 October 2023
Hi, I’m Ashley Cissna with the EWEB Communications Team.
Happy October! This month we are celebrating Public Power Week and exploring what it means to be a customer owned utility. Learn about public involvement in rates, projects, and program offerings. And don't forget to vote in the Public Power Poster Contest for fifth graders. We'll announce the winners later this month.
We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, and please let us know what you think. Email us at publicaffairs@eweb.org.
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We are the people in your neighborhood!
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Chief Dam Safety Engineer Laura Ohman is proud of her work on the Carmen-Smith Hydroelectric Project. “It's vital to Eugene, and we're doing a lot of important work there. It feels great to be part of it,” Ohman said. Read about Laura’s path to her STEM career in our Women in STEM series.
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Trivia time!
What level of compensation do EWEB Commissioners receive from EWEB for serving on the Board?
A: $100/week
B: $1,000/month
C: $10,000/year
D: $0
You can find the answer in one of the articles linked in today’s newsletter, or by reading to the end of this newsletter!
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What's happening at your community-owned utility?
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Vote now for the winner of the 2023 Public Power Week Poster Contest! Claire Wray, EWEB Communications
 This month marks the start of Public Power Week—an annual celebration of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities like EWEB.
Each year we celebrate by holding a Public Power Week Poster Contest for fifth graders in our service territory. Students were asked to illustrate all the things in life “brought to you by electricity.”
The top 20 submissions have been posted on the EWEB website. We hope you’ll take a moment to view the creative artwork and vote for your favorites. The deadline to cast your vote is midnight on Thursday, October 5.
Five students will be recognized with awards and the poster with the most first-place votes will be converted to a restaurant coloring placemat.
EWEB is proud to provide reliable power to our community. Money charged in rates stays local and goes toward paying for the costs of providing service and maintaining vital infrastructure.
Please join us in celebrating Public Power Week and our next generation of local artists!
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Public involvement in rates and budget
Jen Connors, EWEB Communications
 EWEB’s Board of Commissioners is considering rate changes to help maintain reliable utility services and fund critical investments in Eugene’s water and electric infrastructure. Because EWEB is customer-owned, utility rate-setting and other business are conducted in open public meetings. Decisions about pricing and investments are made locally and reflect the values and choices of our community. Citizens have access to planning documents, financial statements, and performance reports.
Learn more about how your rates reflect local priorities, and how you be informed and involved.
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Imagine a Day Without Water
Claire Wray, EWEB Communications
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Next time you wake up, try to count how many times you use water in just the first 15 minutes of your day. Do you head straight for the shower? Brush your teeth? Fill up your coffee pot for your morning brew? All three? It’s amazing how much we rely on water.
On October 19, EWEB will participate in the ninth-annual “Imagine a Day Without Water.” The event was founded to highlight how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of continuous investment.
EWEB is investing in major water projects to ensure a day without water does not become a reality for our community. Click here to read how EWEB's Staff and Board of Commissioners are working to safeguard our water future.
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Get to know your commissioner
EWEB’s Board of Commissioners oversees our budget and approves investments that align with community values. Board members are elected by the community and serve four-year terms. They are volunteers and are not paid for their service.
Find Your Commissioner
Eugene is split up into eight wards. Four commissioners represent specific wards of the city; the fifth member is elected "at large" by all city voters. Commissioners represent the interests of all customers, not just those in their wards, and that includes customers who live outside Eugene in EWEB's upriver service territory. Traditionally, the at-large Commissioner is the point of contact for upriver customers.
To find your ward, visit this City of Eugene Map.
EWEB Commissioners by Ward
- Wards 1 and 8: Matt McRae
- Wards 2 and 3: John Barofsky
- Wards 4 and 5: John Brown
- Wards 6 and 7: Sonya Carlson
- At-Large Position: Mindy Schlossberg
Learn more about your commissioner and view contact information here.
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EWEB provides programs that reflect the community's values
Ashley Cissna, EWEB Communications
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As your publicly-owned utility, we are here to serve the interests of you, our customer-owners!
Your input helps us develop programs that reflect the values of the community. The Eugene community has long been known for valuing reliability, affordability and environmental stewardship, and our program offerings reflect that.
