Hi, I'm Rachael McDonald with the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) communications team. This is our new monthly newsletter, Current Connections. It's a way to share projects and information from Oregon’s largest customer-owned utility that we're excited about. In this month's edition, learn more about our plan for a clean energy future and get tips on how to detect leaks in your home. Please let us know what you think by emailing PublicAffairs@eweb.org.
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We are people in your neighborhood!
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Left: EWEB's Rick and Nathaniel work together to cut asphalt so crews can access water transmission pipes below the road. Learn more here. Right: Hunter with EWEB's Utility Support team connects a new water meter to the water main near the Saturday Market Park Blocks. Photos: Adam Spencer, EWEB Communications
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Planning for a clean energy future
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More electric vehicles. More electric heat pumps. More demand for EWEB’s clean electricity. In the next 20 years, electricity consumption is going to rise. We need to have a plan to continue providing you with reliable, affordable, renewable electricity.
That’s why we’ve launched an Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process, which forecasts future electricity needs two decades out and suggests what mix of energy resources might best fit to meet those needs. Read about our initial results here. On Tuesday during the EWEB Board of Commissioners meeting, we will share more results from our ongoing analysis.
Stay tuned and find out more at eweb.org/IRP!
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Trivia time!
What is a hot stick?
A) A spicy type of beef jerky
B) A tool used to test if a wire is charged
C) Industry slang for power pole
Keep reading to find out if you got the right answer!
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What's happening at your community-owned utility?
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 New earthquake-proof water storage for Eugene
Your water rates at work! Last month, we invited some of the people who live near the site of two new 7.5 million gallon water tanks take a tour of the construction site. Listen to audio story or read in 5 minutes: Neighbors get exclusive peak inside water storage tanks before they’re sealed. | EWEB
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 Protecting your drinking water
EWEB’s water quality lab tests more than 85,000 water samples from source to tap each year. Meet the woman who oversees the lab and makes sure your tap water is safe to drink. Listen to audio story or read in 5 minutes: Women in STEM: Danielle Fisher oversees EWEB’s water quality lab | EWEB
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 Rebuilding substations to improve reliability
In a time of supply chain shortages and rising costs, EWEB is finding creative ways to manage infrastructure projects. In January, our elected Board of Commissioner approved an unprecedented bulk purchase of substation transformers. Read the story: Largest transformer order in EWEB history begins “New Era” of substation rebuilds | EWEB (2 minute read)
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 Greenpower subscribers fund renewable energy grant
Applications are now open for nonprofits, schools and other public organizations to apply for a $50,000 grant to help fund projects to reduce carbon emissions in our community. Read the story: EWEB offering $50,000 community Greenpower renewable energy grant | EWEB (2-minute read)
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Board of Commissioners meetings and topics
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The Eugene Water & Electric Board is owned by our customers, who elect a five-member Board of Commissioners. At their next public meeting, Commissioners will discuss:
- Planning for EWEB’s long-term energy needs
- Utility goals, performance metrics, and results
- How EWEB is tracking our progress on addressing climate change
You can view the full agenda for the March 7 meeting here, and learn how to watch online, attend in-person and provide public comments here.
Read a recap of the previous Board meeting (2-minute read)
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Rebates, savings and other programs
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Efficiency & conservation tip of the month
Leaks cause an average household to waste 10,000 gallons of water every year – 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons per day!
Fixing leaks can save water and money.
At eweb.org/leak we have resources on how to become a leak seeker, how-to guides for easy-to-fix leaks, and information on rebates for residential toilets. We also offer a zero-interest loan for up to $5,000 if you have a water service line in need of replacement.
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Find ways to reduce your impact on climate change
As an EWEB customer, you are already using clean, renewable energy and investing in McKenzie Watershed protection. But together we can do more.
There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint. You can calculate your carbon footprint and then find ways around the home to reduce your energy use. Or try a new recipe using the most climate friendly food, pulses. If you want to do more, offset your carbon footprint for as little as $1.25 a month with carbon offsets.
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Is your winter bill higher than expected?
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Do you ever notice how your bill can change from month to month, even when you keep your thermostat set at the same temperature? Learn how cold weather can affect your bill as Jen with EWEB's Communications Team dives into her bill and investigates what can cause changes in your bill. Check out eweb.org/RateInfo to learn how your rates are being used to provide you with safe, reliable services.
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Join our team!
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 Project Manager
We are looking for a “go getter” Senior Project Manager with experience managing technology projects to join our Information Technology team. The Senior Project Manager will manage multiple software and technology projects simultaneously across the organization, ensuring that key project performance metrics are achieved, and the overall project delivery is to the highest standard.
Check out this and other job openings.
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Preparing for emergencies
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Events like wildfire, earthquake or even a really bad winter storm can impact our 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 Oregon Office of Emergency Management's recommendation to build a kit and make a plan to be without public services for two weeks.
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Your monthly Pledge to Prepare Checklist
Pledge to Prepare is a 12-month blueprint to get you and your household two weeks ready in case of large emergency outage.
In March, continue to build to your food and water supplies you gathered in January and February. Share a photo of your progress with us to be entered to win the monthly raffle.
Join Pledge to Prepare
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Emergency preparedness tip of the month
March – the month at the tail end of winter and the beginning of spring. There's still a chance we'll see cold, winter conditions this month that may lead to storm-related power outages.
Tip: If the power goes out and you're using a space heater to stay warm, make sure it has an auto shut-off in case it tips over. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from it.
Signup for Emergency Alerts
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Deep dives for fellow energy nerds :-)
Extreme Northwest weather — hot and cold — drives new record at only WA nuclear plant
In 2022, both frigid and searing temperatures meant that the Pacific Northwest needed a lot of electricity to heat and cool homes and businesses. To meet that need, grid operators turned to the region’s only commercial nuclear power plant, setting records for total electricity produced.
Read more from the Tri-City Herald.
This EV battery recycling plant in Ohio is planning a huge expansion
More electric vehicles could mean more lithium-ion battery waste. But one battery recycling company in Lancaster, Ohio is using $82 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand, quadrupling its capacity. Soon, it will produce enough recycled battery material to power 200,000 new electric vehicles every year.
Read more from Canary Media.
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 Trivia answer:
If you guessed option B, a tool used to test if a wire is charged, congratulations! You are correct. A hot stick is an insulated pole, usually made of fiberglass, used by electric utility workers when engaged on live-line working on energized high-voltage electric power lines, to protect them from electric shock.
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Thank you for allowing us to keep in touch with you by email! If you enjoyed this newsletter and want to make sure it reaches your inbox each month, add follow.us@eweb.org to your contact list. Let us know what you think of this newsletter, or tag us on social media!
We are @EWEButility on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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