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Aug 17 , 2010
play video
Hey, everyone. I wanted to share a quick clip of the video I took on the Spokane River last week.
This video shows the removal and relocation of accumulated rock, gravel and sediment at Monroe Street Dam. The crane grabs the materials and places them over the dam and back into the river. This material is the stuff that naturally flows downriver, but collects behind the dam.
My co-worker Communications Manager Anna Scarlett told me that analytical results of materials sampled back in July indicated that sediments were within Washington’s acceptable standards for contaminants. Relocation of the materials over the spillway back into the river is required by federal and state permits to operate the project, and redistributing the materials back into the river will allow them to continue to serve as a potential gravel source for spawning habitat in the Spokane River system.
More work on the river will continue in the next few weeks as we study whether channel modifications can be made to enhance aesthetic flows in the north and middle channels during periods of low river flow.
Aug 16 , 2010
We’re not the kind of company that toots our own horn very often – that’s not really our style. But just this once, we’d like to whistle a note or two. Our 2010 Sustainability Report recently was affirmed as meeting the “B” Level content standards of the Global Reporting Initiative – the international standards setter for sustainability reporting.
Given three levels of reporting – C (the entry level), B and A – we knew that the mid-range level was a good fit for our reporting about our impacts on the environment, the economy and our society…at least for now. And after review of our report by the Netherlands-based GRI, we were pleased that they agreed with the level and quality of information we provided.
An important part of reporting is making sure the content is aligned with what our stakeholders – customers, shareholders and others – want to know about us. If you click on the Feedback link in the report there’s an easy way for you to tell us what you think of our 2010 report and give us your thoughts about what should be included in the next one. We know that we’re on the right track, and we’re committed to making these reports informative, transparent and as useful to you as possible. Aug 06 , 2010
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If your appliances look
like these, it might be
time to take advantage
of state and Avista
rebates to become
more efficient. | Cash for Appliances, plus Avista rebates helps you double-dip on savings
If your home is like mine, the summer chore list can get pretty long. But there was one chore on our list that I couldn’t wait to check off – buying a new dishwasher. Our new dishwasher is great - it saves a lot more energy and water than the old one, plus we don’t have to shout to talk while it’s running. We even received an Avista rebate for purchasing the new high efficiency Energy Star appliance.
The only thing that could have made it better was if we had received an additional rebate. It’s too late for us, but it isn’t too late for you.
Washington State this week announced an expansion of its Cash for Appliances rebate program. The federally-funded statewide program now provides rebates for purchasing Energy Star freezers, dishwashers, electric heat pump water heaters, gas storage and gas tankless water heaters, and ductless heat pumps. That’s in addition to the existing rebates under the program for clothes washers and refrigerators.
Naturally, you can pair the Cash for Appliances rebates with available ones offered by Avista, which range from $20 to $200, for even more cash savings. Information and forms on Avista’s rebates are at www.everylittlebit.com. While you’re on the site, check out our Appliance Recycling Program for Washington and Idaho customers. We’ll will pick up your old refrigerator, recycle it and pay you $30 for it – what a deal! Idaho residents can still qualify for the Idaho Appliance Rebate Program when replacing older, working appliances with an eligible Energy Star appliance, so find out more at www.energy.idaho.gov/stimulus/appliance_rebate.htm. Idaho customers can also take advantage of the same Avista rebates and programs as our Washington customers. Jul 22 , 2010
Reading by candle light á la Ben Franklin? More like Kindle light á la the smart grid
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The Amazon Kindle is just one of the many e-book
readers out there gaining popularity and allowing for
more interactivity while reading. | Post by Dan Kolbet
Last weekend I took my family to a local lake for a day at the beach. We fit in just like everyone else. Young kids, umbrella, packed lunches and the ever-present smell of sunscreen.
While our daughters played in the sand in front of us, my wife and I both pulled out books to pass the time. But here’s where we differ. My wife’s novel was of the “old fashioned” variety, or if you prefer, a printed book. I flipped on my Amazon Kindle DX, which allowed me to access more than just my current spy novel, but my entire library from the past year.
I made sure to charge up the device at home the night before – to make sure I wouldn’t get stuck with a dead battery halfway through the next action sequence. I wasn’t too worried. One charge of a few hours usually lasts me about two weeks. I made it through a few short chapters in between trips to the waves and games of catch with the kids.
This relatively inconsequential experience got me thinking more about how much I depend on electricity. Sure, if the lights go out during a storm, you can’t escape it. But to pass the time you might grab a book (á la Ben Franklin with a candle). Better make sure your e-book has some juice.
