Manager’s Report – March 2018
“Future-proofing” and infrastructure investments
Northern Wasco County PUD has always embraced its history and traditions, but that hasn’t kept us from looking forward. The reason is simple: serving you, our customer-owners requires constant adjusting to meet your changing needs.
Today’s interconnected and increasingly complex world, where customers have more choices than ever, is driving organizations like ours to adjust the products and services we offer to provide more transparency and vision to you about your energy use, where it comes from, options for how you pay for it, as well as to how we operate and make the decisions to run the organization. Our intent is to give you the services you desire, so when the day comes where you can choose between multiple energy service providers, you will still choose us, and be greatly satisfied with your choice. Doing business and interacting with us should be easy, that is our responsibility and goal.
Admittedly, your PUD typically isn’t on the cutting edge of technology adoption, we generally wait for the bugs to be worked out a bit and for the initial costs to come down. So, as you consider things like installing solar panels, battery storage systems, purchasing an electric vehicle, buying that “smart” home appliance, or other “Internet of Things” (IoT) enabled device, know that we’re getting ready to integrate it safely, reliably, and in a cost-conscious manner. Ultimately, those are your personal choices, we simply have the obligation to not hinder their effectiveness, or to be detractors to your individual and collective successes.
The term “future-proofing” has been used as of late to explain some of these investments and trends. I think that is very appropriate, especially as the future is now. As such, we are continuing to reinvest in the District’s infrastructure to keep is safe and reliable, and to provide those expanded products and services that have become part of daily life over the last decade. Pre-pay options, integrating more renewable-energy supplies self-generated at your home or business, real-time energy consumption information, easy same-day start/stop services, easy predictable interconnection or business expansion options, enhanced outage notifications and response, partnering amongst other public and private sector organizations for the benefit of the community, those are all things that your Board of Directors, staff and I are working toward for the near-term future. We are confident you will be happy with the outcome.
Roger Kline
General Manager
