawsuits that can occur if the NESC rules are 

violated. 

NOVEMBER 19, 2009 — PRESENTED VIA WEBINAR AT 


WEBINAR: EMPLOYER DOCUMENTATION 

RETENTION — WHAT TO KEEP AND WHAT TO 

GET RID OF 

Who Should Attend: Anyone responsible for making 

decisions about document retention in line 

with legal requirements under federal labor and 

employment laws. 

Overview: This webinar will focus on the legal 

requirements for document retention under federal 

labor and employment laws such as the Americans 

with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical 

Leave Act, and Title VII. In addition to the legal 

requirements, the discussion will touch on practical 

tips and solutions for document retention to enable 

your office to run efficiently and smoothly while 

reducing your exposure to litigation. 

NOVEMBER 20, 2009 — PRESENTED VIA WEBINAR 

For more details on these and 

other courses, visit 

www.nwppa.org. 

NWPPA

I 

Accounting & Finance 

by Rick Betts, Trent Martin, and Julie Desimone 

t’s a valid question and hopefully 

one that grabs your attention. 

Accountants are cool, for sure, but 

how do we define, measure, or quantify 

this? Well, here is a quick primer 

on the five levels of accounting coolness. 

Level I – Handles the day-to-day 

transactions 

Do accountants get coolness credit 

for doing the books every day? Not 

very often! Generally, employers and 

company owners consider this a base 

expectation. But hold on a minute — 

not every company is on top of their 

accounting every day. If your company 

is chronically behind, you know not to 

take this for granted. Staying current 

takes a commitment and accountants 

should be wired to not sleep well when 

there are un-booked debits and credits 

— let alone if they don’t balance. 

Staying current must be combined with 

accuracy, and this involves making sure 

adequate internal controls are in place 

so that only authorized transactions 

are occurring. But again, as important 

as it is to have strong controls and to 

stay current with the daily load, doing 

so only results in minimal coolness 

credit. 

Level II – Issues timely reports 

Reports are the lifeblood of the 

accountant and are produced to report 

historical information about the company 

in a variety of contexts for a 

given period: daily, weekly, monthly, 

quarterly, annually, etc. Your company 

would, of course, assume the accountant 

prepares the standard financial 

statements and regulatory reports as a 

base expectation. But are they accurate 

and timely? That is what Level II cool 

delivers and it’s absolutely necessary 

for management to make good financial 

decisions and maintain credibility 

with outside parties (banks, regulators, 

etc.) that rely on your reporting. As 

you have probably guessed, your 

How cool is your accountant? 

accountant won’t be Level II cool, if he 

or she doesn’t pass Level 1 with flying 

colors because these reports rely on 

accurate and timely transactional 

accounting. 

Level III – Implements budgeting 

The field starts to thin out at Level 

III because a new dimension creeps 

into the job of a Level III accountant: 

the future. 

Accountants appear to mostly 

work in the past because they generally 

communicate (via reports) about what 

happened in the past. Well it’s hard for 

most people, especially owners of companies, 

to get too excited about what 

happened last month or last year. 

Imagine a TV weather report that only 

covered yesterday’s weather and compared 

it to last week and last year. 

Would we care? We already have a 

general sense of what the weather was, 

and furthermore, it’s old news. It’s the 

weather forecast that is meaningful to 

us — it tells us if we need to wear a 

coat, if the game will be rained out, or 

if we can plan something outdoors on 

the upcoming weekend. Like the 

weather, budgeting is about the future. 

This may seem obvious, but it represents 

a shift in mindset for accountants. 

Those who are able to spend a 

reasonable amount of time forecasting 

the financial weather of the company 

add significant value. 

Budgeting, then, is a great first 

step for an accountant in helping shape 

the business going forward. But, before 

you claim Level III coolness, make sure 

that your budget is really a meaningful 

tool, not just something that is done 

and forgotten. It should be supported 

by top management and functioning 

such that the amount of effort the 

company expends is worth the benefit. 

Continued on page 12 


Accounting & Finance 

The best accountants run a tight ship, analyze 

and interpret company data, and then, most 

importantly, play a key role in making strategic 

recommendations geared at solving problems and 

improving financial results. 

If you have a good budget, continue to 

Level IV. 

Level IV – Analyzes financial data 

Accountants spend a ton of time in 

the deadline-driven world of daily 

transactions and reporting, and many 

have a reasonably successful budgeting 

system, but a Level IV accountant 

takes it up a notch by being a successful 

analyst. Analyzing financial information 

is determining what metrics are 

most meaningful to the company; in 

other words, not just reporting the 

numbers, but interpreting them. Most 

accountants say they “don’t have the 

time” to do this. Is that really the 


problem? Or is it an issue of priorities? 

Or is it because the accountant’s boss 

doesn’t require or care about this information? 

It is definitely something to 

think about. Let’s assume the accountant 

has the time and that developing 

expectations for financial performance 

is of value. Then how is it done? 

A savvy accountant will implement 

a simple, concise report that provides 

meaningful metrics to management and 

owners. These measurements should do 

more than calculate the actual metric 

for the company; they also compare a 

metric to a goal or expected value. 

This simple comparison seems like 

something that would be easy to do, 

but it hinges on the company knowing 

the goal for each metric. In turn, this 

means the Level IV accountant needs 

to work with others in the company to 

develop the goal or the expectation. 

This does not happen nearly as often 

as it should and we have already identified 

the barrier that Level III accountants 

most commonly identify: not 

enough time. 

Level V – Implements strategy 

Let’s state this very simply: a 

Level V accountant makes you money. 

The best accountants run a tight 

ship, analyze and interpret company 

data, and then, most importantly, play 

a key role in making strategic recommendations 

geared at solving problems 

and improving financial results. This is 

more than analysis and explanations. 

This is more than pointing out the 

problems or company weaknesses. 

What owners and top management 

need are implemented solutions and 

strategies that solve the problems and 

take advantage of opportunities. 

Accountants have unique skills 

that, if put to use, can make the company 

more profitable. Most consider 

reducing expenses to be the obvious 

skill, and that is most certainly a strategy 

that involves the accountant’s 

financial knowledge; but there are 

many other opportunities to make sure 

you are taking advantage of tax laws, 

new business opportunities are being 

reviewed for feasibility, strategic planning 

is monitored, and many more 

such areas of financial management are 

being proactively pursued for the 

future success of the business. 

Level V cool — I hope your 

accountant is there, and if so, it probably 

means the company is Level V 

successful! NWPPA 

Rick Betts, Trent Martin, and Julie 

Desimone work at Moss Adams LLP, 

Certified Public Accountants in Portland, 

Ore. They are all members of the practices 

utility and energy services group. 

For more information about Moss 

Adams, please contact Martin or 

Desimone at (800) 820-4476.

Fish Issues 

provided by Ruralite 


y Richard G. Lorenz and Lindsay R. Kandra 

Does the Uniform Commercial Code apply 

to power purchase or sale agreements? 

An unsettled question with potentially significant consequences 

O 

Legal 

ne thing that all consumer-owned 

utilities have in common is power 

contracts. All utilities have at 

least one wholesale power purchase 

agreement. Utilities that have their own 

generating resources or have made forward 

power purchases will also likely 

need wholesale power sales agreements 

to deal with surplus power. Many consumer-owned 

utilities have special contracts 

with large retail customers. What 

these utilities may not realize, however, 

is how their legal rights and obligations 

under these different power contracts 

may be affected by the Uniform 

Commercial Code. 

The Uniform Commercial Code 

(UCC) is a set of model statutes that, 

when adopted by individual states, 

allow commercial organizations to do 

business across jurisdictional boundaries 

with the certainty that virtually 

the same rules will apply in each jurisdiction. 

The UCC has been adopted by 

all states relevant to NWPPA, including: 

Washington, Oregon, Utah, 

Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and 

California. Article 2 of the UCC governs 

transactions in the sale of 

“goods.” The term “goods” is defined 

in the UCC as “all things that are movable 

at the time of identification to a 

contract for sale.” 

For purposes of this article, the 

question is whether the sale of electrical 

power qualifies as a sale of 

“goods” governed by Article 2 of the 

UCC. Although this seems like a simple 

proposition, the question remains quite 

unsettled by the legal system. In a 

recent unpublished decision, Enron 

Power Marketing, Inc. v. Nevada 

Power Co., the Southern District Court 

of New York, interpreting Utah law, 

held that power sold under the Western 

Systems Power Pool (WSPP) agreement 


does constitute a “sale of goods” governed 

by the UCC. The Enron Power 

Marketing decision relied on previous 

cases holding that “electricity is a commodity 

which, like other goods, can be 

manufactured, transported and sold.” 

(Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corp. v. 

Superior Court.) 

But other courts have reached the 

opposite conclusion. In Bowen v. 

Niagra Mohawk Power Corp., for 

example, a New York state court held 

that the sale of electricity is more analogous 

to the provision of service than 

the sale of goods. As such, the court 

concluded that a sale of electricity 

under New York law is not subject to 

the provisions of the UCC. An Indiana 

state court (Hedges v. Public Service 

Co. of Indiana) specifically held that 

“high-voltage” electricity that caused 

an accident was not “the good” that 

was subject to the transaction. This 

case implies, but without so holding, 

that high-voltage wholesale power 

transactions are not subject to the 

UCC, while lower-voltage retail sales 

are subject to the UCC. The end result 

of these conflicting legal decisions is 

that nobody can predict with reliable 

certainty how a specific court in a specific 

state, under a specific set of facts, 

will decide the question. 