This week, Amazon noted that it currently sells more Kindle e-books than hardcover books. The Kindle, Apple’s iPad, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, among others are continuing to grow in popularity and I would argue that they are more making reading more personal and enjoyable than ever before. No need to drive to your local store, browse pretty pictures on the covers of your books then commit to one, drive home and start reading only to find out this book isn’t for you. You can shop, sample and buy (or decide not to buy) from anywhere. You can set the font of your book to suit your tastes or visual needs. And you can carry your entire library with you all the time.
But you need one thing – electricity.
It’s true that you can plug in just about anywhere you go to get your e-book powered up, and thanks to the long battery life of these devices, you should be A-OK during storm season. But as these devices, or other electronics that we probably can’t imagine yet, become mainstream, our dependence on electricity will have saturated every aspect of our lives – even more than it is today. Just think of what your living room looked like 15 years ago. Did you have a DVR, laptop, DVD player, X-Box 360, smart phone, e-book or wireless modem, plugged in? I dare you to say yes. We just didn’t have access to this sort of technology for entertainment and communications back then.
And “back then” wasn’t that long ago. So what will your living room (or trip to the beach) look like 5, 10 or 15 years from today? I certainly don’t have an answer, but I know it will continue to rely on energy, and I’m glad Avista will be around to provide it.
We talk a lot about the smart grid and the future of energy. The definition of smart grid is really dependant on who is defining it, but I’d offer this – it’s about you having more control of your energy usage and your utility having better ways to deliver it. It will eventually provide choices for you to consider based on cost, source or whatever is important to you.
As common items like books, that have traditionally been non-electric, gain interactivity (and an electric charge), our use of energy will eventually seep into every aspect of our lives. From a ‘pursuit of happiness’ standpoint, that’s great, but there’s one thing that I urge you to remember: all these digital comforts have to be powered, so be smart about your usage. At the same time we’ll continue to plan for the future to make sure we can meet your needs.
Jul 06 , 2010
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First edition of the Clark Fork Project Newsletter. | Post by Anna Scarlett
Avista’s two hydroelectric dams on the Clark Fork River, Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids, generate more than 80 percent of the clean, renewable hydropower that we generate for our customers throughout Idaho and Washington. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the first power generated at Noxon Rapids, our largest hydro facility and, arguably, the most impressive.
In addition to the daily work of operating of these impressive plants, more than 40 employees work with dozens of stakeholders to protect the natural resources around them, and help contribute to the communities and the economy of northern Idaho and Montana through their efforts.
Want to know more? We’ve launched a quarterly newsletter highlighting our operations and environmental activities and spotlighting employees and individuals doing this important daily work. Each season, we plan to distribute the newsletter stakeholders, Avista employees, customers and others who sign up for it. Take a look here.
Jul 02 , 2010
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Twitter user @LilacCityRealtr (Realtor Jim Grapes)
snaped this pic of the professional home energy
auditors performing the inspection of his home this
week. He said, “The house passed, but there's small
list of things, one is to caulk around my upstairs
bedroom windows. I didn't expect that.” |
When local real estate professional Jim Grapes tweeted a photo about his Avista in-home energy audit yesterday, he probably didn’t expect to see it on the Avista Blog – but we love this stuff! The tweet, sent from his @LilacCityRealtr Twitter account, included the photo of Jared and Mark (seen on the right), the professional energy auditors who reviewed every nook and cranny of his home in Spokane County.
Through Twitter Jim later said, “The house passed, but there's small list of things, one is to caulk around my upstairs bedroom windows. I didn't expect that.”
I think that’s the beauty of Avista’s in home audit program. We’ve all got a pretty good idea about things we should do around the house to be more energy efficient, but a third-party can review every aspect and point out where you can get the most bang for your buck. It might be something simple like caulking windows – or maybe even bigger stuff like a water heater or insulation.
What is the program?
In partnership with Spokane, Spokane Valley and Spokane County, Avista is operating an audit program that provides comprehensive home energy audits in Spokane County.
The three government partners have pledged nearly $700,000 in federal stimulus funding, which will be matched by Avista as part of its ongoing energy efficiency initiative. Together, these funds will help offset a large portion of the cost for a professional home energy audit for qualifying residents. Get all the details here.Jim obviously knows homes and the value of an energy dollar. He wanted to share his story in the hopes that others would take advantage of the program too. You can find him at www.lilaccityrealestate.com.
Thank you for sharing your story Jim.
You may also like reading this Avista Blog post
May 26 , 2010
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Ginny Welch gets a good look at her new Toyota Prius. |
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The trunk of the Prius was stuffed with CFL goodness. | Efficiency matters and every little bit adds up. Even when you drive a fuel efficient car. And now, one lucky woman owns a brand new Toyota Prius - and a case of CFL bulbs - to help her be more energy efficient both at home and on the road.
