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Jul 16 , 2010
Our Energy on the Street project continues today with customer interviews in downtown Spokane, near the Spokane Transit Plaza and tonight at Avista Stadium before the ballgame starts. If you’ve got a question for Avista – one that you’ve always wanted to ask, but never really had the chance, come find me today. If you can’t make it to one of these locations, you can always send us an e-mail at Conversation@Avistautilities.com.
I’ve really enjoyed the two full days of customer interviews in Stevens County and Coeur d’Alene City Park. I’ve spoken to customers who have nothing but great things to say about our company and customer service, but also those who have criticized aspects of our business. Whichever category you fall into (maybe both), we want to hear from you – that’s the whole point of the Energy on the Street project. We’ll have customer questions and employee answers up on our website later this summer.
Jul 13 , 2010
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Many attendees of Chataqua 2010, in Chewelah were kind enough to talk
energy with us last weekend. There is still time for you to participate,
contact us at Conversation@Avistautilities.com | Project gets answers to your most pressing energy questions
“Are you an Avista customer? Can I talk to you about energy?” I think I said that about a thousand times on Friday.
As part of a project called Energy on the Street, we’re interviewing Avista customers by getting their opinions and questions about energy on video. Friday I was at Chataqua 2010 in Chewelah, Wash., talking to customers from Stevens County (and all over Washington and Idaho) about what they care about regarding energy and Avista. We’re not just getting questions from you – we’re answering them too. Avista employees are providing answers to these questions, also on camera. Both the question and the answer will be posted later this summer on our conversation website.
Want to get in on the action? We’ll be at Coeur d’Alene City Park tomorrow for a few hours starting at 11 a.m. On Friday we’ll be in downtown Spokane at or near the STA Plaza in the afternoon and then at the Avista Stadium outer concourse at 5:30 p.m. until game time.
Look for the white shirts that say “Avista” on the front and “Ask Avista” on the back. Trust me, you can’t miss us.
What are people asking? They want to know about rates and costs, energy efficiency, renewable power, climate change and what the future of energy really looks like. I was pleased with how open and willing the customers I met on Friday were to talk about energy, especially since we were grabbing them out of the blue during a community event.
If you’re interested in getting a question answered on camera by an Avista employee (and you can’t come to the events listed above), send us an e-mail at Conversation@Avistautilities.com Jul 06 , 2010 Water levels allow spill gates at Post Falls Dam to be closed
Avista is advising Spokane River users that river recreation is now permitted in the area between the Spokane Street Bridge and the Post Falls Dam. River volumes have dropped sufficiently to allow the spill gates at the dam to be closed.
The City of Post Falls boat launch at Q’emiln Park is expected to be opened to the public today. Typically this occurs sometime between Memorial Day and the July 4 holiday. The median date for closing the gates is June 22; however the date has occurred as late as July 8 in 2008 and as early as May 22 in 2005.
Avista expects summer operation at the dam to continue through Labor Day, as long as weather conditions allow. River users are cautioned that weather conditions can cause rapid changes in water levels. Please exercise caution when using the waterways.
For current information on Spokane River flows and Coeur d'Alene Lake elevation (includes anticipated changes in flow and elevation for the coming week) call 208-769-1357. For information on Spokane River flows and Lake Spokane elevation (includes anticipated changes in flow and elevation for the coming week) call 509-495-8043.
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
Jul 02 , 2010
High water conditions require open spill gates at Post Falls Dam
Avista is advising Spokane River users that boating and swimming remain prohibited in the area between the Spokane Street Bridge and the Post Falls Dam through the holiday weekend. Last week’s heavy rainfall in North Idaho has resulted in higher than normal flows in the Spokane River and Avista must spill the extra water. Because of the open spill gates, it is not safe to be in the water above the dam and a Post Falls city ordinance prevents river use in that area.
Once the spill gates can be closed the Q’emiln Park boat launch will be opened and river recreation can resume. Typically this occurs sometime between Memorial Day and the July 4 holiday. In recent years the median date for closing the gates has been June 18, however the date has occurred as late as July 8 in 2008 and as early as May 22 in 2005.
Avista expects to begin summer operation at the dam as soon as weather conditions allow.
The river above the Spokane Street Bridge and Coeur d’Alene Lake are accessible with several relatively close public boat launches open. They include the launch at Blackwell Island, Third Street Launch, Higgins Point, Boothe’s Landing and Mica Bay.
For current information on Spokane River flows and Coeur d'Alene Lake elevation (includes anticipated changes in flow and elevation for the coming week) call 208-769-1357. For information on Spokane River flows and Lake Spokane elevation (includes anticipated changes in flow and elevation for the coming week) call 509-495-8043.
River users are cautioned that weather conditions can cause rapid changes in water levels. Please exercise caution when using the waterways.
Jun 30 , 2010
The Shock is electric for sure, but this Shock is Spokane’s number one ranked national Arena Football League team.