The question of whether the UCC 

applies to a particular transaction 

could have important consequences for 

the contracting parties. In most jurisdictions, 

the common law of contracts 

differs from the UCC terms. The following 

is a non-exclusive list of issues 

that may be affected by the UCC: 

• Warranties. The UCC requires 

that a good be merchantable (i.e., 

reasonably fit for the ordinary 

purposes for which such product 

is manufactured and sold) and fit 

for the purpose that the buyer 

requires. These warranties can be 

disclaimed or limited, but specific 

language and procedure is 

required. 

• Remedies. The UCC gives both 

buyers and sellers remedies that 

may not exist under the common 

law. For example, the UCC gives 

buyers the right to revoke acceptance 

of a good or demand specific 

performance from a seller 

when a good is “unique.” Sellers 

are expressly allowed to refuse 

delivery if the buyer is insolvent 

and to compute any money damages 

for non-acceptance of a 

good using the market price for 

that good. 

• Modification. If the parties agree 

to renegotiate and lower the price 

term of a contract, the UCC 

allows such modification without 

the buyer promising to give any 

thing in exchange for the lower 

price term. In contrast, most state 

contract laws would require the 

buyer to give additional consideration 

for the lower price term. 

• Statutes of limitation. Under the 

UCC, parties must typically bring 

an action for breach of contract 

within four years of the breach. 

The common law statutes of limitations 

can vary from one year to 

over six years. 

• Adequate assurances. The UCC 

allows a party to demand and to 

suspend its own performance 

under a contract if it does not 

receive adequate assurance of 

performance. Common law 

would generally treat such unilateral 

suspension of performance as 

a breach of contract.

• Unconscionability. The UCC 

doctrine of unconscionability 

allows a court to modify or 

refuse to enforce a contract term 

if it determines that one party 

took unfair advantage of superior 

bargaining power. 

• Parol evidence. The UCC is typically 

more liberal in allowing evidence 

of the parties’ course of 

dealing and trade customs to be 

used to interpret a contract. 

The potential applicability of the 

UCC to power contracts should be 

taken into account at the time the contract 

terms are being negotiated. First, 

a boilerplate choice of law provision 

could make it significantly more or less 

likely for the UCC to apply. A choice 

of Utah law, for example, would make 

it more likely for provisions of the 

UCC to apply in light of the Enron 

Power Marketing case. It is worth noting 

that Utah law is the default choice 

of law term of the WSPP agreement. If 

the contracting parties do not intend 

for the UCC to govern their transaction, 

then they should be careful to 

select some governing law other than 

Utah (like, perhaps, New York, 

Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, 

or Michigan). 

As a general rule, the UCC is intended to be a 

“gap-filler,” to provide terms to a transaction where 

the parties have not specified their own terms. Thus, 

the parties can avoid most, if not all, of these gap 

fillers by drafting specific contract terms to govern 

such issues as statutes of limitations, warranties, 

remedies, amendments, and use of parol evidence. 

Even with a careful consideration 

of the governing law, parties cannot be 

certain that the UCC will or will not 

apply. Thus, the parties might also 

include a provision in their agreement 

stating that it is their intent that the 

UCC specifically will, or will not, 

apply to their transaction. Again, this 

would not assure the parties that a 

court will enforce such a provision. 

Nevertheless, we think it may prove 

helpful where the issue is a matter of 

first impression before a particular 

state court. 

Finally, even when the UCC does 

apply, the contracting parties may be 

able to opt out of certain provisions by 

including their own specific terms and 

conditions in their contract. As a general 

rule, the UCC is intended to be a 

“gap-filler,” to provide terms to a 

transaction where the parties have not 

specified their own terms. Thus, the 

parties can avoid most, if not all, of 

these gap fillers by drafting specific 

contract terms to govern such issues as 

statutes of limitations, warranties, 

remedies, amendments, and use of 

parol evidence. Contracting parties 

should exercise caution, however, 

because in certain circumstances, special 

words must be used to overcome a 

presumption set forth in the UCC. 

NWPPA 

Richard Lorenz is a partner at Cable 

Huston Benedict Haagensen & Lloyd 

LLP, a full-service law firm located in 

Portland, Ore. He can be contacted at 

either (503) 224-3092 or rlorenz@cablehuston.com. 

Lindsay Kandra is an associate 

at Cable Huston, and she can be contacted 

at either (503) 224-3092 or 

lkandra@cablehuston.com. 


I 

Safety 

by Randy Shipley 


How to be safe and save money 

at the same time 

f you love clichés, this is the best: 

safety is everyone’s business. But so is 

saving money, which is easy – just 

take care of your safety equipment. 

Safety has always been a high priority 

for the electric industry. We are 

always a split second away from an 

injury, be it a minor cut or a fatality. 

With safety as a priority, costs arise. 

Mitigating these costs, while not limiting 

safety, is the focus of this article. 

Rubber goods 

In the past 14 years, the cost of rubber 

goods (gloves, blankets, sleeves, and 

line hose) has increased an average of 

300 percent. An example is the Class 2 

glove that most electric utilities use. In 

1997, they cost $37.50, and now they 

cost $113. We have also seen the number 

of U.S. manufacturers go from three 

down to one. Over the past year, a few 

foreign players have entered the market, 

but the quality and availability still 

needs improvement. 

With proper use, storage, and testing, 

rubber goods should last for a number 

of years. But rubber does deteriorate 

over time. We have seen gloves last for 

10 years and we have seen gloves fail 

directly out of the factory. The average 

life cycle of rubber goods is four to five 

years. With just a few precautions, the 

user can expect their goods to match or 

exceed the average. 

State and federal OSHAs require all 

rubber goods be tested to American 

Society for Testing and Materials 

(ASTM) standards at certain time intervals 

to prove their dielectric integrity. In 

Oregon, upon issue date, gloves and 

sleeves must be tested every three 

months and blankets must be tested 

every six months. In all other states, 

gloves and sleeves must be tested every 

six months and blankets annually. 

During these tests, each article goes 

through a series of required steps to 

ensure the protective properties are 

maintained: 

1. Check-in. Visual inspection; ID 

recorded in computer and on to 

the lab test report. 

2. Washing. Machine wash with 

detergent made specifically for 

rubber goods. 

3. Dielectric test. New rubber goods 

are tested at rated voltage for 

three minutes; retest at rated 

voltage for one minute; monitor 

milliamp leakage making sure the 

maximum is not exceeded; and 

monitor burn-through of rubber 

goods. 

4. Drying. Dry goods at a temperature 

below 140 degrees 

Fahrenheit. 

5. Visual inspection. Visually inspect 

goods on both surfaces looking 

for nicks, cuts, ozone cracking, 

petroleum degradation, and loss 

of elasticity. 

6. Date stamping. Includes test date, 

test voltage, and test lab. 

7. Packaging. Boxed, sealed, and 

labeled. 

8. Invoice. 

Once in the field, these rubber 

goods still need to be cared for. It is 

required for the user to inspect the rubber 

goods at least once a day. The user is 

to look for all of the same flaws that are 

looked at in the test lab. Users are looking 

for nicks, cuts, imbedded material, 

ozone cracking, and petrol-eum degradation. 

There are a number of ways to 

destroy the dielectric properties of rubber 

safety goods: improper storage, leaving 

heavy items on them, excessive heat, 

direct exposure to the sun, leaving goods 

next to electric motors, or using 

petroleum-based hand lotions, soaps, 

tape, or oil. 

Storage is important. It is best to 

store gloves and sleeves in their proper 

bags. Gloves should be stored with the 

open end down and never inside out. 

Blankets need to be in their canisters or 

the truck tubes. Nothing should be 

stored on them and they should not 

have folds or creases in them. Heat is a 

major factor in the oxidation of rubber; 

don’t store goods too close to the heater 

in the vehicle since the temperature is in 

excess of 140 degrees. 

Ozone is an active compound that 

ages the natural rubber. The more ozone 

present, the faster the aging process; electric 

motors produce ozone. Therefore, 

the closer the rubber is to the motor, the 

higher the ozone concentration.

Also, any grease or oil residue must 

be removed as soon as possible; if not, 

the rubber will be destroyed wherever 

there is oil. 

Hot line tools 

Hot line tools (HLTs) serve a similar 

purpose to rubber gloves, blankets, and 

sleeves; they are designed to protect the 

user from electric shock. However, their 

care and maintenance differs somewhat 

as does the lab testing. 

OSHA is somewhat vague on if and 

when HLTs need to be taken out of service 

and tested. The interpretation that 

most utilities and the North American 

Independent Laboratories for the 

Protective Equipment Testing (NAIL for 

PET) go on is that if HLTs are the user’s 

primary source of dielectric protection, 

the tools must be taken out of service 

and tested every two years. We have not 

found a specific ruling by OSHA on this 

interpretation. 

ASTM has a standard for lab or 

field testing HLTs, but utilities can specify 

what testing instrument they use for 

testing the full length of the sticks. A 

number of manufacturers make a product 

that can test the full length of the 

hot sticks, producing the equivalent 

75kw per foot; however, the members of 

NAIL for PET have determined that the 

results of these products are not repeatable, 

so they are not allowed under their 

certification process. Independent laboratories 

must use the milliamp drop test 

which states that the test is conducted 

damp and the full length of the stick 

must be tested at 75kv per foot. The 

maximum leakage is specified in the 

standard. This test must be conducted 

every two years or when the stick is 

taken out of service for cause. 