Beginning April 1, KREM 2’s Project Green and Toyota joined Avista in promoting the benefits and awareness of energy efficiency, energy assistance and rebates offered to homeowners. The grand prize in the seven-week promotion was the Prius, courtesy of Northwest Toyota Dealers. The May 25 grand prize event was hosted by KREM 2 weathercaster Tom Sherry and Avista Low Income Program Manager Christine McCabe.
Finalists were drawn each week from the over 65,000 entries to the contest. They ranged in age from 19 to 57 and came from communities throughout eastern Washington and northern Idaho. They are Flavia Ford, Post Falls; Rhianna Thomas, Springdale, Wash.; Robert Holven, Chester, Wash; Eleanor Anderson, Post Falls; Alicia Knowles, Spokane; and Christie Higley, Coeur d’Alene.
And the winner is Ginny Welch from Airway Heights, Wash.
May 17 , 2010
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Electric car charging station on Mission Avenue. | Post by Dan Kolbet
Late last month Avista’s first electric car charging stations debuted around Spokane. I’ve been keeping an eye out for anyone plugged into the station located in front of our Mission Campus building. Unfortunately, I have no window to peer out during the day to spot eco-conscious, electric car-charging citizens, plugged into our station. Alas, I’ve seen only one vehicle plugged in and of course, didn’t have my camera to capture the moment. I’ve also come up empty handed after a few drive bys of our stations at Spokane’s City Hall and at the Stream Plant. But I know there are electric vehicle owners out there. I met a handful during our debut of the stations. Even Spokesman-Review reporter Pia Hallenberg spotted an electric car owner and featured him on her South Perry Blog last week. I remember that car in attendance at our station debut events too. There’s no charging station on South Perry, but all three stations are certainly within the electric vehicle’s range. (The blog’s worth a look too.)Have you used one of the charging stations or seen someone else using them to charge up a vehicle? Send us an e-mail or drop us a comment and let us know. Better yet, next time – snap a picture of you, the car and the station – love to see it. May 17 , 2010
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Kettle Falls Generating Station. |
Sunday the Spokesman-Review ran a good article about biomass plants and the difficulty finding low-cost fuel. It featured Avista’s Kettle Falls Generating Station. Check out, "Biomass challenge," by Becky Kramer.
Two years ago I was involved in the 25th anniversary of the Kettle Falls plant and was able to learn a great deal about the wood-waste burning facility. I’ve got an affinity for it because it’s pretty unique in our power supply mix. While we’re obviously well-versed in hydropower and natural gas-fired generation and such – we’ve only got one biomass plant and it’s cool.
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This video was made during the dedication
of Kettle Falls in 1983. Watch now. | Wood waste – called “hog fuel” – is fed into a seven-story furnace/boiler and burned, creating heat. The walls of the furnace/boiler consist of pipes filled with water that are heated by the burning hog fuel. The optimal burning temperature is 2,000 degrees, resulting in a steam temperature of 950 degrees. The heated water generates stream and pressure that drives a turbine, which turns a generator, creating electricity. The maximum output of the wood-waste only operation is 53 megawatts of electricity.
Avista – or Washington Water Power at the time – created a short video in October 1983 during the dedication of the first-of-its-kind, renewable energy plant. The video is called “From Wood Waste to Power.” Due to its age, some statements and facts in the video are dated, but the general idea is still relevant.
It’s interesting to think that at the time, the plant was so groundbreaking and it’s still a gem today.
May 14 , 2010
Have you heard the word? Seems like it’s being used everywhere. Sustainability. What does it mean and why does Avista care?
As a utility company founded on renewable hydro generation, Avista has a long history of using and taking care of the natural resources in our environment. That’s part of doing business in a sustainable way – a way that doesn’t compromise the future for generations to come. That’s important to us and we think it’s important to you, as well.
As important as taking care of our environment is, there’s much more to doing business in a sustainable manner. Sustainability has three components: environment, economy and society. Our newly released 2010 Sustainability Report provides information about our company’s business practices in all three areas. And, in keeping with the spirit of sustainability, the report is web-based to conserve resources and contain costs.
Research groups, major investors and others often use sustainability reports like ours to understand how a company’s operations reflect its values and its commitment to the short and long-term use of resources. Our report is also a valuable tool for customers, community leaders and others who want to better understand Avista’s environmental, economic and social responsibility actions and impacts.
The information is a snapshot in time, largely based on results as of Dec. 31, 2009, and tells about our company’s activities from power generation to resource planning, from philanthropy to governance, from human resources to energy efficiency, and much more.
We encourage you to check out our 2010 Sustainability Report, watch the video message from CEO Scott Morris and give us your feedback. Your input will help us shape the content of future reports.
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