Related News
Related News
-
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.
Find Out More -
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
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan
Plan details next steps through regulatory processes to begin dismantling Leaburg Dam by 2032.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
Currin Substation: End of year update
EWEB Engineer Philip Peterson explains what's been happening in the final stretch to complete the substation rebuild.
Find Out More -
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.
Find Out More -
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).
Find Out More - Show More
What do EWEB and the Fourth of July Have in Common?
June 30, 2017
The Continental Congress in 1776 declared independence from the British Empire. In 1911, the citizens of Eugene made their own "declaration of independence" from the privately owned water company.
A typhoid epidemic that struck Eugene in the first decade of the 20th century provided the catalyst that led to the creation of EWEB. When the outbreak was traced to the privately owned water company, outraged citizens sprang into action, voting in 1908 to buy the system and create a municipal, citizen-owned water utility. We began generating electricity, at first to power the pumps for the water system, and eventually became the full-service water and electric utility we are today.
Public utilities have long been an important American institution. From small towns to big cities, public power and water is an expression of the American ideal of local people working together to meet local needs. While each community-owned utility is unique, all public utilities, including EWEB, share some basic tenets:
Public Ownership
Public utilities are owned by the citizens they serve. All of EWEB's assets—from hydroelectric generation plants to water reservoirs and the high-speed fiber network—are owned by the citizens of Eugene. Public ownership also means that dollars stay in the local community. Each year EWEB contributes more than $12 million to help the City of Eugene pay for critical services such as public safety.
Local Control
Like the government envisioned by our founding fathers, public utilities are accountable to the people they serve. EWEB is governed by a citizen-elected Board of Commissioners. With local control, EWEB is able to make business decisions that are important to our customers, such as investing in system reliability, energy efficiency programs, and helping limited-income residents pay their utility bills.
Nonprofit Operations
As a public utility, we do not operate to earn a profit or to serve the investment needs of stockholders. Most community-owned utilities, including EWEB, charge cost-based rates. We raise rates only when necessary to provide safe and reliable service for customers. We've been making reductions and cost-cutting measures for a number of years, and through our current affordability initiative, we're working hard to reduce future price increases.
This year as you celebrate Independence Day with the traditional cook-out, fireworks, or camping trip, take a moment to remember another American tradition: public power and water. EWEB has been locally owned and operated, reflecting the community's values and priorities, for more than 106 years. We are thankful to serve you, our customer-owners, and we wish you a safe and fun Fourth of July!