Related News
Related News
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The Big Freeze 2024: After Action Report
Winter 2024 was one for the records books, and we'll look back on it for years to come and say, "That was a doozy!" The back-to-back January Ice Storms caused widespread damage to EWEB’s service territory, affecting approximately 38,000 customers. Preliminary repair costs were over $8 million, and additional repairs to transmission lines are still required.
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Fixing the Unseen: Water Pipeline Replacement in Unincorporated Eugene
Learn more about EWEB's methods for monitoring and replacing aged water pipelines.
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New tanks come online as EWEB modernizes water system
New drinking water storage tanks are one of several investments to ensure that EWEB can meet critical community needs in the event of an earthquake.
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Celebrate Earth Month by taking charge of your home's energy use
This Earth Month, learn how you can reduce your energy usage to help protect our planet and reduce carbon emissions.
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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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State of the McKenzie Watershed
EWEB’s Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP) team says the McKenzie River continues to be an excellent source for drinking water.
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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 focusing on restoring electric service for Hayden Bridge Water Filtration Plant
With more ice forecasted for Tuesday, all EWEB crews are in the field assessing outages and restoring power.
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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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Letter from General Manager Frank Lawson to Customers
January 09, 2017
To our customers:
The past several years have been difficult and financially challenging for the Eugene Water & Electric Board. I'm pleased to report that Oregon's largest customer-owned utility has turned a significant corner and is today in a healthy financial position.
For many years, EWEB has sold surplus power to other Northwest utilities and used that revenue to hold down electric prices. But the advent of hydraulic fracturing created an oversupply of natural gas which caused wholesale electric prices to collapse. Without that revenue, the utility was forced to increase the prices we charge customers for electricity.
Rather than passively accepting this new situation, we've launched significant steps in the past few years to become more efficient, lower operating costs, reduce debt and defer or delay certain capital projects. The goal of these measures is to make EWEB more affordable for you, our customers.
In June, EWEB sold its Smith Creek Hydroelectric Project in northern Idaho. Because we have more power than our customers need, coupled with the depressed wholesale market, it made sense to sell Smith Creek. EWEB took the sale proceeds, added some funds from reserves, and paid off $27 million in debt.
In August, we refinanced $115 million in electric bonds to secure a lower interest rate. EWEB was able to accomplish this because the financial rating agencies studied our financial outlook and gave us high marks. Both Moody's and Fitch upgraded the electric utility's rating, and affirmed the water utility's strong rating.
The result of these actions for the electric utility is that EWEB will save about $47 million in principal and interest payments over the next six to 10 years. On the water side, we refinanced $29 million in bonds, which reduced debt payments by $5.6 million.
I continue to work with EWEB managers and staff to find more effective and efficient way to provide the high quality service our customers want and deserve. We've already identified over $2.5 million in cost savings for 2017.
The good news is that there will be no electric or water price increase for our residential customers in 2017.
These financial results and cost-cutting measures are good for customers and the community. We have less debt, excellent credit and we are positioned well to finance important projects such as the Carmen-Smith relicensing work and the second water plant in the future. Being strong financially helps us make good long-term decisions.
Stayed tuned. More good work is in progress.