Manager’s Message

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Greetings,

Northern Wasco County PUD recognizes Electrical Safety Month every May, but our workers know the importance of practicing safety year-round. From PUD crews to our consumers, everyone has a part in prioritizing safety.

According to Electrical Safety Foundation International, thousands of people in the United States are critically injured or electrocuted due to electrical fires and accidents in their homes. Many of these accidents are preventable. Electricity is a necessity, and it powers our daily lives. But we know firsthand how hazardous electricity can be because we work with it daily.

Electricity is an integral part of modern life. Given the prevalence of electrical devices,
tools and appliances, I would like to pass along a few practical electrical safety tips.

Frayed wires are a dangerous threat. Power cords can become damaged or frayed from age, heavy use or excessive current flow. Replace damaged, frayed or cut power cords, as they could cause a shock when handled.

Avoid overloading circuits. Circuits can only cope with a limited amount of electricity. Overloading happens when you draw more electricity than a circuit can safely handle by having too many devices running on one circuit.

Label circuit breakers to understand your home’s circuits. For homes more than 40
years old, contact a qualified electrician if you wish to install multiple large appliances
that use large amounts of electricity.

Use extension cords properly. Never plug an extension cord into another extension cord. It could lead to overheating, creating a potential fire hazard. Don’t exceed the wattage of the cord. Doing so risks overloading the cord and starting a fire. Rather than using extension cords as permanent solutions, contact a licensed electrician to install additional outlets.

Talk with your children about playing it safe around electricity. Help them be aware of overhead power lines near where they play outdoors.

Our priority is keeping power flowing to your home or business 24/7, 365 days a year. Equally important is keeping our community safe around electricity. Contact us for additional electrical safety tips or if you would like us to provide a safety demonstration at your school or community event.

Best to all,

Manager Roger Kline 

The Power Behind Your Power

Greetings,

Lineworker Appreciation Day is April 18. During April, if you see a lineworker, please pause to say thank you to the power behind your power. Let them know you appreciate their hard work to keep the lights on, regardless of the conditions.

Lineworkers serve on the front line of our nation’s energy needs. This month, Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District, along with other electric utilities across the country, will honor the brave men and women who work hard to keep the lights on.

Line crews work around the clock, sometimes in difficult and dangerous conditions, to keep power flowing to our local communities. Whether restoring power after a major storm or maintaining critical infrastructure to our electric system, lineworkers are at the heart of our utility.

When a storm hits, lineworkers set aside their personal priorities because Mother Nature doesn’t work around holidays, vacations and birthdays. A service-oriented mentality is one of the many admirable characteristics of an electric utility lineworker.

NWCPUD is proud to honor the lineworkers who maintain more than 690 miles of power lines throughout the 87 square miles of our service territory.

We invite all our customer-owners to take a moment and thank a lineworker for the important work they do. On April 18, you can use #ThankALineworker on social media to show your support for the brave men and women who power our lives.

Best to all,
Manager Roger Kline

Connecting With Your PUD

Greetings,

A customer recently raised a concern with the timeliness of the paper billing system. Since 2011, we have worked with a billing vendor to send paper statements to customers who choose to receive their communication that way. The vendor, who is outside the local area, sends those paper statements through the United States Postal Service.

Bills haven’t been sent from the local PUD office for more than a decade, and we don’t see this changing. We encourage customers to use electronic billing, auto-payment withdrawal, our website, smart app or even the telephone if they wish to contact us regarding billing or anything else. The lobby is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for those who wish to do business in person.

Northern Wasco County PUD strives to ensure affordability of the near-zero carbon-based electricity we provide. To accomplish this and be an efficient organization, we make choices on your behalf in the best interests of the district and community.

If you don’t receive a bill, please get in touch with us. We are a locally controlled, not-for-profit utility. It isn’t our business practice to disconnect your service because your bill was late, you didn’t receive it or for any reason other than we couldn’t find a workable solution together. That’s one of the many values of being served by public power and a consumer-owned utility.

I want to thank the customer who raised the concern. We will keep striving to improve the things that are in our direct control and otherwise.

Best to all,

Manager Roger Kline 

Greetings,

Northern Wasco County PUD strives to ensure affordability of the near-zero carbon-based electric service it provides.

Your locally elected board of directors, staff and I attentively monitor the actions in Salem and Washington, D.C., to see how any proposed legislative action may affect us and the provision of safe, reliable and environmentally responsible electric service we all depend upon.

We find it important to engage in the legislative process early to try to influence where we can on your behalf. Whether it relates to environmental attributes of our hydroelectric systems, fish and wildlife recovery programs, infrastructure reinvestment, income-qualified customer support or even cybersecurity, we have a stake in ensuring unintended consequences are not realized.

Visit our website to learn more about our various programs. More information is also available in the board of directors’ meeting agenda and attachments.

Best to all,

Manager Roger Kline 

A New Year, Many New Opportunities

Happy New Year to all of you!

We hope everyone had the opportunity to enjoy precious time with family and friends during the holidays. I hope you were kept safe and warm in your homes and businesses by the electricity we work diligently to provide on your behalf.