Prior to each use, sticks must be 

visually inspected. Also, the sticks surface 

needs to be wiped clean daily; 

cleaning can be done using water or 

alcohol, but silicone wipes or spray 

should be used after each cleaning. 

Upon inspection, sticks must be 

removed from service when any hardware 

is missing or broken; when the 

tube is crushed or cracked; when deep 

cuts or gouges are present; or when 

exceedingly dirty. If the stick is taken 

out of service, it must be repaired and 

retested prior to returning it to service. 

Grounds and jumpers 

Over the past 10 years, grounding 

cables and hot jumper cables have come 

under higher scrutiny. At one utility, 

over 50 percent of their grounds failed 

on the retest. Manufacturing standards 

have been updated and acceptance testing 

and retesting standards have been 

written. 

The most common reason for failure 

is loose and/or oxidized clamps. 

Under normal use, the clamps can 

become loose by either coming 

unscrewed or over stressed, and the oxidation 

is the natural breakdown of the 

metal. Once the ferrules and clamps are 

wire brushed or bead blasted to remove 

the oxidation and retightened, they usually 

pass the milliamp drop test. Another 

common cause of failure is broken cable 

strands. These broken strands can be 

found by running your hands along the 

insulation and feeling for bulging or 

voids under the insulation. Hot jumpers 

also fail when they are dielectrically 

tested. This test is conducted in the same 

test equipment as the rubber gloves. 

Prolonging the life of jumpers and 

grounds is similar to rubber goods. 

Before each use, check for loose, broken, 

or missing hardware. Keep clamps, ferrules, 

and insulation clean. Don’t overstress 

the conductor by over bending or 

overloading. When the job is completed, 

store the conductors in 16-20 inch coils, 

and out of direct sunlight and excessive 

heat. NWPPA 

Randy Shipley is the president of H.J. 

Arnett Industries, LLC in Tualatin, Ore. 

He can be reached at either (503) 692- 

4600 or rshipley@arnettindustries.com. 


Coates named as Tacoma Power 

superintendent 

P 

ower Management Manager Ted Coates 

is now serving as the new superintendent 

of Tacoma Power (Wash.), effective 

August 1. He succeeds Gary Armfield, who 

retired on July 31. 

“We conducted a national search to fill 

this position and attracted many qualified, 

experienced candidates,” said Tacoma Public 

Utilities Director Bill Gaines. “But the top choice was from 

within our own organization. Ted’s long history in the 

power industry, his understanding of Tacoma Power, and 

his vision for the future made him the best fit for the job.” 

Coates has served as the head of Power Management 

since 2008, after serving as assistant power manager for 

seven years. In his current role, Coates manages a $300 million 

biennial budget; oversees power operations and trading; 

is responsible for power transmission contracts administration 

and compliance; and plans for and manages the utility’s 

power portfolio, energy risk management program, and 

conservation planning and acquisition. Coates was previously 

employed at Seattle City Light for 25 years, the last 

five as the deputy superintendent of the wholesale branch. 

“My goals as Tacoma Power superintendent will be 

similar to those of my predecessors,” Coates said. “Low 

and stable rates, reliable service, financial strength, and outstanding 

customer service. The utility is well positioned to 

achieve those goals, with an excellent team of people who 

have the skills to accomplish them.” 

Coates attended the University of Washington with 

undergraduate studies in chemical engineering and graduate 

studies in econometrics. He is on the Board of Directors for 

the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. NWPPA 

Duxbury joins the Hewlett 

Foundation 

A 

Member News 

n expert in energy and environmental policy with deep 

experience in issues related to climate change, Peggy 

Duxbury will join the Environment Program of The 

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as a program officer. 

For the past three years, Duxbury served as director of 

governmental and regulatory affairs at Seattle City Light, 

where she was responsible for external affairs at one of the 

nation’s largest municipal utilities and the first in the United 

States to be carbon neutral. 

“Peggy’s background in government policy and the corporate 

world broadens the expertise the Foundation can 

bring to bear on some of the most pressing environmental 

issues of the day,” said Susan Bell, the Hewlett Foundation’s 

vice president and senior fellow for energy and climate. 

“We’re very pleased she’s joining us.” 


In her work at the Hewlett Foundation, Duxbury will 

focus on U.S. and western state energy policy issues as well 

as U.S. and international climate policy. 

“I’m greatly looking forward to joining Hewlett’s environmental 

team,” Duxbury said. “I admire its pragmatic, 

results-oriented approach and the breadth of the issues it 

tackles.” 

Duxbury has had a wide-ranging professional life in 

energy and environmental policy. She started her career as a 

legislative assistant to Congressman Bill Frenzel from 

Minnesota. During the Clinton administration, she was a 

senior policy advisor to the White House Council on 

Sustainable Development, led by Vice President Al Gore. 

Two CPUD projects underway 

O 

NWPPA 

regon’s Clatskanie PUD (CPUD) recently started two 

major projects: creation of a geographic information 

system (GIS) mapping of the entire CPUD system and 

construction of a new Clatskanie substation. 

With an outdated mapping system in place, CPUD contracted 

with Davey Resource Group (DRG) to create a digital 

mapping system. The new system will give detailed information 

about the District’s entire electrical system, thus 

allowing CPUD to better serve customers. DRG will be 

inspecting and recording information about every pole, 

transformer, and meter in CPUD’s system. Work is expected 

to last throughout the summer. 

The second major project is construction of the new 

Clatskanie substation, which will be located just downhill 

from the existing substation. Contractor Michels Power has 

already moved equipment on site and started removing dirt. 

Some of the dirt will be used for fill at the new CPUD headquarters 

site nearby, which helps reduce the overall cost for 

fill. The new substation is expected to be complete by the 

end of 2009. Since nearly a third of CPUD customers are 

served from the Clatskanie Substation, upgrades were a 

vital part of the ongoing effort to improve service and reliability 

for CPUD customers. NWPPA 

Nall promoted at Benton PUD 

B 

enton PUD (Kennewick, Wash.) has promoted Rich 

Nall to manager of broadband. Nall has been with 

Benton PUD since 2003 and worked in the telecommunication 

and broadband industry for 21 years. 

As manager of broadband, he will oversee broadband 

business development, sales, customer relations, technology, 

and broadband infrastructure. 

Nall has a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications 

management from City University. NWPPA

Life jackets from Pend Oreille 

P 

end Oreille PUD (Newport, Wash.) has kicked off a 

Borrow a Life Jacket Program recently at Campbell 

Pond at Box Canyon Dam, near Ione, Wash. The program 

invites visitors to pick out a life jacket from a variety 

of sizes provided, use it while they’re in the water, and 

return it when they’re done. 

“Our goal is to increase the enjoyment and safety of 

children and adults who visit Campbell Pond,” said PUD 

General Manager Bob Geddes. “We’re hoping the Borrow A 

Life Jacket Program will be successful at Box Canyon, and 

that it can be implemented at other recreational sites along 

the Pend Oreille River.” NWPPA 

TID finalizes Tuolumne purchase 

T 

urlock (Calif.) Irrigation District (TID) has finalized 

the purchase of 136.6 megawatts of renewable wind 

power — providing enough green energy to power 

approximately 44,000 households each year. The Tuolumne 

Wind Project, located in Klickitat County, Wash., along the 

Columbia River, has been recognized as one of the most 

productive wind resource areas in the Western United 

States. 

After testing, the project went into commercial operation 

on May 28, 2009, and consists of 42 Siemens Model 

SWT 2.3-megawatt and 20 REPower MM93 2.0-megawatt 

wind turbine generators. The project cost $385 million. 

This is TID’s first investment in wind energy. Currently, 

TID’s renewable energy portfolio includes small hydro, 

solar, geothermal, and the largest fuel cell in California. 

“Wind power diversifies our energy portfolio and gives us 

another clean, efficient renewable resource to compliment 

our hydroelectric power,” said General Manager/CEO Larry 

Weis. 

In 2004, the TID Board adopted a goal of providing 20 

percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2017. 

The completion of this project adds a significant amount of 

renewable energy to the District’s portfolio, taking it to 28 

percent of clean renewable energy, eight years ahead of the 

goal. NWPPA 

Congdon captures fourth pole title 

C 

helan County PUD (Wenatchee, Wash.) Commissioner 

Ann Congdon captured her fourth consecutive firstplace 

finish in the women’s amateur pole-climbing 

event at the fifth annual Andrew York Memorial Lineman’s 

Rodeo in June. 

Donning lineman’s climbing spikes, Congdon scrambled 

20 feet up a wood power pole faster than her five competitors. 

Timing begins when the first spike enters the wood 

pole and ends when the contestant rings a bell installed at 

the top of the climb. 

“I do it because I want to recognize the linemen for the 

hard work they do. But I am competitive,” said 62-year-old 

Congdon, humbly but with a proud smile of satisfaction. 

She estimated that some of her competitors were teenagers. 

The rodeo began at Rocky Reach Dam, but now takes 

place at Walla Walla Point Park. It’s a fundraiser to award 

scholarships to county students involved in drug-and-alcohol 

awareness. It commemorates PUD lineman Andrew 

York, who died in 2000 from injuries suffered on the job 

when he was hit by a drunken driver. NWPPA 

Clark receives J.D. Power 

distinction 

I 

n a study issued on July 16, 2009, by J.D. Power and 

Associates, Clark Public Utilities (Vancouver, Wash.) 

ranked highest in customer satisfaction for residential 

electric service among midsize electricity providers in the 

Western United States. It’s the second consecutive year 

Clark has received this prestigious recognition. 