Learn more about EWEB programs and how they can help you and strengthen our community.
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Reserve your spot for the Electric Car Guest Drive before spaces are gone!
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If you've been curious about electric vehicles, come take a spin in some of the newest EV models on the market at our 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 on October 7. Come out and test drive several of the most popular models, including a Tesla Model3, Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lighting and more.
𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲
October 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eugene Science Center
2300 Leo Harris Pkwy
We’ll have educational experts and demonstration on charging options and financial incentives.
Speak to EV owners and get their firsthand testimonials on the benefits of going electric, including:
Space for the Electric Car Guest Drive is limited, so register today to reserve your spot for this FREE* event.
*Must be an EWEB electric customer.
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More News from EWEB
Where is EWEB in planning our future electricity supply? In August, we reached a milestone: EWEB's five-membered Board of Commissioners approved an action plan to guide our energy supply choices for the next 2-3 years. How did we get here?
Salmon return to revived McKenzie River habitats Chinook salmon making their way back up the McKenzie River have found more places to lay their eggs thanks to years of work restoring floodplains throughout the watershed, due to restoration work conducted by EWEB and our partners.
National Preparedness Month: Older adults take control in 1, 2, 3 We know older adults can face greater risks when it comes to the extreme weather events and emergencies, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a disability, depend on electricity for medical needs, or live in rural areas. What can older adults do to prepare for emergencies?
Want to stay abreast of what's happening at your customer-owned utility? Check out EWEB's Newsroom.
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Board of Commissioners meetings and topics
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Local control and governance is a hallmark of public utilities. EWEB is owned by our customers who democratically elect a five-member Board of Commissioners. The agenda for the October 3 public Board of Commissioners meeting includes:
- Discussion about potential new standards for demand response programs (which encourage customers to shift energy usage to low-demand times of day) and electric vehicles. The standards come from the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (“PURPA”).
- Presentation, discussion, and public hearing about 2024 financial planning, including budget and price proposals for both the water and electric utilities. The budgets will inform the Cost of Service Analysis (COSA), which will in turn inform rates.
You can view the full agenda for the October 3 meeting here. You can also learn how to watch online, attend in-person and provide public comments here.
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Annual maintenance can reduce energy costs
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Temperatures are dropping, and now is a good time to start doing a few home maintenance tasks to get your home snug for winter.
One of the easiest things you can do to keep your home warm over the winter while also reducing energy costs is to clean your air filters. If you’ve never opened up your heating or cooling system and been shocked by the amount of dirt and debris build up, let this be your reminder.
Regularly cleaning your filters allows for better airflow, prevents clogging, damage and malfunction of your system and its components. When your filter is clean it doesn’t have to work as hard, so you’ll experience lower energy consumption. You’ll be saving money with a lower energy bill and avoiding costly repairs. A clean filter also offers health and safety benefits by removing bacteria, mold, dust and other pollutants from the air.
Refer to instructions provided by the manufacturer or supplier for the accurate and safe way to clean your filter or contact a professional if you are unsure of how to safely clean your system.
Don’t have an energy efficient heating system? EWEB offers rebates of ducted and ductless heat pump systems.
- Ductless Heat Pump: Receive a $800 rebate per home or a $6,000 zero-percent interest loan plus an additional $2,000 for each additional head.
- Ducted Heat Pump: Receive a $1,000 rebate per home or up to a $15,000 zero-percent interest loan
- Enhanced rebates and loans for income-qualifying customers can cover all or most of the cost to upgrade your heating system.
Learn more about rebates & loans here.
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Preparing for emergencies
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Events like wildfire, earthquake or even a really bad winter storm can impact the electric and water systems and other public services we all rely on. In a severe emergency, some services could be disrupted for weeks or even months.
Preparedness is a shared responsibility. We're making investments to prepare, replace and maintain our community's electric and water systems. You can do your part by following the Oregon Office of Emergency Management's recommendation to build a kit and make a plan so you can be without public services for two weeks.
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Emergency Preparedness Tip: Emergency Alerts
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We’re approaching the winter season and now is the time to prepare your home and family for the possibility of a winter weather related power outage.
