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Feb 24 , 2012
Over the past few years, we’ve made a point of reaching out to the communities we serve to have conversations about our energy future. Recently, we had the opportunity to participate in a talk radio show, “Money Management,” on Spokane’s KXLY 920 am ( www.kxly920.com) to share information about the financial side of Avista Corp. Chief Financial Officer Mark Thies and Investor Relations Manager Jason Lang gave listeners a general overview of the corporation, as well as some insight into two of the operating divisions of Avista Corp, namely Avista Utilities and Ecova, our primary unregulated operating division.
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(From left) Mike Maehl, radio host; Mark Thies,
Avista Chief Financial Officer; Jason Lang, Avista
Investor Relations Manager; Jim Harvey, radio
host.Listen to the audio to hear what was
discussed. | We’ve provided a link to a recording of the program (audio link) in this posting so you can listen to the conversation Mark and Jason had with host Mike Maehl and Jim Harvey, his partner from the financial consulting firm Opus 111 Group. They talked about topics as wide ranging as Avista’s ranking among the greenest utilities in the country in generating electricity to implementing smart grid technology on our system; from total shareholder return to the dividend yield on Avista common stock. You’ll also be interested to hear about Ecova, which provides energy and sustainability management services to businesses in the Fortune 500.
We encourage you to take about 30 minutes to hear about Avista from some different voices, from those who see our company from the financial perspective. We think you’ll learn a lot and maybe come away from the experience saying, “I didn’t know that!”
Apr 19 , 2010
Post by Laurine JueAt least once each spring someone reminds me that “April showers bring May flowers” but it’s not the only guarantee that comes with spring – warmer weather also always means outdoor projects are just around the corner.
As you head back outside to put up fences or decks, excavate new gardens, and plant trees (among other things!) don’t forget to call 811 before you dig. It’s easy to forget that pipes, cables and power lines can be buried dangerously close to the surface, and one dig with a shovel or backhoe could strike a natural gas or electric line. It’s not only the smart and safe thing to do to call 811 at least two working days before you plan to dig, it’s the law.
You might already be seeing and hearing 811 reminders on TV, radio, and in newspapers, but it’s worth saying again. Calling 811 will prevent accidental dig-ins, as well as costly fines that customers have to pay if they damage a line. A call to 811 will send a professional to find and mark the location of any buried power lines or natural gas pipes in your yard or dig site.
In the last three years, the number of accidental dig-ins to electrical and natural gas pipes has declined by 39 percent and that’s a trend Avista hopes will continue! For more information on 811 and for other safe digging tips, visit http://www.avistautilities.com/safety.
Help us celebrate “National Safe Digging Month” this April by reminding your family, friends and neighbors to call 811 before they dig. Stay safe!
Mar 23 , 2010
Click to play podcast
Anytime we file a rate case, it’s certain to generate questions and concerns from customers and there’s nothing wrong with that. So in order to provide you with the answers, you no doubt seek I interviewed Avista Vice President for State and Federal Regulation, Kelly Norwood.
This episode is about 5 minutes long and offers a great insight into the reasons Avista filed for rate increases in Washington and Idaho.
We also discuss what a rate case is, the expected timeline for these cases, what’s in them, power supply and infrastructure needs, executive compensation, profits and shareholders and more.
UPDATE: This post was updated July 1. Click onthe graphic above to play the podcast.
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Feb 15 , 2010
Kudos to our customers who in 2009 saved enough electricity to power over 6,800 Inland Northwest homes for a year and enough natural gas to serve over 3,000 homes! These savings show that every little bit we do in our homes and businesses to save energy really do add up.
What did customers do to save so much energy last year? They looked for the Energy Star ® label when buying new appliances, installed high efficiency water heaters and furnaces, and upgraded windows and insulation to help keep their homes warm in winter and cool in summer.
For their efforts, customers qualified for rebates and incentives from Avista and reduced the amount of energy used in their homes. Commercial customers also received incentives for making energy efficiency improvements which helps manage their operating costs.
In total almost 35,000 rebates and incentives totaling about $18.1 million were given to residential, commercial, industrial and limited-income customers in 2009 through energy efficiency programs. But offering energy savings programs to customers is nothing new to us – we’ve been doing for more than 30 years.
To make sure we’re able to keep up with the increasing demand from customers for the popular energy efficiency programs, we filed requests today with the utility commissions in Washington and Idaho for modest increases in the natural gas tariffs which fund these programs. If approved by the utility commissions, residential natural gas customers in Washington will see a $2.54 increase in their bill starting March 15, and Idaho residential customers will see a $1.52 monthly increase.
This leads to the question – why do we help customers use less of our product? Because generally it costs less to help customers reduce their energy use than it would cost to build new power plants or purchase additional energy to meet customer demand. Plus, using less energy is the best option for our environment.
Feb 12 , 2010
Today we launch our first-ever podcast. I sat down with Avista’s Director of Energy Efficiency, Bruce Folsom to discuss our energy efficiency programs and the rebates and incentives that are becoming more and more popular every year.
Take a listen. (You will be directed to a blank web page, which may take a moment to load).
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