Clark Public Utilities also scored third highest in the 

nation for residential customer satisfaction regardless of 

utility size or region. 

The study, designed and independently financed by J.D. 

Power and Associates, is a standardized measure of satisfaction 

available for the electric residential utility industry. 

Based on more than 79,500 online responses from residential 

electric utility customers throughout the U.S., the study 

compared 121 electric utility brands, collectively serving 

some 92 million households. Midsize utilities in the report 

serve between 125,000 and 499,999 residential customers. 

“It’s truly amazing to receive this coveted award from 

J.D. Power and Associates two years in a row,” said Carol 

Curtis, president of the utility’s Board of Commissioners. 

“This is a reflection of the dedication and hard work by all 

of the utility’s 396 employees since it reflects all aspects of 

the service we provide. It’s particularly meaningful because 

it clearly shows our customers are pleased with the service 

we provide.” NWPPA 


WRECA elects Johnson to top position 

T 

he Washington Rural Electric 

Cooperative Association (WRECA) has 

elected Mark Johnson to be president 

for the 2009-2010 term. Johnson is the general 

manager of Parkland Light & Water 

Company in Tacoma, Wash. 

WRECA, headquartered in Olympia, 

Wash., represents the interests of 

Mark Johnson 

Washington’s electric cooperatives. 

Also elected as officers for the 2009-2010 term were 

Vice President Steve Walter, general manager of Tanner 

Electric Cooperative (North Bend, Wash.); Secretary Fred 

Guyer, trustee of Benton Rural Electric Association (Prosser, 

Wash.); and Treasurer Les Teel, CEO of Columbia Rural 

Electric Association (Dayton, Wash.). 

Johnson joined Parkland Light & Water in 2002 as the 

manager of finance and administration, and became the 

general manager in 2007. NWPPA 

Montana’s first biomass facility 

dedicated 

R 

Member News 

epresentatives of Flathead Electric Co-op (Kalispell, 

Mont.) and the Flathead County Solid Waste District 

dedicated the state’s first landfill gas-to-energy facility 

on June 26, 2009, at the Flathead County landfill. 

Initially, it is anticipated that the system will generate 

enough electricity to serve up to 900 households and eventually 

grow to serve about 1,600. FEC owns the system and 

contracted with SCS Energy — a company that specializes 

in landfill projects — to design, construct, and operate the 

plant and well field. 

The biomass project is expected to pay for itself in 

about 15 years. Making the project possible are Clean 

Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBS) awarded to Flathead 

Electric in the amount of $3.5 million. The co-op applied 

for CREBS because biomass fits the criteria of its renewable 

energy portfolio. General Manager Ken Sugden said the 

investment will accommodate growth at the landfill as well. 

A second generator can be added if need be over the course 

of time. 

Technically, Flathead Electric is exempt from complying 

with mandates of Montana Renewable Energy Standards. 

The co-op strives, however, to follow the intent of the law. 

Flathead Electric, along with the landfill board and Public 

Works Director Dave Prunty, are being commended by state 

and local leaders for pursuing green energy and for taking 

steps now to address projected power shortages in the 

future. NWPPA 


OTEC-area youth tour D.C. 

F 

our high school seniors from the Oregon Trail Electric 

Cooperative (Baker City, Ore.) service territory were 

among the over 1,500 high school students from 

across the country that participated in the Electric 

Cooperative Youth Tour held June 12-18, 2009, in 

Washington, D.C. Selected on the basis of their outstanding 

academic, extracurricular, and community service achievements 

they were sponsored by OTEC to participate in this 

event. 

Every June, select high school students have the opportunity 

to learn first-hand what it is like to be involved in 

politics, community service, and today’s pressing issues. 

This marked the fourth year of OTEC’s commitment to the 

program. 

The theme of the 2009 Youth Tour was “Our Energy, 

Our Future.” Highlights included meeting with 

Congressman Greg Walden (R–Ore.) and Congressman 

Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) to discuss the process of government 

and issues of the day, and increasing their knowledge of 

cooperative electric utilities and American history. 

OTEC Members Services Manager Steve Schauer said, 

“OTEC’s continued commitment to the NRECA Youth 

Tour is really one of the more meaningful programs we 

offer. This is a fantastic opportunity for one student from 

each of our districts to visit Washington, D.C., and learn 

first-hand how government operates.” NWPPA 

PUD 3 joins the fight against cancer 

T 

he recently completed 2009 American Cancer Society’s 

Relay for Life event in Shelton, Wash., generated 

$117,000 for the fight against cancer. 

The Mason County PUD No. 3 PowerWalkers team 

joined with other community members to put their hearts 

and souls into the project, raising over $6,100 in their 

efforts for the cause. 

Over 20 PUD 3 employees worked on events from a 

golf tournament to “Food Fridays” and car washes as part 

of the fundraiser. 

Thirteen employees and a number of family members 

participated in the annual Cancer Society’s Relay for Life 

walk on June 5 and 6 at Highclimber Stadium at Shelton 

High School. NWPPA 

City Light seeks new resources 

S 

eattle City Light (Wash.) is actively pursuing opportunities 

to purchase up to 50 megawatts of new renewable 

energy. 

If successful, such purchases will help City Light on its 

way to meeting the renewable energy requirements of voterapproved 

Initiative 937. Such purchases also support the

city’s Climate Action Now Initiative, which seeks to reduce 

the greenhouse gas emissions tied to climate change. 

“Seattle City Light is committed to providing low-cost, 

reliable, environmentally responsible electricity to meet the 

needs of our customers,” Superintendent Jorge Carrasco 

said. “We look forward to hearing from the generators of 

new renewable energy resources who can help us continue 

to achieve that goal and hit the targets set by I-937.” 

The 50 megawatts of renewable energy targeted by City 

Light could come from one large project, several smaller 

projects, or from a purchase of renewable energy credits. 

City Light’s preference is to acquire new renewable 

energy resources that meet the baseload needs of their commercial, 

industrial, and residential customers. This search 

will be by competitive bid, not least cost, which means the 

shape, capacity, seasonality, and other factors associated 

with the energy resources will be considered. A request for 

proposals outlines the municipally owned utility’s specifications 

and acquisition process. It is available at 

www.seattle.gov and on the city’s e-bid Web site at 

www.ebidexchange.com. NWPPA 

SMUD gets smart with new meters 

A 

t its June 18 meeting, the SMUD Board of Directors 

voted to approve a contract with Landis+Gyr to supply 

approximately 620,000 two-way advanced 

meters, meter management software, and installation 

training. 

“This is the first big step in modernizing the electrical 

grid for Sacramento,” said SMUD Deputy Assistant General 

Manager Paul Lau. “It opens the door to many improvements 

that will help customers use energy more efficiently 

and better manage their bills.” Lau noted that the new 

meters will also provide two-way communication with customers 

and enable SMUD to know when customers have 

lost power and thereby improve restoration. 

SMUD plans to begin installation of the first 50,000 

meters in October and finish testing them in February. That 

would pave the way for installation at all residential and 

commercial accounts, with full deployment, in March 2011. 

In all, SMUD will be installing 620,000 new meters. NWPPA 

Barden, Johnson retire from Big 

Bend 

A 

t the end of this month, Dave Barden, manager of 

Engineering and Power Supply, will retire from Big 

Bend Electric Cooperative (Ritzville, Wash.). Barden 

was hired in November 1987 after working for 10 years at 

Homer Electric in Alaska. 

Duane Johnson, manager of Operations, retired from 

the cooperative at the end of June. Johnson was hired in 

October 1990 after working for 14 years at Polk County 

Public Power District in Nebraska. 

Congratulations to both on their combined 65+ years of 

service in the electric utility industry and for all their contributions 

to Big Bend Electric Co-op. 

Taking over for Barden will be Christina Carter, a 

Gonzaga University graduate and professional engineer, and 

Steve Frost has replaced Johnson as manager of Operations. 

Douglas joins agreement 

C 

NWPPA 

olumbiaGrid announced on July 10 that Douglas 

County PUD, headquartered in East Wenatchee, Wash., 

has joined in a planning agreement that aims to improve 

and enhance the Northwest’s transmission system. As a participant 

in ColumbiaGrid’s planning and expansion functional 

agreement, Douglas County PUD will work jointly 

with eight other utilities plus the Bonneville Power 

Administration to solve problems on the transmission grid 

and lay the groundwork for needed projects. 

“We are very pleased to welcome Douglas County PUD 

to our planning team,” Jon Kaake, ColumbiaGrid president 

and CEO stated. “The impacts of growth and changes in 

generation and load patterns are affecting every transmission 

owner in the region. The ColumbiaGrid process and participants 

provide a way to get joint solutions planned and moving 

forward.” 

ColumbiaGrid’s planning and expansion functional 

agreement took effect in April 2007 and is the basis for the 

organization’s planning program. In the plan, ColumbiaGrid 

identifies potential problems on the grid, analyzes impacts of 

projects to remedy them, and sets priorities for improvements. 

We remember 

NWPPA 

D 

ouglas Leroy Gregersen 

passed away suddenly on 

Thursday, July 2, 2009. He 

was 49 years old. 

