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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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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Preparation and Resilience: How EWEB Maintained Water Service During Recent Ice Storm
Learn about the projects and people that helped EWEB keep water flowing throughout the extreme weather event.
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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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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 Education Programs Invest in Eugene’s Future
May 22, 2023 • Jen Connors, EWEB Communications
As students, parents, and teachers begin winding down another school year, we want to highlight some of the many ways EWEB customers support local schools and help inspire kids to explore the wonders of watershed health and clean energy resources.
Energy and water use is an important issue now and for future generations. Each year, EWEB dedicates a portion of customer rates to local schools. Grants totaling around $500,000 per school year support energy and environmental studies for kindergarten through high school students in EWEB service territory, which includes Eugene 4J, Bethel, McKenzie, and Springfield school districts. Students learn about the lifecycle and habitat of Chinook Salmon, how hydroelectric and wind energy work, and where their drinking water comes from. They also practice hands-on engineering and technology skills and learn how to engage in climate change solutions large and small.
Tana Shepard is the EWEB grant coordinator for Eugene 4J. She recently spoke to EWEB commissioners at a public board meeting, thanking EWEB and our customers for supporting these valuable programs.
“Without your support, we would not be able to offer as many opportunities for our 4J students,” Shepard told the board. “It’s been a pretty busy and successful year.”
She offered some statistics on how EWEB grants have supported the district, including allowing more than 3,000 students to participate in salmon education experiences and providing curriculum and other resources for more than 1,000 students to participate in the upcoming EWEB EV Challenge. Formerly known as the EWEB Solar Challenge, this event inspires middle school students to use science, technology, engineering, art, and math to design, build and race mini zero-emission cars.
Programs like these have multiple benefits. In addition to supplementing school budgets and introducing kids to energy and water issues, the programs help strengthen local workforce development.
“It takes skilled, dedicated individuals to power our community and ensure we continue to have clean drinking water,” said EWEB Human Resources Partner Lainie Knutsen. “These programs are helping prepare kids for critical and rewarding careers in science and public service.”
In recent years, EWEB-funded programs have expanded to include helping kids prepare for emergencies and education about climate change, with a lens on hope and solution through mitigation, preparedness, and resilience.
“I have a lot of different grade levels reaching out for climate education,” said Tana Shepard. In response a call for action by 4J students and the 4J school board's Climate Resolution, a 4J Climate Justice Team was formed in 2019 to support teachers and students working together to improve climate education.
Another new program implemented this year is focused on waste collection at 4J schools.
“This was a really cool year because we rolled out the Love Food Not Waste program,” Tana Shepard told EWEB commissioners. “I’m especially focusing on water and land use and what that means for food waste and we have implemented a K-12 food waste collection in all of our schools across the district.”
Learn more about your rates support education programs in our community and find a curated collection of learn-at-home resources.