Related News
Related News
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EWEB opens application for 2024 Electric Mobility Community Grants
Grant awards of up to $30,000 to cover costs associated with electric mobility projects.
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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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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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Nine days without power: My ice storm story as an EWEB customer and employee
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EWEB achieves power restoration milestone over the weekend
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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
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What’s ahead in 2024: General manager’s message to EWEB customer-owners
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Currin Substation: End of year update
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Powered by People Like Zulema
January 06, 2020
Ask staff who work in EWEB's contact center about their best day at work, and you'll lose count of how many times the stories involve Zulema.
Growing up on a nursery in Southern California, Zulema's father taught her the value of energy and water conservation early on.
"We lived on the nursery, and didn't have to pay for the utilities. But, that didn't stop him from reminding us that electricity doesn't grow on trees," laughs Zulema.
At 18, Zulema packed up and headed to Seattle, eventually backtracking a little south settling in Eugene. Wanting to help others, she found herself in a variety of customer service positions and remembers reading a Craigslist ad for a position in EWEB's call center.
"Really, the ad didn't make it sound like a very fun job. Data entry and difficult customer interactions. For some reason I applied anyway. And it turned out, I would find my niche and meet my people here," says Zulema.
That niche and those people were involved with EWEB's limited income programs. Combined with her incredible capacity for empathy and engrained awareness of energy and water conservation, Zulema is a perfect fit for the Customer Service Specialist position she now holds, administering EWEB's Customer Care program.
"It's like the Cinderella's shoe of EWEB," says Zulema. "It's the most fulfilling job I have ever had. I have lived a pretty privileged life. I've never experienced food or home insecurity. Working to help people, who just keep getting hit by life circumstances through no fault of their own..."
With that Zulema trails off as her eyes fill with tears. "I can cry just thinking about it. I am such a sap!" she exclaims.
Zulema's work for the community extends beyond her work with EWEB, not that she will tell you about all of the good she does, which includes routinely volunteering with Egan Warming Center. Spend time with her, and you'll realize it's because she doesn't even recognize it as above-and-beyond, but just what we should do as members of a community-look after those less fortunate or who have fallen on hard times.
If the heart of an organization can take the form of an employee, EWEB's walking, talking heart just might look like Zulema. When asked what is next for her, Zulema reassures we are not losing this piece of our heart any time soon, "I'm devoted to EWEB and this work. I'm going back to school so I can gain additional skills that will help me champion this work further. "
*Phew.*
Thank you Zulema for your role in providing customers with vital services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.