Gregersen spent the greater 

part of his life in rural Pierce 

County, growing up near Ashford, 

Wash. He graduated from 

Eatonville High School and then 

completed his electrical apprenticeship 

to become a high-voltage journeyman 

lineman. 

He devoted his entire career and livelihood to Ohop 

Mutual Light Company (Eatonville, Wash.), where he spent 

30 years, first as a groundman, then a journeyman lineman, 

and eventually operation’s supervisor. 

Gregersen is survived by his wife, Jennifer; children, 

Christopher and Haley; father, Leroy; brother, Dwayne; 

and sister, Diane. He was preceded in death by his mother, 

Mary. NWPPA 


S&C wins at R&D 100 Awards 

S 

&C Electric 

Company, a global 

provider of equipment 

and services for 

electric power systems, 

was named a winner of 

this year’s R&D 100 

Awards Competition, for 

their new IntelliRupter 

PulseCloser. Winners 

were judged on their success 

in introducing the 

100 most technologically 

significant products of 

the year, and will be honored at a ceremony in Orlando, 

Fla., on November 12, 2009. 

IntelliRupter incorporates cutting-edge PulseClosing 

technology that injects multiple, non-disruptive pulses into 

the line to check for faults before initiating closing. 

IntelliRupter is a key component of S&C’s IntelliTEAM II® 

Automatic Restoration System, a self-healing, scalable feeder 

reconfiguration system that has become the industry’s standard 

smart grid solution. IntelliTEAM II offers unmatched interoperability 

and can automate new as well as existing circuits. 

To learn more about the IntelliRupter PulseCloser, call 

your local S&C Sales Office or visit www.sandc.com/ir. NWPPA 

NISC selects two new VPs 

O 

Associate Member News 

n June 24, 2009, National Information Solutions 

Cooperative (NISC), a leading provider of information 

technology products and services, announced two new 

additions to its executive team. David Bonnett has been 

hired as NISC’s vice president of Utility Solutions and Todd 

Eisenhauer has been promoted to vice president of 

Engineering and Operations Solutions. 

Bonnett is the former vice president of Product 

Management with Aclara Software, a meter data management 

and customer analytics software application provider. 

He brings 17 years experience in the utility and software 

industry where he worked with cooperatives, municipals, 

investor-owned utilities, and retailers. 

Eisenhauer began his career with NISC in Member 

Support, where he supported members with NISC’s first geographic 

information system (GIS). His support expertise 

expanded to other engineering applications, including NISC’s 

outage management system (OMS) and Milsoft’s WindMil 

Engineering Analysis application. 

“At this stage in my career, one of the most inspiring 

and gratifying aspects of my work is to see bright and dedicated 

employees contribute to the growth of this organiza- 


tion,” said Vern Dosch, NISC president and CEO. “We are 

looking forward to having David and Todd — with their 

expertise and experience — work with the vice presidents 

group to plan for the future and set strategies for our organization.” 

NISC, the leading provider of information technology 

products and services to the utilities and telecommunications 

cooperative industries, provides integrated hardware and 

software solutions to member-owners across the nation. 

Additional information about NISC can be found at 

www.nisc.coop. NWPPA 

Elster launches new EnergyAxis ® site 

n June 24, Elster, a leader in smart metering and smart 

grid systems and solutions, announced the launch of its 

new EnergyAxis ® O 

System Web site, 

www.energyaxis.com. The Web site highlights Elster’s unifying 

solutions for the smart grid and its commitment to delivering 

a secure, IP-based system, leveraging open standards in 

an end-to-end smart grid system architecture. 

The Web site provides information on smart grid technologies, 

specifically the EnergyAxis System’s framework, its 

activities, partner organizations, recent news, and access to 

key documentation produced by Elster. 

“Elster is committed to being a world leader in smart 

grid systems and solutions,” said Victor Sitton, vice president 

of product marketing, Elster. “In addition to the extensive 

EnergyAxis System capabilities that are powering our more 

than 60 successfully deployed systems, Elster offers innovative 

technology enhancements that allow our customers to 

fully capitalize on exciting smart grid opportunities going 

forward. The new Web site will allow us to better communicate 

this functionality and how it is being deployed at customer 

locations today.” 

Elster has delivered more than 2.4 million smart metering 

devices worldwide. Elster smart metering systems allow 

utilities to implement energy conservation measures, demand 

response programs, smart grid initiatives, and smart home 

solutions as well as achieve operational efficiencies resulting 

in significant value creation across the utility enterprise. For 

more information, visit www.elster.com. NWPPA 

PCS partners with Powel, Inc. 

P 

rofessional Computer Systems, Co, (PCS) is pleased to 

announce their partnership with Powel, Inc. (Powel), 

located in St. Paul, Minn. PCS specializes in the development 

and support of multi-service utility billing and accounting 

software; Powel provides WorkStudio, a Mobile Work 

Management platform with office-based analysis. 

Partnering with Powel allows PCS to offer clients tight 

integration between the PCS applications and Powel’s

WorkStudio Suite, including StakeOut for field design. PCS 

has already developed an interface with the StakeOut application 

which ties directly to PCS’s accounting application, 

Utilit-e Insight. A new interface is in development for the 

WorkStudio Suite application which ties PCS’s Utilit-e 

Connect service orders to Powel Work Management. This 

interface is expected to be available by late 2009. 

“PCS strives to provide an enterprise solution,” said 

Kim Ingerslev, president and CEO of PCS. “Not only do we 

want to bring our core accounting, billing, e-commerce, and 

hosting options to our utility clients, we want to provide 

options to integrate seamlessly to other third-party applications.” 

PCS has been serving the utility industry with billing and 

accounting solutions for over 28 years. PCS offers Utilit-e 

Solutions, an integrated suite of premier products for the 

utility industry. For more information about PCS, visit 

www.pcsco.com. NWPPA 

One TEA manager certified, 

one promoted 

T 

he Energy Authority ® (TEA ®), the 

nation’s leader in public power energy 

trading, announced on July 2 that 

Pauline Williams-Banta, business continuity 

manager, has earned the Master Business 

Continuity Professional (MBCP) certification, 

the highest level of certification 

awarded through the Disaster Recovery 

Institute International (DRI International). 

It is the ultimate recognition for planners, 

practitioners, and managers in business 

continuity and disaster recovery. Williams- 

Banta, who has more than 10 years’ experience 

in the business continuity field, is one 

of only six MBCPs in the state of Florida 

and 111 in the United States. 

Additionally, TEA is pleased to 

announce that Bill Clarke has been promoted 

to the position of executive director, Regional 

Pauline 

Williams-Banta 

Bill Clarke 

Transmission Organization (RTO) Market Services. In this 

role, Clarke will be responsible for managing TEA’s corporate 

goals and objectives associated with providing Best 

Practices RTO services to TEA’s members and partners who 

operate within an RTO market footprint. 

Clarke has more than 30 years experience in the industry 

in diverse areas such as strategic planning, financial planning, 

resource planning, transmission planning, and system 

operations. 

The Energy Authority is wholly owned and directed by 

its public power members who participate in the organization’s 

decision-making. For more information, visit 

www.teainc.org. NWPPA 

BSE launches Grid Solutions 

T 

o provide a single point of contact for material and 

logistics solutions for large infrastructure projects across 

the United States, Border States Electric (BSE) has 

launched Grid Solutions. This specialized projects team will 

provide value-added services and material management for 

substations, power transmission, wind and solar energy, data 

and telecommunications, and high-voltage industrial projects. 

Entering the utility market more than 50 years ago, BSE 

is now one of the largest independent electrical distributors 

in the United States. With major investments in technology, 

infrastructure, inventory, people, and equipment, BSE provides 

customers with one of the strongest supply chain solutions 

in the industry. 

“Our technical expertise and years of experience ensure 

our customers get the right solution because we understand 

the market’s needs and our customers’ requirements. From 

the planning phase to completion of their complex projects, 

Grid Solutions will help our customers lower costs and 

increase their bottom line,” said Gary Miller, BSE president. 

BSE provides products and services to the construction, 

industrial, and utility markets. For more information, visit 

www.borderstateselectric.com. NWPPA 

R&R Sy-Tec is now TerraSpatial 

Technologies 

A 

fter 40-years of operation as R&R Sy-Tec, the Oregonbased 

company has changed its name to TerraSpatial 

Technologies to more accurately reflect the company’s 

solutions for geospatially centric applications in electric, 

water, and wastewater utilities. 

Founded in The Dalles, Ore., in 1969, the company 

offers integrated geospatial and field automation solutions 

for community-based municipal and rural electric utilities. 

Although a majority of the customer base is among municipal 

and rural electric cooperatives, several projects for 

investor-owned utilities have also been completed during its 

long market tenure. 

“The previous owners successfully operated this company 

for nearly four decades, concentrating mainly on community-based 

utilities,” explained Joe McCulloch, 

TerraSpatial’s new president and CEO. “A little over a year 

ago, we took over the reins of a well-established and successful 

company. In doing so, we vowed to maintain that focus 

while enhancing and expanding the solution set.” 

