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Feb 22 , 2012
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North Idaho Christian student Brian Pfau is the 2011 Grand Prize winner for his “One Green World” video. North Idaho Christian School, in Hayden, Idaho, will receive a $2,500 technology grant from Avista. |
Students create short videos to show how every little bit adds up for energy savings
Back in December, Avista announced an opportunity for young and aspiring directors and actors to put their creative juices to work and make a short video about energy efficiency through the Every Little Bit Video Contest. After many submissions and tough decisions, several talented and lucky high school students were selected as the third annual Every Little Bit Video winners.
North Idaho Christian student Brian Pfau is the 2011 Grand Prize winner for his “One Green World” video (see video above). North Idaho Christian School, in Hayden, Idaho, will receive a $2,500 technology grant from Avista.
Zane Bickham, Patrick Old and Aneesh Pappu of Pullman High School in Pullman, Wash., are the 2011 Viewer’s Choice Award winners for their film, “ Dreaming Of A Cleaner World.” Their school will receive a $1,500 technology grant from Avista. Runner-up and honorable mention award winners are from East Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Wash., and Pullman High School. View the top six videos at everylittlebit.com. Nearly 50 videos were submitted for judging. Students promoted their videos and viewers were able to vote for their favorites online at everylittlebit.com.
A big “congratulations” to all the winners and a tip of the cap to all the submissions. All the videos demonstrated an undeniable truth – everyone wins with energy efficiency.
Feb 21 , 2012 High winds are coming, track and report outages online and on mobile devices
High winds are in our forecast tonight and Wednesday and that could mean power outages. If your power does go out, did you know that you can easily report and track outages from a mobile device or online at www.avistautilities.com? Reporting an Outage
To report on outage from your mobile device, just enter www.Avistautilities.com in the browser. The Avista website detects when a customer is using a mobile browser and automatically redirects to our mobile website. Then click on Report Electric Outage. From a computer go to avistautilities.com, and click on the Power Outage link on the home page.
Tracking Outages
Tracking outages is just as easy, plus you’ll see real-time information on all reported Avista power outages. From a mobile device, enter www.avistautilities.com in the browser and then click View Outage Status. From a computer, click on the Power Outage link on the www.avistautilities.com homepage, then click List View.
Selecting List View will take to you to all reported electric outages in a geographic area. Click on an area and you’ll find out about each reported incident – number of customers affected, reason for the outage, date and time it was reported, and estimated restoration time.
Want to know the location of an outage? Click on Map View anywhere within the Power Outage site and you’ll see a map with red triangles indicating each reported outage. Hovering over a triangle or clicking on it will give you the details of the outage. Zooming in on a triangle will take you to street level where the boundaries of the outage are indicated in a shaded area.
Information on an outage is updated as it becomes available, so check our website to stay abreast on the latest information.
Feb 15 , 2012 photos
New poles and electric lines mean a more efficient electric delivery system
As you head west on East Sprague Avenue in the Spokane Valley over the next three to four months, you may notice some construction activity with Avista trucks and crews working in the area.
In order to better serve you with safe, reliable electricity, we’re replacing two miles of old wooden poles with new ones. We are also replacing old, smaller wire with larger wire, which increases the efficiency of our delivery of energy to your homes and businesses. The power lines we are working on provide electricity to the entire Sprague/Appleway corridor and the adjacent areas.
The cost of delivering safe, reliable energy includes maintaining a huge system of pipes, poles, generation facilities and substations. Many parts of our system are 30, 40 and even 50 years old.
What you are witnessing is your rate dollars at work to provide safe and reliable service.
Upgrades to our infrastructure, such as this two-mile pole and wire replacement project, make up around 40 percent of your bill – the cost of delivering energy, serving our customers and energy conservation. The other 60 percent is the cost of the energy itself – the cost of generating or purchasing electricity.
So the next time you see projects like the one on Sprague, you’ll get a up close and personal view of the kind of work we do all the time to make sure you have safe, reliable and efficient energy to your home or business.
Some quick facts about delivering energy to you:
• Avista provides electric service to 357,000 customers and natural gas 317,000 homes and businesses across 30,000 square miles. Our service territory spans portions of three states.
• Distribution lines: Avista has more than 18,000 miles of distribution lines traveling from substations to homes and businesses.
• Avista has more than 240,000 distribution wood poles and 33,000 transmission wood poles in its electric system. The average distribution pole costs about $620 each.
• About 68 percent of the wood poles supporting Avista’s 230kV transmission lines are at least 45 years old.
