Related News
Related News
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Spring Cleaning? How about Spring Emergency Preparedness!
Spring is officially here and that means the plants are blooming, the sun is (sometimes) shining, and the grass is green! We've had our fair share of severe weather already, but spring weather is notoriously unpredictable. While you're in the midst of spring cleaning and garden care, consider completing these emergency preparedness tasks.
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EWEB General Manager Delivers 2024 State of the Utility
General Manager Frank Lawson delivered his address at the March 5 public Board of Commissioners meeting
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Nine days without power: My ice storm story as an EWEB customer and employee
While beautiful and peaceful, buying a home on the edge of the forest and surrounded by trees has its tradeoffs. Moving “upriver,” I knew there would be more threats to prepare for, including Mother Nature’s seasonal surprises.
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EWEB achieves power restoration milestone over the weekend
Crews have so far restored power for 92% of customers who originally lost power at the height of the ice storm.
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Reenergized McKenzie River Valley transmission lines allow EWEB crews to restore power upriver
On Friday, a majority of EWEB crews tackled power restoration efforts upriver, after federally managed transmission lines were reenergized Thursday.
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EWEB estimates one week to complete power system restoration
On Wednesday, EWEB crews restored power for about 10,000 customers by repairing large equipment first.
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Second round of ice and ensuing thaw prompt mass power outages
On Wednesday, all EWEB crews, who have been working nonstop since Saturday, traversed EWEB’s service territory assessing the damage and restoring transmission lines and main power feeders.
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Power restored at EWEB’s water treatment plant
Crews restored electric power at EWEB's Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant Monday evening, allowing operators to switch off the generators and rely again on the grid. Meanwhile, EWEB crews brace for additional outages amidst second round of ice and during the coming thaw.
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EWEB crews making downed lines safe and restoring power across Eugene and the foothills
As EWEB works to restore electric service to customers affected by the ice storm, the customer-owned utility is following established policies and its “hierarchy of repair” to prioritize repairs that restore electric service to the greatest number of customers.
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Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan
Plan details next steps through regulatory processes to begin dismantling Leaburg Dam by 2032.
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What’s ahead in 2024: General manager’s message to EWEB customer-owners
At the start of the new year, we back at accomplishments from 2023 and look ahead at what's to come in 2024.
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Start the New Year saving money with energy saving tips
We know that saving money is important to our customers. Using energy and water wisely is a great way to reduce your monthly utility bill, even as the costs of electricity and water rise. EWEB has several steps you can take to reduce your usage and even make your home feel more comfortable.
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Currin Substation: End of year update
EWEB Engineer Philip Peterson explains what's been happening in the final stretch to complete the substation rebuild.
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EWEB 2023 year in review
In 2023, EWEB invested in our community with grants, rebates and an array of other programs and measures aimed at fulfilling our core values of safety, reliability, affordability, environmental responsibility and community/culture.
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EWEB Recognized with Excellence in Communications Awards from American Public Power Association
We are proud to have been recognized with two Excellence in Public Power Communications Awards for 2023 from the American Public Power Association (APPA).
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EWEB helps the City of Eugene lower its carbon footprint
November 04, 2021
Travis Reeder's specialty is finding ways to reduce energy. From the tallest building in town to the city's pools, he's helped Eugene save energy, save money, and lower its carbon footprint.
"We've worked with the City of Eugene on energy efficiency projects for decades. And we have great relationships with the folks over there," Travis said. "We work collaboratively to complete projects meeting both City and EWEB needs."
Travis' latest collaboration will help cut about one third of the City's carbon footprint for General Fund Facilities.
"Early on in the design process, we were looking at the different ways you could save carbon within the City's Facilities. And it came to light that 50% of carbon emitted by City facilities was from swimming pools."
That realization led Travis and the City to dive into exploring how they could make the pools more efficient and less carbon intensive. The team shared an interest in the idea of using an electric heat pump - powered with 90% carbon-free electricity - as the primary heat source for the pool. There were no examples of this innovation in the Pacific Northwest climate to use as a case study, however. By utilizing the existing gas boilers during periods of peak heating, the team calculated they would be able to mitigate the risk of using a heat pump to heat a pool operated year-round.
The team also identified key inefficiencies to correct, like how the Echo Hollow Pool was split between an inside and outside pool and lost heat to the cold winter air, the difficulty covering the pool, lighting at the site, air control, and water leaks.
With a plan in hand, the City appealed to Eugene voters for a Bond Measure in 2018 to improve City Recreation Facilities, including the energy efficiency upgrades to the Echo Hollow and Sheldon pools, and the Campbell Community Center.
Travis wrote up a plan to meet the Bonneville Power Administration guidelines to secure energy conservation rebates. EWEB also contributed Greenpower funds to install photovoltaic panels to help power the new heat pumps. Greenpower is a voluntary subscription for EWEB customers who want to invest in local renewable energy projects. (If you are an EWEB customer, you can assign up to 100% of your electricity use by paying a small premium on your electric bill. EWEB uses these Greenpower funds to support research, education, and projects that advance renewable energy, including our rooftop solar rebates.)
"In day-to-day operations the heat pump system will completely run the pool," said City Facilities Manager Jeff Perry. "And it's a major reduction in our carbon footprint. In fact, between the Echo Hollow project, our new Campbell Community Center and the new Sheldon project that's under construction, those three projects reduce our City-wide carbon use by 30%, for General Fund Facilities."
The Echo Hollow renovation was completed this summer. Along with the energy efficiency upgrades that reduce Echo Hollow Pool's carbon footprint by 64%, Eugene's swimmers are enjoying a new diving board, a kids' play area, new locker rooms, and a big slide.
"This is a perfect opportunity," said Jeff. "It's one of those projects that's fulfilling and I'm just proud that we were able to participate on it."
The Echo Hollow Pool project is just one example of opportunities to support our community's climate recovery goals through energy efficiency and smart transitions from fossil-based fuel use to electricity.
"It's a great opportunity to save energy and support our local energy efficiency economy," Travis added.
EWEB offers over 40 different Greenpower, energy efficiency and conservation products/programs, including limited income and rental qualifying programs, electric vehicle charging and heat pump hot water heater incentives, along with commercial programs for lighting, refrigeration, compressors, and other applications.