Since its inception, TerraSpatial Technologies Inc. has 

completed over 400 field inventory projects. Today, 

TerraSpatial services and supports more than 70 electric, 

water, and wastewater utilities from Virginia to Alaska. For 

more information, contact Dave Scarborough at (541) 436- 

0830 or info@terraspatialtech.com. NWPPA 


T 

Washington, D.C. Report 


by Scott M. Lindsay 

Federal climate change and energy bill 

moves to the Senate 

he U.S. House of Representatives 

narrowly passed a sweeping climate 

change bill on June 26, 2009, and 

pressure from the Administration and 

Democrat leadership is on the Senate to 

do the same. However, the complexity 

and contentious nature of the legislation 

may stall passage of a companion bill in 

the Senate this year. 

After a tense debate, the American 

Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), 

also known as the Waxman-Markey bill 

(H.R. 2454), passed on a largely partisan 

vote by 219-212. The bill, authored 

by Energy and Commerce Committee 

Chairman Henry Waxman (D–Calif.) 

and Energy and Environment Subcommittee 

Chairman Ed Markey 

(D–Mass.), was opposed by all but eight 

Republicans during final passage — 44 

Democrats also joined 168 Republicans 

in voting against the measure. 

The bill, which runs more than 

1,400 pages, could significantly change 

the way energy is produced and used in 

the United States. Legislative action in 

the U.S. Senate is expected to be an even 

tougher battle than in the House, despite 

the Democrats’ 60-vote majority. The 

House bill’s carbon reduction system 

and carbon credit allocation methodology 

represent major hurdles for the 

Senate to overcome. These mechanisms 

are the key programs for accomplishing 

the bill’s emission reduction goals. 

Emissions goals 

H.R. 2454 aims to significantly 

reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

It would establish economy-wide emissions 

limits beginning in 2012. The bill 

uses 2005 as a benchmark year for 

GHG emissions. The goals are to cut 

emissions 3 percent by 2012, 20 percent 

by 2020, 42 percent by 2030, and 83 

percent by 2050. 

To achieve the emissions limits, 

emitters of GHGs would have to reduce 

their emissions or buy credits, which 

would be traded on markets like commodities. 

The mechanism included in 

the bill to accomplish this is called the 

“cap-and-trade” program. 

Cap-and-trade system 

At the bill’s core is a complicated 

GHG cap-and-trade program. Under the 

proposed program, the federal government 

would create and distribute 

“allowances” equal to the number of 

tons of emissions of carbon dioxide or 

equivalents allowed under the cap. Each 

allowance would represent a ton of carbon-dioxide-equivalent 

emissions. 

Parties would be prohibited from emitting 

more GHGs per year than they 

have allowances. Over time, the cap 

would get cranked down, forcing parties 

to buy allowances from those who emit 

less. The transfer of allowances is 

known as a “trade.” The bill’s provisions 

for electrical generation would 

take effect in 2012, and regulations 

would occur at the point of emissions. 

The costs of the cap-and-trade program 

are proving difficult to predict. 

They are a mix of higher prices for carbon-based 

fuels, offset by a complex 

series of tax breaks, free allowances, 

new technologies, and behavioral 

changes. According to estimates by the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

and the Congressional Budget Office 

(CBO), the climate change requirements 

would cost less than $200 per household 

in 2020. But the conservative Heritage 

Foundation estimates the programs in 

the bill would eventually hike energy 

costs by close to $3,000 yearly per 

household. House Republicans who 

voted against the bill say the costs 

would cripple the U.S. economy and 

drive U.S. jobs to countries that do not 

have climate regulations. 

Allocation of allowances 

The formula for distributing the 

emissions allowances is also controversial. 

The House members who wrote the 

bill adopted a formula that was devised 

by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) — 

the national trade association for 

investor-owned utilities — without the 

input of public power. Staff at Morgan 

Meguire, NWPPA’s Washington, D.C., 

consulting firm, explains how the electric 

sector allowances work: 

In the initial years (2012 and 2013), 

the electric sector would receive 

roughly 40 percentage of the available 

allowances, at no cost. About 14 

percent of allowances would go to 

merchant coal generators and longterm 

contract generators with fixed 

prices, with the remainder distributed 

to electric local distribution companies 

(LDCs). Allowances to LDCs 

would be distributed, initially, in a 

50-50 split: 50 percent based on 

emissions and 50 percent based on 

retail sales. 

As was widely reported, Rep. Collin 

Peterson (D–Minn.), who chairs the 

House Agriculture Committee, strongly 

objected to the 50/50 formula for distributing 

the allowances to utilities and 

threatened to block the bill unless his 

concerns were met. His objections came

largely on behalf of electric cooperatives 

in his state. The National Rural Electric 

Cooperative Association (NRECA) 

maintained that the formula was not fair 

because some utilities would get more 

allowances than they needed to comply 

and other utilities would get far less 

than they needed. 

Chairman Peterson succeeded in 

getting two changes to the original EEI 

formula. First, an additional one-half of 

one percent of the entire pool of 

allowances (not just the pool for the 

electric sector) would be distributed to 

small LDCs (i.e. public, private, and coop 

utilities that sell less than four million 

megawatt-hours of energy per year at 

retail). These allowances would be distributed 

based on historic emissions. The 

value of the allowances would have to 

be used for energy efficiency, renewable 

resources, or low-income ratepayer 

assistance. 

Second, no LDC would be allowed 

to receive more allowances than necessary 

“to offset any increased electricity 

costs to such company’s retail ratepayers, 

including increased costs attributable 

to purchase power costs” due to 

enactment of the climate change title. 

Surplus allowances would be re-allocated 

to LDCs, based on emissions. 

Once this agreement was struck, 

Chairman Peterson said, “We think that 

we have something here now that can 

work for agriculture.” Morgan Meguire 

reports that the “surplus allowances” 

language is still very vague and the EPA 

will have to further define it in regulations 

if it remains in the bill. 

Senate activity and outlook 

While Senate consideration of 

related legislation was originally going 

to be expedited, the chair of the Senate 

Environment and Public Works 

Committee, Chairwoman Barbara Boxer 

(D–Calif.), recently pushed back the 

timeline for marking up a Senate bill by 

at least a month. Just days after the U.S. 

heads of the Energy, Agriculture and 

Interior departments and EPA testified 

before her committee, Boxer said votes 

to pass a bill similar to the House bill 

Majority Leader Reid has set a 

target deadline for all committee 

consideration by September 28 — 

this also slipped from the original 

target date of September 18. 

Between now and then, Senate 

committees will work feverishly to 

pass their respective pieces of the 

bill from committee. 

would be postponed until September — 

not prior to the August congressional 

recess, as originally slated. 

“The bill will be introduced when 

we get back, after we get back, as soon 

as we get back (from recess),” Sen. 

Boxer told reporters. “We’re going to 

use the extra time we have to make it 

the best it can be.” Staff has indicated 

this means a bill will be introduced on 

September 8, the day after Congress 

returns from the summer recess. 

Experts say the delay indicates 

Senate leaders are not confident they 

have enough votes to pass the bill and 

probably want more time to rewrite the 

House language. This is understandable, 

as the Waxman-Markey bill, with its 

centerpiece cap-and-trade program, is 

fraught with difficulties, including that it 

is extremely costly, complex, and 

bureaucratic; imposes multiple requirements 

on utilities to deploy new technologies, 

some of which don’t even 

exist; and by monetizing carbon, risks 

price volatility, increased costs, and the 

potential for market manipulation. 

To further complicate matters, six 

different Senate committees will write 

pieces of the climate and energy bill, 

which must, ultimately, be resolved by 

Democratic leadership. Sen. Boxer said, 

“I think all the committees will put in 

their opinion on the areas where they 

think they have some jurisdiction, and 

then [Majority Leader Harry] Reid will 

take what he feels are the best parts of 

the bill.” 

Other Senate committees with a 

stake in the climate bill are Agriculture, 

Energy and Natural Resources; Finance; 

and Foreign Relations. So far, the 

Chairmen of Agriculture and Foreign 

Relations panels have not indicated if 

they will mark up language in their 

respective committees. However, Energy 

and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff 

Bingaman’s (D–N.M.) committee has 

already passed legislation that includes a 

Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) 

and a slew of other energy incentives. 

Majority Leader Reid has set a target 

deadline for all committee consideration 

by September 28 — this also 

slipped from the original target date of 

September 18. Between now and then, 

Senate committees will work feverishly 

to pass their respective pieces of the bill 

from committee. 

Should this occur, Sen. Reid intends 

to merge the climate portions with the 

energy bill that the Energy and Natural 

Resources Committee approved on June 

24. It remains to be seen as to whether 

the combined bill will win the 60 votes 

needed to defeat an anticipated filibuster, 

but as of today, the votes do not 

appear to be there. NWPPA 

Scott M. Lindsay is NWPPA’s government 

relations consultant and WERC’s regional 

coordinator. He can be reached by telephone 

at (202) 255-0325 or by 

e-mail at Scott@SMLConsulting.net. 


T 

Cover Story 

by Michael Howe 

Social media and the utility industry — 

one cooperative’s voyage 

he changing face of media has not 

gone unnoticed in rural America. 

In fact, the changing face of media 

has been embraced in rural America as 

one of the more unique tools to utilize 

in communicating with people. Oregon 

Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) in 

Eastern Oregon has embraced social 

media and is actively taking advantage 

of the opportunities it offers. From 

YouTube to Facebook, OTEC has ventured 

out into the realm of social 

media and has received very nice feedback. 

George Bernard Shaw once said, 

“The problem with communication….is 

the illusion that it has been accomplished.” 