Feb 13 , 2012
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An Avista natural gas crew installs a new length of
pipeline in January 2012. |
Avista announced today that it has filed a request to lower overall natural gas prices for customers in Washington (6.4%) and Idaho (6%). Just like at your local gas station, the price for natural gas ebbs and flows. Unlike your local gas station, Avista only changes its prices once or twice a year with the approval of the state utility commission. If approved by the commission, the lower rate would be effective March 1.
Below is our news release that details the filing. We’re talking about this filing on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/avistautilities. We welcome your comments.
Avista requests lower natural gas prices for Washington and Idaho customers
Avista today filed Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment (PGA) requests with the utility commissions in Washington and Idaho to reduce overall natural gas prices by 6.4 percent and 6.0 percent respectively, to be effective March 1.
If the request is approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), a residential customer in Washington using an average of 67 therms per month would see a decrease of $3.90, or 6.0 percent, for a revised monthly bill of $60.73. Washington commercial customers could expect decreases of 7.6 percent for large general service schedule 111, 8.2 percent for extra large general service schedule 121 and 9.5 percent for interruptible sales service schedule 131.
If the request is approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC), an Idaho customer using an average of 62 therms per month would see a $3.46, or 5.7 percent, decrease for a revised monthly bill of $57.50. Idaho commercial customers could expect decreases of 7.3 percent for large general service schedule 111 and 9.7 percent for interruptible sales service schedule 131. Avista has approximately 149,000 natural gas customers in Washington and 76,000 in Idaho.
“We know many of our customers are concerned about expenses in this economy, and we want to pass these price decreases on to them as quickly as we can,” said Dennis Vermillion, president of Avista Utilities. “The increase in natural gas supply, along with continuing soft demand, is creating the current environment of falling natural gas prices.”
PGA filings are usually made annually in the fall to pass through changes in the cost of natural gas Avista acquires to serve customers. The direct cost of natural gas makes up about 65 percent of an Avista customer’s bill, and this cost can fluctuate up and down based on market prices. Given the decline in wholesale natural gas prices, Avista is proposing to decrease the natural gas rates our customers pay to better reflect current market prices for natural gas. The remaining 35 percent of a customer’s bill covers the cost of delivering the natural gas to customers – the equipment and people needed to provide safe and reliable delivery of service. These costs are changed with state approval of a general rate case request.
Avista does not mark up the cost of natural gas that is purchased to meet customer needs. These changes in natural gas costs and the PGA rate adjustments do not increase or decrease Avista’s earnings.
If approved by the WUTC, overall revenues from Washington customers would decrease by $9.9 million, and if approved by the IPUC, overall revenues from Idaho customers would decrease by $4.1 million.
Avista’s rate applications are proposals, subject to public review and a decision by the WUTC and the IPUC. Copies of the applications are available for public review at the offices of the WUTC and the IPUC, as well as at Avista, and they are available on the WUTC’s website at utc.wa.gov and the IPUC's website at puc.idaho.gov. The commissions will begin a review of Avista's applications and will seek public input on the company's request. Feb 06 , 2012
By Brandi Smith
Avista recently sent out the latest issue of the Spokane River Newsletter, a quarterly publication that keeps subscribers informed about our activities in and around the Spokane River. Below is an article from the newsletter that describes how we operate the Post Falls Dam during the winter season. Check out the latest issue and learn more about what Avista has been up to.
Winter river flows and Coeur d’Alene Lake levels
People commonly think floods occur in the spring. But did you know many of the highest levels recorded for Coeur d’Alene Lake have occurred in the winter? For example, on Christmas day in 1933 the lake reached an all-time peak of roughly eleven feet over its summer level.
Coeur d’Alene Lake is a natural lake with an outlet that naturally restricts its outflow. The primary sources of water into the lake are the St. Joe, St. Maries and Coeur d’Alene rivers. The water then flows through the outlet to create the Spokane River. Avista’s Post Falls Hydroelectric Dam is on the Spokane River, nine miles downstream of the lake’s outlet. The dam affects Coeur d’Alene Lake elevation for about half of the year. During winter and spring, lake levels are controlled entirely by the natural outlet restriction and inflows.
The winter months are generally the wet season in our region. Fluctuating temperatures, rain that occurs on top of snow, or extended heavy rain can increase flows rapidly, which in turn can result in quickly-rising river and lake elevations.
Avista’s goal each year is to draw Coeur d’Alene Lake down six to seven feet below the summer level by early January. This allows Post Falls Dam to generate electricity while providing capacity in the lake for later precipitation and runoff. Natural inflows usually exceed our turbine capacity early in the year, letting Coeur d’Alene Lake and the Spokane River find their naturally occurring levels with no influence by the dam. This free flow condition typically continues through spring run-off until late May, June or early July.
River and lake levels can change quickly. We want you to stay safe, so always use caution on the water and comply with all posted notices and closures, especially in the vicinity.