Northern Wasco County PUD recently earned the American Public Power Association’s Smart Energy Provider designation. In fact, we were the first utility in Oregon to do so! This is a testament to the values of our community as much as anything else.

Thank you for your commitment to the delivery of environmentally responsible energy sourced from our local hydroelectric resources, energy conservation and overall sustainable utility practices. Read more about your PUD on our About Us page.

As we start 2023, we have new lobby hours at 2345 River Road. The building is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Opening earlier and staying open a bit later is in response to customers who want to interact with us in person but had trouble getting to the office during our former hours. With the drastic increased use of remote payment and interactive tools, this was a good balance for the minimal foot traffic we had been receiving on Fridays, too.

You can still reach someone 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (541) 296-2226 to report outages, make payments or seek general information.

Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work hard on your behalf now and throughout 2023.

Remember, our board meetings are open to the public. We always welcome visitors.

Peace and a joyous new year to all,

Manager Roger Kline 

Happy Holidays From Your Dedicated PUD

Greetings,

As I reflect on this past year, I appreciate the people with whom I have the pleasure of working and serving each day. People keep the power flowing, and we are primarily here to serve them.

On that note, your people’s utility district is governed by a dedicated and compassionate board of directors. As we bid a fond farewell to Directors Howard Gonser and Connie Karp, we reflect on their almost 40 years of combined service. We appreciate their hard work and dedication serving our community.

We are equally appreciative and ready to welcome new Directors Scott Taylor and Dan Hammel to the district. We look forward to supporting them with knowledge transfer and whatever else they need to best represent their constituents as PUD directors.

The policy and regional work the board supports and participates in has provided us a positive vision for the future. The performance indicators they monitor continue to illustrate the excellence of the district. We accomplish all this work on your behalf safely and with the utmost dedication. Of that, I am very proud and appreciative.

Consider this my usual plug for energy audits and conservation measures as well. We strive to offer programs that everyone can use to lower their energy consumption and bills. Let me emphasize: Energy consumption—the amount you use—drives the amount of your bill. We strive to work with every customer if the need arises to make payment arrangements or provide other support. Please communicate with us during times of need. We want you to be safe and warm in your homes and businesses.

Best to all and happy holidays,

Roger Kline
Manager

Greetings,

You will notice more inspection and construction work by Northern Wasco County PUD crews and contractors starting next month.

Utility pole inspection, testing and treatment are critically important because much of your electrical system is transmitted and distributed via overhead lines. We are in our fourth cycle of inspections, and the work is proving valuable.

We also are actively managing our joint-use program to ensure all nonelectric service wires and interconnections on PUD poles are safe and appropriate.

We recently updated our mobile app and web portal to better serve your needs. Please reach out via those platforms. They are efficient and help us keep information flowing to you. Similarly, keep engaging with us on our social media channels. That is the quickest way to stay informed.

It’s hard to believe we are almost halfway through 2022. So much excellent work is being accomplished at NWCPUD by your outstanding staff.

Enjoy the sunshine, and be safe as you recreate outside!

Best,

Roger Kline
Manager

Prioritize Safety Year-Round

At Northern Wasco County PUD, we recognize Electrical Safety Month every May, but we also know the importance of practicing safety year-round. From our line crews to you, we recognize everyone has a part to play in prioritizing safety.

According to Electrical Safety Foundation International, thousands of people in the United States are critically injured or electrocuted as a result of electrical fires and accidents in their own homes. Many of these accidents are preventable.

Electricity is a necessity, and it powers our daily lives. But we know firsthand how dangerous electricity can be because we work with it 365 days a year.

To me, safety is more than a catchphrase. As the PUD’s manager, it is my responsibility to keep employees safe. Additionally, we want to help keep you and all members of our community safe.

Electricity is an integral part of modern life. Given the prevalence of electrical devices,
tools and appliances, I would like to pass along a few practical electrical safety tips.

• Replace frayed or cut power cords. Frayed wires pose a serious safety hazard. Power cords can become damaged or frayed from age, heavy use or excessive current flow through the wiring. If cords become frayed or cut, replace them to avoid getting a shock when handled.
• Avoid overloading circuits. Circuits can only cope with a limited amount of electricity. Overload happens when you draw more electricity than a circuit can safely handle by having too many devices running on one circuit.
• Label circuit breakers to understand the circuits in your home. Contact a qualified electrician if your home is more than 40 years old and you need to install multiple large appliances that consume large amounts of electricity.
• Use extension cords properly. Never plug an extension cord into another extension cord. If you “daisy chain” them together, it could lead to overheating, creating a potential fire hazard. Don’t exceed the wattage of the cord. Doing so creates a risk of overloading the cord and creating a fire hazard. Extension cords should not be used as permanent solutions. If you need additional outlets, contact a licensed electrician to help.
• Talk with your children about playing it safe and smart around electricity. Help them be aware of overhead power lines near where they play outdoors. Our priority is to provide an uninterrupted energy supply 24/7, 365 days per year.

But equally important is keeping our community safe around electricity.

Manager Roger Kline