Traditional media like newspapers, 

radio, and television remain as 

the foundation of communication 

efforts, but ignoring the other avenues 

might be a mistake. The Pew Research 

Center, for example, reports 

that 60 percent of those under 

the age of 30 get their news 

online. Living in rural America, 

though, many have this notion 

that the Internet has not quite 

made it to their area. “Not everyone 

has a computer,” or “Not everyone 

uses the Internet” are far too common 

comments. 

The fact of the matter is, however, 

that yes, even those in rural America 

have found the Internet and are 

actively using it. OTEC conducted an 

independent Residential Member 

Satisfaction Survey in 2008 and discovered 

that its members were indeed on 

the World Wide Web. According to the 

survey, two-thirds of OTEC members 

have access to the Internet, which is a 

comparable number to other cooperatives 

according to NRECA’s Market 

Research Services (the group that conducted 

the study). Additionally, the 

study indicated that 40 percent of 

OTEC’s members with Internet service 

would use the Internet to learn about 


OTEC and conduct OTEC-related 

business. 

After identifying a need for 

improved communication efforts with 

members, conducting the survey, and 

then hiring a communications specialist, 

OTEC has been active in creating 

an online identity. Since August 2008, 

OTEC has redesigned its Web site, 

started an electronic newsletter, began 

offering online bill pay and account 

management, and created a 

YouTube page, a Facebook 

page, and a Twitter account. 

OTEC General Manager 

Werner Buehler has been an 

advocate of the new online approach 

to communications. It could be his 

communications education and background, 

or it could be that all indications 

point to the new social media and 

Web marketing being effective means 

of communication, but his support 

and encouragement is genuine. “We 

are witnessing a paradigm shift in 

the way society communicates,” 

said Buehler. “And with the changes 

and challenges facing the utility 

industry, we should utilize the tools 

available to us.” 

OTEC TV 

OTEC’s first big foray into the 

new media was the creation of its 

YouTube site, affectionately dubbed 

OTEC-TV. If there is any doubt about 

the potential of YouTube or other similar 

sites, one only has to look 

at the statistics. A July 

2009 report by the Pew 

Research Center indicates 

that 62 percent of adult 

Internet users have watched a video on 

sites such as YouTube. That number is 

up from 33 percent in December 2006. 

OTEC’s YouTube (www.youtube. 

com/otecc) features both entertaining 

and informational videos. Some are 

shot “on location,” while others are 

shot in “studio.” For example, you can 

watch an interview with Steve Schauer, 

OTEC’s manager of Member Services, 

in the studio talking about a couple of 

OTEC’s conservation programs like 

Showerheads and Commercial 

Lighting; however, most videos are 

shot on location. 

The most viewed OTEC videos are 

of Frank Carlson, OTEC engineering 

aid. Frank had a wonderful opportunity 

to participate in NRECA’s Annual 

Meeting and their “American 

Co-op Idol” competition. “It 

was a fun event and we 

wanted to share it with our 

membership,” says Schauer. 

There are four videos of Frank 

performing, with three of them having 

over 400 views in the five months they 

have been available. 

Even the informative videos are 

fun to watch. Schauer has earned the 

nickname “Horse Whisperer” at OTEC 

because of his performance in the 

Freeze Resistant Cattle Fountain video. 

In this video, Schauer stands next to a 

horse, continuously petting the horse 

so as to keep it calm while he delivers 

the message about the program. As if 

rehearsed, the horse drinks from the 

cattle trough on cue. “This was a fun 

video to shoot because the horse was 

very cooperative,” joked Schauer. 

Schauer is definitely the star of the 

conservation videos. Whether it’s petting 

the horse, being interviewed 

at the studio, or having fun at 

other locations, he delivers a 

brief, but clear message to members. 

One of the most recent videos 

includes him discussing OTEC’s Energy 

Star Appliance program on location at 

a local appliance outlet. The video features 

Schauer standing next to a 

washer and dryer with the Energy Star 

and OTEC logos floating just to the 

right of him.

OTEC’s Web site (www.otecc.com). 

L-R: OTEC’s Michael Howe, 2008 Youth Tour Participant 

Steven Crader, and KLBM/KBKR News Director Cliff Turner 

discuss OTEC’s support of the Youth Tour on OTEC-Radio. 

Then there is the video of Schauer 

standing in a field of grain as the irrigation 

system sprays water at him 

while he discusses OTEC’s irrigation 

efficiency program. “I did get a little 

wet, but it wasn’t too bad and it was 

fun. Most importantly, the video gets 

the message out,” he said. 

Other videos include speeches 

from the 2009 OTEC Annual Meeting, 

a video of OTEC’s monthly radio program 

featuring one of their Youth Tour 

students, interviews with founding 

members of OTEC about the history of 

OTEC, and the OTEC high-voltage 

safety presentation. OTEC also embeds 

the videos on its Web site so that when 

a member visits the link for the 

Showerhead program, for example, 

there is text and an option to watch a 

brief video, making the Web site more 

interactive and visual. OTEC plans to 

continue producing new videos. 

OTEC Manager of Member Services Steve 

Schauer discusses OTEC’s irrigation 

efficiency program in an OTEC-TV video. 

OTEC’s Facebook page. 

Facebook 

Partly because of the success of the 

OTEC YouTube page and partly 

because of the desire to reach the 

youth, OTEC has also established itself 

on Facebook. 

Originally, OTEC intended its 

Facebook page to be a place where the 

utility could promote OTEC’s support 

of youth in its service territory; how- 

Continued on page 28 


Cover Story 

“Horse Whisperer” Steve Schauer describes the 

Freeze Resistant Cattle Fountain in a popular 

OTEC-TV video. 

ever, it has become so much more. 

With programs such as Photovoltaic 

Education at area high schools (OTEC 

donated PV equipment to five area 

high schools for educational purposes), 

high-voltage safety demonstrations, 

$48,000 in scholarships, and the 

NRECA Youth Tour (OTEC sends four 

high school students to Washington, 

D.C., each year), the OTEC Facebook 


page has become a place to share experiences 

and information. 

For example, Steven Crader represented 

Oregon as part of the NRECA 

Youth Leadership Council and has 

shared his experience on Facebook and 

posted pictures from his trips. 

Samantha Fritz, one of the 2009 Youth 

Tour participants shared her experiences 

as well. On June 19, she posted: 

“I absolutely loved the trip! Thank you 

so much for giving me that opportunity! 

I met some great people and saw 

amazing sights that will probably 

change me forever! Thank you!” 

Facebook has also turned out to 

be a great place to share certain podcasts 

and links back to the OTEC 

YouTube material. For the podcasts, 

visitors can listen to several segments 

of OTEC’s monthly radio program on 

KBKR/KLBM out of La Grande and 

Baker City. Referred to as OTEC- 

Radio, there are podcasts featuring 

multiple Youth Tour participants as 

Top ten must-do items for your social 

media measurement to-do list 

1. Define measurable goals: they should include a business or 

mission benefit. 

2. Measure your market, not yourself. What other conversations 

are happening in the utility space? 

3. Make sure everyone agrees on your definition of positive and 

negative. 

4. Measure messages, not just tone. 

5. Measure positioning on key issues, not just sentiment. 

6. Look at comments for at least 4 days (but a maximum of 14). 

7. Don’t forget to measure YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. 

8. Measure what matters, not what is popular. 

9. Tie results back to your goals. 

10. Repeat on a regular basis. 

The above information was provided by Desautel-Hege Communications as part 

of NWPPA’s “Emerging Media” webinar, which will be offered next on 

October 8, 2009. 

well as podcasts of Peggi Timm, founding 

member of OTEC, discussing 

OTEC’s history. 

Anyone can become a “fan” of the 

OTEC Facebook page, and there is a 

convenient link on the OTEC Web site 

(www.otecc.com) to the Facebook 

page. It is designed to be both educational 

and fun, but mostly it is 

intended to be one more place where 

the OTEC social community can 

thrive. With the coming of a new 

school year and the efforts of the 

Youth Tour participants, it is expected 

that more fans will join. 

What’s next 

OTEC realizes that it is important 

to always have an eye open for new 

and innovative ways to communicate. 

The Facebook and YouTube pages will 

continue to be developed and will 

become an even more important part 

of the overall communications plan in 

the future. “We strive to get better 

each time we shoot a video, and 

though I doubt any will ever be perfect, 

I do see us developing that avenue 

further for certain,” suggested Schauer. 

“They do make for a good laugh at 

times, too.” 

With so many social network sites 

on the Internet, it isn’t likely you will 

see OTEC on all of them. With time 

being a constraint for small utilities, 

decision makers need to really choose 

wisely where their utility needs to be 

and how active they want to be. 

MySpace, Twitter, Linkedin, Blogspot, 

and more can consume many hours in 

a day if not managed properly. 

“The key is to manage your time 

effectively, and with YouTube, Facebook, 

and Twitter, I believe we are well 

situated to be effective in our overall 

communication efforts,” said Schauer. 

NWPPA 

Michael Howe is the communications 

specialist at Oregon Trail Electric 

Cooperative in Baker City, Ore. On 

Tuesday, September 22, he will speak 

about social media at the Northwest 

Innovations Conference in Redmond, 

Ore. He can be reached at either (541) 

524-2858 or mhowe@otecc.com.

What is Facebook? 