Avista has a 24-hour telephone information line that provides notification of anticipated elevation changes on Coeur d’Alene Lake, Lake Spokane and the Spokane River.
In Idaho, call (208) 769-1357, in Washington call (509) 495-8043
Other stories you might enjoy:
Feb 02 , 2012
Attention and care for customer's bungalow and garden were integral to Smart Circuits project
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Avista crews took careful measures recently to ensure
no damage was done to a customer’s historic 1912
bungalow and garden during the installation of a
utility pole nearby. The work was part of Avista’s
Smart Circuits project. We listened to our customer’s
concerns and modified our plan to everyone’s
satisfaction. It might be a big project, but we know
how much each interaction matters.
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Poles and electric wires – up above, down below, on the street and by your home. It’s a necessity, and a fundamental part of our business. So every day, Avista is out in neighborhoods placing poles and wires, or replacing them as they age or when new technology comes out to serve you better.
The work we do could literally be in your own back yard – and we want you to be happy with it. Such was the case with Avista customers, Jim and Ann Price, whose historic 1912 bungalow and garden in Spokane had to be accessed in order to place a new pole in a utility easement on his property. The job also entailed removing a very old pole from an adjoining lot.
This specific work, which is part of the Spokane Smart Circuits project, is part of a design to replace large power lines that connect different areas of our system on the South Hill.
The couple was concerned about how Avista and other contractors were going to bring the equipment in on their property to place the pole. Typical equipment used to place power poles would not be able to negotiate the small gravel driveway without threatening irreparable harm to either the bungalow or the garden.
The Construction Project Coordinator for the project, John Hanna, took the time to listen to the couple and work with them.
“After listening to the Mr. Price’s concerns, I assured him of two things,” Hanna said. “First, he would be informed of our plan throughout the entirety of the project, and secondly, we were not done until he was satisfied.”
Hanna, along with a team consisting of Avista Real Estate Representative Claude Kahler, Electric Inspector Joe Vigliotta, Mountain Power Line Foreman Rick Larson, and Asplundh Tree Foreman Steve Guiterez and Work Planner Zeb Rosenthal worked with the customer and created an alternative plan.
According to Jim Price, "The men devoted a great deal of time and attention to seeing that care of our property was an important part of the project ... all of the workers were pleasant, considerate and informative."
Workers dug the hole for the pole by hand and with a jackhammer, instead of using an excavator as they normally would. Aside from a small cart and crane to transport and place the pole, no other trucks or mechanical equipment entered the property.
From beginning to end, work caused minimal disruption and no damage to the bungalow or the customer's garden.
In addition, Hanna and the customer agreed that the best use of the customer’s pine tree that was removed during the project was to donate it as firewood to SNAP. Hanna arranged for four supervised inmates from Geiger Correctional Facility to pick up and deliver the firewood to SNAP. He even surprised the inmates with doughnuts to say “thank you.”
The work done is a great example of how Avista employees work with customers, other businesses and the community to improve the quality of life and energy.
About Avista’s Smart Circuits project
Avista’s Smart Circuits project is all about upgrading electric facilities in the Spokane area to support the technologies of today and tomorrow. Ultimately, this work will result in greater energy efficiency in our delivery of energy. Improving our equipment with smarter technology delays the need for new generation facilities, which is very costly to build. Upgrading our electric facilities with smarter technology also makes future integration of renewable generation resources possible. To learn more about our smart grid projects, visit www.avistautilities.com, keyword: smart grid.
Jan 30 , 2012
Avista adds 10 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks to its fleet
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Meter readers learn how to fill the tank with CNG at
the fill station in the service area on the Avista
Mission Campus. |
CNG – compressed natural gas – is not the natural gas that can heat your home or cook your food. It’s a safe, clean-burning, cost-effective fuel for fleet vehicles. Avista has purchased 10 replacement Chevrolet Silverado half-ton pick-up trucks that run on CNG; seven of those will be allocated to meter readers in Spokane, two to the Spokane line dock and one will stay with Fleet operations. In addition to the CNG tank, the trucks have a 20 gallon gasoline tank, as back-up fuel.
Avista experimented with CNG-powered vehicles about 30 years ago, when the technology for CNG-powered vehicles was in its infancy. Today, the computerized systems within a CNG vehicle make it as easy to operate as a standard gasoline-powered truck. And in keeping with our commitment to environmental stewardship, CNG is a cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline or diesel, so it’s better for the air we breathe. It also helps our country become less dependent on foreign oil, because all of our natural gas supply is produced in North America.
“We’re rolling out CNG vehicles slowly so we can get a good idea how they perform for the kinds of work we do” said Chris Schlothauer, Fleet Manager for Avista. “They seem to operate best on route-type travel, like that which our meter readers drive every day – out from a base, with many stops along the way and then return to the garage.”
