No matter what Mother Nature has in store, Northern Wasco County PUD lineworkers are ready to answer the call, ensuring you have the safe, reliable power you depend on. Our local communities are brighter, safer and stronger because of the selfless sacrifices of these unsung heroes. Remember: When you find yourself in the dark, we’ve […]
Story and photo by Rodger Nichols Risk is not just a board game. It’s a process managers must deal with. In the past, risk was often handled by putting up safety posters and buying insurance to mitigate any problems. But insurance is not nearly as helpful as prevention. Among his many duties at Northern Wasco […]
NWCPUD welcomes Joshua Smith to its engineering team Story and photo by Rodger Nichols Joshua Smith is one of the newest members of the Northern Wasco County PUD staff, having joined in early February. Although his official title is engineering technician, he might well be called jack-of-all-engineering. “My duties now are broad,” Joshua says. “I’m […]
Story and photos by Rodger Nichols Northern Wasco County PUD’s mission is to “provide reliable, competitively priced energy and related services that benefit our customers in the tradition of public power.” As a ratepayer-owned utility, it doesn’t stop there. The PUD firmly believes it should give back to the community. Since 1996, the PUD has […]
Buffalo Bill brought the Wild West to The Dalles in 1902 By Rodger Nichols Electricity first came to The Dalles in July 1888 when The Dalles Electric Light Co., a private corporation, built a wood-burning power generation plant at Seventh and Union streets. It was a limited operation, covering only part of the town and […]
Columbia River System Operations – Draft Environmental Impact Statement By the time this issue of Ruralite gets to your mailbox, the region should have received the draft results of the Columbia River System operations environmental impact statement. The DEIS documents the evaluation of the impacts of the long- term coordinated water management functions for the […]
In today’s political climate, society often seems fractured and divided. That’s not always the case for local governments. Photos and story by Rodger Nichols Cooperation for the common good isn’t lost on local officials in Wasco County. One of the best examples is a significant addition planned for Columbia Gorge Community College. CGCC President Marta […]
By Rodger Nichols A proposed new project near the John Day Dam could offer the Columbia Gorge and beyond a tremendous long-term economic benefit and support renewable power production both directly and indirectly. The project would create a hydroelectric pumped storage facility. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission defines the concept as follows: “Pumped storage projects […]
Carbon Policy, Cap and Trade. Here We Go Again. Lawmakers in Salem are again attempting to pass a bill that would make Oregon the second state after California to adopt an economywide cap-and-trade system to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The bill has support from Gov. Kate Brown and the state house’s other top Democrats, but […]
Neighbors Helping Neighbors As we begin this new year, please remember cold weather tends to increase your electrical consumption and your PUD bills. Please also remember, we have friends and neighbors who can use our help. We understand the cost per unit of measurement — kilowatt hours — is only one aspect. The amount of […]