• Facebook is a form of social networking — the coming together of people to form online 

communities 

• Facebook is more popular than e-mail 

• Facebook is the most used social network among Internet users 

• In 2008, Facebook users increased 168 percent 

• Facebook has more than 175 million active users around the world 

• More than 3 billion minutes are spent on Facebook every day 

• Facebook users can reach a variety of audiences with personal profiles and organization 

pages 

What is Twitter? 

• Twitter is a microblog Web site based on the question, “What are you doing?” 

• Twitter users can share personal information, discuss news and create conversations; 

follow people they are interested in hearing from; and be followed by people that are interested in hearing from them 

• Twitter uses 140-character updates 

• Twitter has over 10 million users 

• From August 2007 to August 2008, Twitter usage increased by 422 percent 

• From February 2008 to February 2009, Twitter usage increased by 1,382 percent! 

The above information was provided by Desautel-Hege Communications as part of NWPPA’s “Emerging Media” webinar, which will be offered 

next on October 8, 2009. 


Job Mart 

The Job Mart is a service provided to NWPPA member systems and associate members. As of December 1, 2008, NWPPA began charging for all job listings 

submitted. Member price is now $100 per listing for a 30-day period. 

• Job Mart ads are also accepted from non-members. Ads are $300 per listing for a 30-day period. 

• Copy must be received before the 25th of the month prior to the month of publication (for example, February 25 for March issue). 

• The Bulletin is mailed by the 15th of each month. 

• Complete the online Job Mart ad placement form at www.nwppa.org/jobmart.html. 

• NWPPA reserves the right to edit all listings in order to fit size requirements in the publication. 

POSITION: Manager — Transmission 

Engineering, Joint Use & Standards 

COMPANY: Snohomish County PUD (Everett, 

Wash.) 

SALARY: $94,206-$129,537, DOQ. 

DEADLINE TO APPLY: August 17, 2009. 

TO APPLY: Send cover letter and resume to 

Snohomish Co. PUD, Attn. Employee Resources, 

P.O. Box 1107, Everett, WA 98206, fax (425) 

267-6684, or e-mail resumes @snopud.com. 

POSITION: Senior Manager — Substation, 

Metering & Telecommunications Services 


Wash.) 

SALARY: $105,510-$158,265, DOQ. 






POSITION: Senior Manager — Distribution 

Construction Services 


Wash.) 

SALARY: $105,000-$135,000, DOQ. 






POSITION: Hydrocraft Worker 

COMPANY: Public Utility District No. 1 of 

Lewis County (Cowlitz Falls Hydroelectric 

Project near Randle, Wash.) 

SALARY: $33.73 per hour. 

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Open until filled. 

TO APPLY: Application and complete job 

description available at www.lcpud.org, at 321 

N.W. Pacific Ave., Chehalis, WA 98532, or by 

calling (360) 740-2412. 

POSITION: Energy Specialist Assistant 

COMPANY: Northern Wasco County PUD 

(The Dalles, Ore.) 

SALARY: $14-$17 per hour. 


TO APPLY: Applications may be obtained at 

Northern Wasco PUD, 2345 River Rd., The 

Dalles, OR 97058, by calling (541) 296-2226, or 

at www.nwasco.com. 


NOTE: For detailed information on requirements for these Job Mart ads, 

go to our Web site: www.nwppa.org/jobmart.html. 

POSITION: Manager of T&D and Line 

Superintendent/Manager of Operations 

COMPANY: Copper Valley Electric Association, 

Inc. (Glennallen and Valdez, Alaska) 

SALARY: Low $100,000s. 


TO APPLY: Visit www.cvea.org, Careers section, 

or call Nancy Heidelberg at (907) 822-3171. 

POSITION: Journeyman Meterman 

COMPANY: Mason County PUD No. 3 

(Shelton, Wash.) 



TO APPLY: Complete a Mason County PUD 

No. 3 application and submit to Human 

Resources, P.O. Box 2148, Shelton, WA 98584, 

e-mail to thedraf@masonpud3.org, or send via 

fax to (360) 426-8547. Applications may be 

obtained at PUD offices in Shelton and Belfair or 

online at www.masonpud3.org. 

POSITION: Energy Services Specialist II 

COMPANY: Central Lincoln People’s Utility 

District (Newport, Ore.) 

SALARY: Commensurate with experience. 


TO APPLY: Send resumes to Compensation & 

Benefits Manager, Central Lincoln PUD, P.O. 

Box 1126, Newport, OR 97365, fax (541) 574- 

2122, or e-mail to styler@cencoast.com. 

POSITION: Substation Wireman 

COMPANY: Cowlitz County PUD (Longview, 

Wash.) 



TO APPLY: Download an application from 

www.cowlitzpud.org and mail to Cowlitz 

County PUD, c/o Katrina Perkins, P.O. Box 

3007, Longview, WA 98632. 

POSITION: Hydro Mechanic 

COMPANY: Puget Sound Energy (Concrete, 

Wash.) 

SALARY: Per the IBEW Collective Bargaining 

Agreement. 


TO APPLY: Apply online at www.pse.com. 

POSITION: Work Control Manager 

COMPANY: Energy Northwest (Richland, 

Wash.) 

SALARY: $104,931-$157,397 annually. 


TO APPLY: Visit www.energy-northwest.com/ 

erecruit/emplmain.php and submit your resume 

and application. 

POSITION: Financial Analyst I, II, or III 

COMPANY: Benton PUD (Kennewick, Wash.) 

SALARY: DOQ. 


TO APPLY: Submit completed Benton PUD 

application, resume, and cover letter detailing 

your interest and qualifications, to Human 

Resources Assistant, Benton PUD, P.O. Box 

6270, Kennewick, WA 99336. Application may 

be found online at www.bentonpud.org, or can 

be obtained at 2721 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick, 

WA 99336. 

POSITION: Journeyman Lineworker 

COMPANY: Consumers Power, Inc. (Philomath, 

Ore.) 

SALARY: $37.23 per hour, plus benefits. 


TO APPLY: Send resume with a cover letter listing 

qualifications, and references, to Human 

Resources, Consumers Power, Inc., 6990 West 

Hills Rd., P.O. Box 1180, Philomath, OR 97370, 

fax (541) 929-8501, or e-mail to 

nancya@cpi.coop. 

POSITION: Supervisory Human Resources 

Specialist (Talent Acquisition Manager) 

COMPANY: Bonneville Power Administration 

(Portland, Ore.) 



TO APPLY: You will initially be evaluated based 

solely on the written material you provide in 

your application. For specific application instructions 

and detailed information, please visit 

www.jobs.bpa.gov/job_search and click on 

Announcement #6778-09-DE, Supervisory 

Human Resources Specialist (Talent Acquisition 

Manager). 

POSITION: Operations Manager 

COMPANY: Southeast Alaska Power Agency 

(Ketchikan, Alaska) 

SALARY: DOE. 


TO APPLY: Submit a current resume, including 

10-year employment and salary history, and a list 

of at least three employment references and three 

personal references, to Shannon Webster, 

Southeast Alaska Power Agency, P.O. Box 

110987, Anchorage, AK 99511-0987, (907) 

258-2281, fax (907) 258-2287, or e-mail to 

swebster@seapahydro.org.

POSITION: Director — GIS, Mapping & Data 

Management 

COMPANY: PacifiCorp (Portland, Ore.) 

SALARY: $80,200-$105,000 yearly. 


TO APPLY: Visit www.pacificorp.com and click 

on the Careers tab. Reference job #90406. 

POSITION: Assistant Superintendent, Thermal 

Generation & Gas Pipeline Assets 

COMPANY: Sacramento Municipal Utility 

Distrit (Sacramento, Calif.) 



TO APPLY: For additional information and 

to submit an online application, go to 

http://smud.org/careers. 

POSITION: Manager of Operations 

COMPANY: Oregon Trail Electric Consumers 

Cooperative (Baker City, Ore.) 

SALARY: DOE. 


TO APPLY: Submit resume and/or OTEC application 

to OTEC, P.O. Box 226, Baker City, OR 

97814 or online to humanresources@otecc.com. 

POSITION: Supervisory Public Utilities 

Specialist 



SALARY: $99,892-$129,865 


TO APPLY: Please note that only complete applications 

will be considered. For specific application 

instructions and detailed information, please 

visit www.jobs.bpa.gov/job_search and click on 

Announcement #6762-09-DE, Supervisory 

Public Utilities Specialist. 

POSITION: Business Continuity Specialist 



For information on our 

Job Mart ads, education, 

government relations, 

membership, and more, 

go to our Web site at 

www.nwppa.org. 

SALARY: $58,309-$92,409 yearly. 

DEADLINE TO APPLY: September 3, 2009. 

TO APPLY: A complete application includes 

your resume, copy of college transcripts, and 

your responses to the knowledges, skills, and 

abilities (KSAs) associated with this position as 

defined in Announcement #6787-09-DE, 

Business Continuity Specialist available at 

http://www.jobs.bpa.gov/job_search, or call (877) 

975-4272 for a mailed copy. NWPPA 


In the world of RENEWABLE ENERGY... 

WE CAST QUITE A SHADOW. When it comes to solar, wind, or geothermal energy, 

nobody delivers like POWER Engineers. We've been engineering the generation and delivery of energy, nergy 

including from renewable resources, for over three decades. If you’re looking for a company that knows 

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E NERG Y l F A C ILITIES l COMMU NIC ATIO N S l ENVIRO NMENTAL

by Scott M. Lindsay - Northwest Public Power Association

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