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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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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Leaburg Decommissioning Action Plan
Plan details next steps through regulatory processes to begin dismantling Leaburg Dam by 2032.
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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 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 now offering a Smart Thermostat rebate program
EWEB is excited to announce a new residential rebate program to provide electric customers with free or greatly discounted Smart Thermostats to customers whose primary source of heating is from an electric forced-air furnace or heat pump.
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Your EWEB Rates at Work: Investing Today for a Resilient Tomorrow
For more than a century, EWEB has planned, built, and maintained the systems that deliver safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible power and water to Eugene homes and businesses.
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Have an energy efficient and water conscious holiday season
The holiday season is officially upon us. Whether you are celebrating a special holiday or just sharing a meal with close friends and family, hosting can cause some unexpected energy and water usage increases – resulting in a higher utility bill. We’ve prepared some tips on how you can save energy and water this holiday season.
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River Road Substation returns to service after infrastructure upgrades
Supply chain shortages and proactive infrastructure investments, including constructing seismic foundations and implementing control modernization, have played a role in the substation's return-to-service timeline.
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The importance of managed electric vehicle charging explained
EWEB has much to handle related to EV charging infrastructure. To ensure that the switch from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles reduces the most emissions possible at the lowest cost possible, we need to implement managed EV charging.
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Fall is the perfect time to prepare for winter storm season
Winter is coming, which increases the likelihood of storm-related power outages. It's important to be prepared, and there are simple actions you can take right now.
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EWEB seeks public input on electric vehicle, demand response standards
EWEB is seeking public input on the potential adoption of updated standards for electric vehicles (EVs) and demand response programs. The potential standards are derived from the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA.
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As prices increase, what can you do to take control of monthly utility bills?
EWEB’s Board of Commissioners is considering rate changes in 2024. Here are some ways to save money and manage your bill, and how EWEB can help.
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Public Power Week Poster Contest 2023
It’s that time of year again! October 1-7 is Public Power Week. To celebrate, EWEB is holding our annual poster contest for fifth graders in our service area. Help us pick the winners.
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How EWEB Helped Eugene Country Club Reduce Costs and Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions
September 25, 2017
With help from our Smart Growth Programs, the Eugene Country Club recently switched from a natural gas boiler to a clean, efficient electric heat pump system that will reduce the County Club's HVAC carbon emissions by 95 percent and shave off thousands of dollars in annual operating expenses.
EWEB delivers safe, reliable power and water around the clock to homes and businesses throughout Eugene. We also deliver intangibles that most people never see, such as environmental stewardship and support for local economic development.
During a recent renovation to the main lodge, the Eugene Country Club was faced with a decision to repair the existing gas boiler or to install a whole new gas or electric heating system. The Country Club's development consultant contacted EWEB for assistance. They teamed up with our Key Accounts Manager Travis Reeder, who developed an economic and engineering analysis of future operational costs for both gas and electric heating systems. The detailed report showed that a high-efficiency electric Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system would save the Country Club $4,500 per year in operating costs, and provide other benefits such as reliability, comfort, and carbon reduction.
Reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG) is a priority for many business owners, as well as a goal of the Eugene Community Climate and Energy Action Plan. The community GHG inventory, created by the City of Eugene, shows the bulk of emissions associated with building energy use comes from burning natural gas.
Though natural gas is cleaner than coal or oil combustion, it still produces significant amounts of greenhouse gases. In comparison, electric heating contributes only a small amount of Eugene's GHG emissions because about 90 percent of EWEB's power supply investments are in renewable resources.
By converting from gas to electric heating, the Country Club will reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 134,000 pounds, the equivalent of removing 13 passenger cars from the road or growing 57 acres of forest.
The business will also save thousands in annual operating costs.
"By challenging the myth that gas heating systems are always the cheapest to operate, we help customers make informed energy-related decisions," said Travis. "This is a valuable service to business owners and can help transform the community to the most economical and lowest carbon energy options."
One reason VRF systems are so efficient is they transfer waste heat from warmer areas of the building to other zones that have a heating demand. They do the same thing when cooling, and can heat and cool simultaneously in different parts of the building.
To assist with some of the up-front costs, the County Club received a custom EWEB incentive on the installation of the new efficient VRF.
"We appreciate EWEB's commitment to providing a sustainable heating option," said Eugene Country Club General Manager Richard Spurlin. "The energy and economic analysis helped us make an informed decision in selecting the VRF option, and the financial incentive made the project economically viable as we switched from the gas boiler system."
EWEB has assisted on numerous other building and renovation projects, including Northwest Community Credit Union's downtown headquarters that opened in 2013, and the new Amazon Corners apartment building and retail space coming soon to south Eugene. These carbon-saving solutions support the business community and ultimately benefit all EWEB customers.
To find out how EWEB energy professionals can assist with new business or expanding existing operations, visit our Business Growth and Retention Programs page.