PUD hears reports, opposes dam removal

The Wahkiakum County PUD Board of Commissioners met July 2 to hear reports and to vote on a resolution regarding the removal of the Lower Snake River Dams.

With the water expansion project on his mind, Commissioner Dennis Reid asked if there were still holdouts on the Sleepy Hollow portion of the Skamokawa Water System.

“I don’t know, but I think it’s looking pretty good down there,” Auditor Erin Wilson said.

“If we don’t get it down to one, the whole thing is off,” Reid replied. “We could still do Brooks Slough and Steamboat Slough but we would have to send everything back and reapply just for that, so I hope we can get the other two to sign on.”

Wilson gave an update on the renewable energy program, which is currently administered by Washington State University.

“They sent out notifications to utilities that the $110 million tax cap that the legislature had set for incentive payments has been met,” Wilson said. “Any new applications received after June 14 to participate in the incentive program will not be reviewed for eligibility until January 1, 2020, if at all.”

Some customers in the program receive as much as $.58 per kilowatt hour that they produce, Wilson said.

According to Wilson, the program will continue as is for any customers who have already signed up, at the same rate they were offered. New customers wanting to use solar, or other acceptable forms of renewable energy, can still join the Wahkiakum PUD system, but they may not be able to participate in the incentive program.

Finally, all three commissioners voted to approve Resolution No. 1238. which states that the Wahkiakum PUD supports the Federal Columbia River Power System and opposes the removal of the Lower Snake River Dams.