“We’ll look at how these trucks perform before we make decisions about expanding the fuel for use in other Avista fleet vehicles. We’re also deciding if and how we might offer CNG to other area businesses as they convert their fleet vehicles to use CNG fuel,” said Ken Boni, Avista strategic initiatives manager.
The trucks have a range of about 250 miles using CNG, averaging 11 to 13 miles per gasoline equivalent gallon, approximately the same as a gasoline-powered truck. And the cost savings from cheaper CNG fuel prices makes these vehicles cost-efficient as well. Typically a CNG gas gallon equivalent costs about $2 less than gasoline at the pump.
Filling up the new trucks is similar to filling up with gasoline – a nozzle is placed in the receptacle on the truck, but instead of hearing the liquid fuel go into the tank, the hiss of natural gas is heard as the tank fills with the gaseous fuel and is measured in pounds per square inch rather than gallons. Plans call for updating the Avista’s CNG fueling stations in Spokane at Mission Avenue and Dollar Road, as well as in Klamath Falls and Coeur d’Alene to replace aging equipment and accommodate new fast-fueling technology.
So when you think about natural gas, look beyond your furnace or your stove. Look out your window and perhaps you’ll see one of Avista’s new CNG-powered fleet vehicles drive by, keeping costs low and the air cleaner.
Jan 23 , 2012
Moscow Pullman Daily News editorial says it all
Post by Brandi Smith
Below is an excerpt from a Moscow Pullman Daily News editorial published on Saturday, Jan. 21. We want to share it with you because we take great pride in serving our customers as quickly as possible. Whether it’s in the midst of a storm or just a normal day, you can always count on the people who work at Avista to respond quickly and efficiently no matter what the weather does.
With snow, ice, power outages, remember to say ‘thanks’
Written by Lee Rozen/M-P Daily News
Odd that a snow and ice storm, downed trees and power failures can get us feeling thankful.
Living here on the Palouse gives us a lot to be thankful for.
But we think the quick response and fast recovery from the chaos of Thursday night and Friday morning deserves extra thanks.
In some places with privately owned power companies, the response might still be getting organized. But Thursday night, we were glad for every dollar we pay Avista in our monthly power bill. As the deluge of ice and snow brought down trees and branches on power lines and caused transformers to explode, Avista moved quickly and efficiently to repair the damage or route around it. And then do it again. And again. (continued/login required.)
A login to the Moscow Pullman Daily News website is required to view the whole story here. Jan 20 , 2012
Events are free and provide ideas and demos to keep warm air in and cold air out
Each year our customers ask for help in managing their energy use and costs during the winter. Well, there’s an easy – and free – answer to your request. For the second year Avista is hosting Energy Fairs in select communities in our service area. The next fairs are planned for Coeur d’Alene on Jan. 28 from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Drive and in Spokane on Feb. 8, from 3 - 6 p.m. at the Northeast Community Center, 4001 Cook St.
The energy fairs offer a broad range of ideas and demonstrations that will help residents keep the warm air inside and the cold air outside their homes. They’re also a great way for customers to conveniently access Avista’s many services, as well as valuable community resources. Information about payment options, energy assistance and energy efficiency will be especially helpful to those struggling to pay their bills.
Fair attendees can speak with Avista staff and learn first-hand about low-cost and no-cost energy efficiency tips. They’ll see how to install such things as rope caulk, window plastic and door sweeps. And following each demonstration, Avista employees will answer questions and provide free samples of each item used in the demonstration. And we’ll have community agencies there, as well, that will provide helpful information about weatherization programs, budgeting and free tax preparation services, safety and independence resources for seniors, job search programs and more.
For the kids, and the kids at heart, Wattson, Avista’s Energy Watchdog, will guide attendees through fun, energy-focused crafts and presentations of his musical message of energy efficiency and safety. Free admission to the event includes all demonstrations, free samples of energy efficiency materials, complimentary food and beverages, and door prizes. Read more about the upcoming energy fair. Jan 19 , 2012
We just released six contractor (Asplundh) tree-trimming crews to help Puget Sound Energy clean up after their major winter storm issues on the West side of Washington.
It's a mutal aid agreement. If/when Avista needs assistance, PSE would send help our way too. Stay safe and best of luck to all the crews working in these terrible weather conditions.
The image to the right shows an electric line crew at work yesterday, not a tree-trimming crew.
UPDATE at 3:45: We just released another six electric line crews (International Line Builders) to help in the Olympia area. The previous crews we sent West were tree-trimming crews, but these are full line crews that can do repairs. Best of luck to them.
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