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At EWEB, we do what we can to help others in need. That’s been the reality for several of our electric and water crews over the past few weeks as we’ve responded to mutual aid requests for storm response and drinking water restoration, locally, and out of state.
Find Out MoreDespite an ice storm and a few windstorms in Eugene and the McKenzie Valley in the past few weeks, EWEB has so far fended off widespread weather-caused power outages – largely because of investments in year-round system maintenance and infrastructure improvements.
Find Out MoreCommissioners unanimously voted to approve a Record of Decision endorsing the General Manager's Recommendation to decommission the Leaburg Hydroelectric Project and approved Resolution 2302 directing the GM to develop a Leaburg Hydroelectric Project Decommissioning Action Plan
Find Out MoreEWEB is developing a plan to ensure that Eugene has a sufficient supply of reliable, affordable and clean electricity in the decades ahead, and is inviting the community to participate in the process.
Find Out MoreEWEB has joined 10 other Western utilities are to help ensure clean energy resources will be adequate to serve the growing demand in the region, while also managing costs and maintaining reliability for customers.
Find Out MoreFor their final meeting of 2022, on Dec. 6, the EWEB Board of Commissioners grappled with some major decisions and looked ahead to a new year.
Find Out MoreCommissioners supportive of General Manager's recommendation to remove Leaburg Dam
Find Out MoreFor EWEB, preparing for harsh winter storms is a year-round responsibility. While we can’t control the weather, we can make our electric infrastructure more resilient to withstand storms that bring snow, ice and wind to Eugene.
Find Out MoreThere’s no obvious right answer to the question of what to do about the Leaburg dam and canal. EWEB’s Board of Commissioners met this week for a work session with staff about the project.
Find Out MoreBy partnering with ShakeAlert and the Oregon Hazards Lab, EWEB gets an early warning of the effects of earthquakes on hydropower facilities.
Find Out MoreEWEB held its Poster Contest for 5th grade students in our service territory for Public Power Week, October 2-8, receiving more than 100 entries from classrooms across the area.
Find Out MoreWhen access to pad mount transformers, cable, and smart meter chips tightened, EWEB only had one choice – double down on its core values, provide safe and reliable electricity. Below are the stories from EWEB staff about how they have navigated the ups and downs of this new frontier.
Find Out MoreEWEB is bringing back our annual poster contest for Public Power Week, and needs your help to select our top 5 winners!
Find Out MoreEWEB used the tactic of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for the first time to mitigate the risk of wildfires.
Find Out MoreThis unique opportunity to reduce the infrastructure footprint and maintenance costs will also improve wildfire mitigation because less infrastructure means less chance of ignition or damage from a fire.
Find Out MoreNovember 28, 2022
In the years ahead, EWEB will have to make a lot of decisions about where to get the electricity that we deliver to customers.
At a work session on Nov. 15, the EWEB Board of Commissioners got a look at one potential option for the utility’s power supply portfolio for the next 20 years.
The potential energy resource portfolio was generated as part of the process to create EWEB’s updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The 2022 IRP will be the first in a biennial process that prioritizes the long-term economic, environmental, and social benefits of our energy resource portfolio .
The reference case portfolio suggested that EWEB could feasibly meet our energy needs in the future by relying on the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for much of our energy, while supplementing it with new wind resources and large-scale batteries. The reference case also suggested developing customer programs that will help curb electricity demand at peak times when it is often most expensive.
“This is the first IRP in many years and we’re focusing on creating a foundation from which to develop the tools and skills to make important resource decisions,” Megan Capper, EWEB’s energy resource manager, told the Board.
EWEB staff showed commissioners a "reference case” portfolio that will serve as a benchmark for comparison to other potential portfolios that EWEB will explore in the months ahead.
The reference case portfolio was generated using an advanced software model that many utilities around the region use for their energy resource planning processes. EWEB’s team of analysts gives the software certain assumptions, then has it generate the lowest cost portfolio that falls within rigorous constraints, including a requirement that the portfolio is 95% carbon-free by 2030.
During the first half of 2023, EWEB’s analysts will continue the modeling process, using different assumptions to come up with new results. EWEB’s analysts will consider many factors as they tweak their assumptions, including the details of EWEB’s contract with BPA and the availability of transmission lines to bring renewable energy from far way to Eugene. They will also considering examining how growth in our energy demand affects the types of resources we need, and whether there are ways to make our portfolio more resilient to disasters.
EWEB will launch a public outreach process starting in January 2023. Commissioner John Barofsky said he feels his role is to listen to the community and represent their values.
“I think it’s more about giving the community’s values to this IRP is what I feel my job is ,” Commissioner Barofsky said.
EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson agreed. He said it’s early in the process and the commissioners can help with public involvement.
“Also, understanding and guidance in the area of risk. There will be financial risk tradeoffs,” Lawson said. Commissioners will be “bringing the values and understanding that results in an action plan.”
The EWEB Board of Commissioners meets monthly, and their meetings are open to the public and available online. The Board will receive the initial public draft of the Integrated Resource Plan at their Dec. 6 meeting, kicking off the public engagement process.
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Mailing Address: 4200 Roosevelt Blvd., Eugene, OR 97402
Phone: 541-685-7000
Toll free: 800-841-5871
Email: eweb.answers@eweb.org
Customer service phone hours: 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday - Friday