For 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.
EWEB employs a full toolbox of "grid hardening" strategies, including trimming trees around power lines, replacing older equipment on a regular basis, inspecting equipment for potential problems, and practicing for widespread power outages.
Learn more about steps you can take before and after a power outage.
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Your monthly Pledge to Prepare Checklist
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 EWEB's Pledge to Prepare is a 12-month blueprint to get you and your household two-weeks ready in the case of a large emergency outage.
Each month we add an additional day of food, water and cash to our home emergency supply. As we move into the colder months it is important to make sure that our emergency kits are stocked with clothes and blankets to keep us warm. If the power is out for an extended period of time you’ll want to wear multiple layers. This is also a good time to make an emergency kit for your car. This is a smaller version of your home kit--keep a few bottles of water, snacks and extra clothes in your car in case you get stranded in snow or ice.
There are also some tasks you should do around the home, such as insulate your water lines and check trees for branches that could fall on power lines.
Download the full October Checklist for suggestions on items to include in your go bags. You can share a photo of your progress to be entered to win the monthly raffle by emailing follow.us@eweb.org.
Las listas de verificación también están disponibles en español.
Join Pledge to Prepare
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A healthy workplace, competitive pay and comprehensive benefits make EWEB a great place to work. We're looking for talented people to bring new ideas and fresh thinking to our team.
Featured Job: Senior Accounting Analyst
We're seeking a detail-oriented professional to perform multifaceted work in accounting, treasury, reporting, and utility-wide financial analysis. This role helps shape EWEB's financial direction and collaborates with staff throughout the utility to transition organizational goals into accounting and reporting that assists in tactical decision making.
Check out this and other job openings.
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Save $800 on an heat pump water heater
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While a standard electric water heater gives you reliable hot water, it also drains your wallet – and as we move into the chilly winter months, that’s the last thing we want. We want our baths and showers warm, and our wallets full.
An energy-efficient heat pump water heater not only gives you reliable hot water, but also reduces your electric water heating costs by up to 50%. With that kind of savings, standard electric water heaters just don’t stack up.
You can save even more with a rebate from EWEB. When you purchase online or at local participating retailers you can save $800 instantly, no need to submit an application or fill out paperwork. Learn more at eweb.org/hpwh.
 
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EWEB's new drinking water tanks are built for safety, reliability and seismic resiliency
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When completed, Eugene's new base level water storage tanks will be able to better withstand natural disasters and protect public health, making Eugene a livable and thriving community for generations to come. Learn how we're building these tanks to be safe, reliable and earthquake-proof.
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Additional utility related news
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Deep dives for fellow utility nerds :-)
Wind energy giant Orsted says delays in U.S. may cost $2 billion
One of the largest developers of renewable energy projects, the Danish company Orsted, has warned that it may have to write off billions of dollars of investment for three giant wind farms off the East Coast. The problem? Supply chain delays.
Read more at The New York Times.
Emerging firm and peaking clean energy tech can slash carbon-free power costs: Google
A 90% emissions-free portfolio of electricity resources will include a lot of wind, solar and lithium-ion batteries. But adding in “clean firm” resources that generate carbon-free energy on demand – such as enhanced geothermal, advanced nuclear or green hydrogen – can cut the cost of those portfolios by 40%, according to a paper by Google. The reason? The clean firm resources reduce the need to procure excess wind and solar that would otherwise be needed to ensure reliable power even during cloudy, windless days.
Read more at Utility Dive.
California takes big first step toward floating offshore wind
California is counting on offshore wind to generate electricity during times of the day when solar wanes – especially the late afternoon and evening. But utilities aren’t confident enough about the emerging technology to invest in huge, 1,000-megawatt projects. So, the state government is stepping in, pledging to buy the energy produced by offshore wind projects, giving investors the green light.
Read more at Canary Media.
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Trivia answer:
 Question: What level of compensation do EWEB Commissioners receive from EWEB for serving on the Board?
If you guessed option D, $0, congratulations, you are correct!
EWEB's Board of Commissioners are volunteers, elected by Eugene citizens, and are not paid for their service. Learn more about our Commissioners here.
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