And on July 2, the team’s home game against the number two-ranked Arizona Rattlers will do more than generate a lot of touchdown frenzy. Avista’s Project Share emergency energy assistance fund will receive $3 from every ticket sold when fans use the code word “Share” when they purchase their discounted $12 tickets through TicketsWest, over the phone (800-325-SEAT (7328)), or in person at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office, 720 West Mallon.
It’s summer, why are we talking about energy assistance? Because the need for help in our community doesn’t go away just because the weather gets warmer.
Project Share is through donations from our customers, our community and our company. It provides one-time emergency energy assistance to families in our region regardless of the fuel they use for heating. This past heating season, Project Share provided more than $671,000 in energy assistance to 2,972 households in Spokane County. We work with our community Partner, SNAP, to make the grants. More information about Project Share is available on our website.
So, this holiday weekend think winning football team and a big score for Project Share, helping those in need in our community
Jun 21 , 2010
Heavy rains require action, lowering of river
Avista will need to open additional gates at the Post Falls Dam today to allow the increased flow in the Spokane River to pass by the dam. This action is due to a large amount of rain in the North Idaho mountains over the last 24 hours which is causing Coeur d’Alene Lake to rise.
Avista is waiting to open the biggest gate until this afternoon to allow Spokane River users to move their boats and equipment to a safe location in the river. The elevation of the river near the Spokane Street Bridge this morning is about 2,124.8 ft., which is about 3 feet below summer level. Once the bigger spill gate is opened the river level will drop as much as 7 feet below summer level.
Coeur d’Alene Lake is currently slightly above its normal summer level of 2,128 ft. above sea level which Avista is required to maintain until after Labor Day.
As more water flows in the Spokane River between the lake and the dam, Avista must open more spill gates to allow the water to pass so that the lake remains at or near 2,128. The more spill gates that are open, the lower the elevation of the water above the dam, near the Spokane Street Bridge.
Boaters and other river users are reminded that weather conditions can cause rapid changes in river levels. Please exercise caution on the water.
Jun 17 , 2010
This summer and fall, Avista will replace the wooden flashboards at Nine Mile Hydroelectric Development with operable spillgates. The upgraded system will allow Avista to pre-program desired heights and give operators the ability to raise and lower the height of the spillway at any time, incrementally if needed, so that we can maintain the reservoir pool at a more constant level throughout the entire year.
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Click above to enlarge graphic. |
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Click above to enlarge graphic. | What will the new spillway consist of?
The new spillway will consist of metal gates supported by air-filled rubber bladders. Compressors will inflate the bladders to approximately 25 psi to raise the gates. When stream flows are high enough, the bladders will deflate to lower the gates so water can flow over the top. The new, automated technology will be much more flexible and precise when managing the reservoir elevation.
What is the construction plan and timeline?
While the timeline is subject to change, the construction period is anticipated to be from July through October 2010. The new spillgates have been ordered and we expect delivery in July.
Once the new spillgates are delivered, we will remove some concrete from the top of the existing dam and replace it with new concrete to provide a good foundation to erect the new gates. A trough will be excavated in the dam crest for the compressed air lines that will be used to inflate the bladders.
The reservoir level must be lowered during construction to erect the new spillgates. During this period, the pool level will be 2 to 4 feet below the spillway crest, which may bring the level lower than what it has been in the past when the flashboards were erected each year in mid-summer. Construction should be complete and the reservoir level back to full pool by November of 2010.
How will the new spillway change Nine Mile operations?
No change in the full pool level is planned after the new spillway is installed. To the extent possible, we will maintain the reservoir level at the normal full pool elevation year around.
In the past the reservoir had to be lowered each summer to accommodate installation of the flashboards. When the flashboards were pulled in early winter or spring of each year, the material was lost and had to be replaced. Additionally, erecting the wooden flashboards each year is a labor intensive operation. The new spillway will result in less regular maintenance for Avista and enable the generation of additional power.
For project information, contact Steve Schultz, Project Manager, Senior Engineer. Jun 16 , 2010
Back in March Avista filed for electric and natural gas rate increases in Idaho (and Washington). The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has up to seven months from the initial filing to make a ruling on our request. One of the important steps in this transparent process is for the commission to hear from you directly. Today the commission announced public workshops where commission staff will provide customers an overview of our rate request application and answer questions. Avista representatives will also be on hand for the workshop.
The workshops are Monday night, June 28, at the Brammer Building, 1225 Idaho St., in Lewiston and Tuesday, June 29, in the student union building on the North Idaho College campus, 1000 W. Garden Ave., in Coeur d’Alene. Both workshops begin at 7 p.m.
Tell me more about Avista’s Idaho general rate request filed in March.
What about Washington?
Public hearings/workshops have not yet been announced by the WUTC, but we’ll keep you posted when the information is available.
Tell me more about Avista’s Washington general rate request filed in March.
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