Douglas County Public Utility District
Encyclopedia
 Douglas County PUD Logo |
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| Established: | 1936 |
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| Headquarters: | East Wenatchee East Wenatchee, Washington East Wenatchee is a city in Douglas County, Washington, United States along the northern banks of the Columbia River. The population at the 2010 census was 13,190, a 129.1% increase over the 2000 census.... |
| Number and Type of Power Generation Plants: | 1 Hydroelectric Project, 1 Wind Project (shared ownership) |
| Energy Production | 840 megawatts (rated, Wells Dam) |
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| Miles of Line | |
| Customers Served | |
| Average Residential Rate | 2.63 cents/kilowatt-hour |
The Douglas County Public Utility District, or Douglas County PUD, is a Public Co-operative energy district located in north central Washington, USA. It is owned by its customers and governed by a Board of Commissioners elected by the customer-owners. Though it is not regulated by another governmental unit, a PUD is, by state statute, a nonprofit corporation. PUDs must comply with state regulations for municipal corporations. The local customer-owner of the PUD receives dividends in the form of reduced rates for service.
History
Although being organized in 1936, Douglas County Public Utility District did not begin operations until 1945, nearly 10 years later. After acquiring components of the existing electrical grid, Douglas County PUD began extending service into the more rural areas of the county. At that time, Douglas County PUD received electrical current from the Bonneville Power AdministrationBonneville Power Administration
The Bonneville Power Administration is an American federal agency based in the Pacific Northwest. BPA was created by an act of Congress in 1937 to market electric power from the Bonneville Dam located on the Columbia River and to construct facilities necessary to transmit that power...
.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Douglas County PUD began the necessary steps to build and license Wells Dam
Wells Dam
Wells Dam is a hydroelectric dam located on the Columbia River, downstream from the confluence of the Okanogan River, Methow River, and the Columbia River in Washington State. The dam, associated structures, and machinery make up the Wells Hydroelectric Project. It is owned and operated by...
on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. In 1967, Douglas County PUD began generating operations at Wells Dam. At the time, Douglas County PUD did not put that electricity into its own grid due to the high cost, instead sold it to four other utilities who financed the project by purchasing the power.
Today, Wells Dam generates most of the power used by Douglas County residents.
Other Utilities
Douglas County PUD also owns and operates a High Speed Fiber Optic Broadband Internet Network, called the Douglas County Community Network (DCCN), which allows customers in rural parts of the county to connect to Broadband Internet through several different local providers.See also
- East Wenatchee, WashingtonEast Wenatchee, WashingtonEast Wenatchee is a city in Douglas County, Washington, United States along the northern banks of the Columbia River. The population at the 2010 census was 13,190, a 129.1% increase over the 2000 census....
- Waterville, WashingtonWaterville, WashingtonWaterville is a town in and the county seat of Douglas County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,138 at the 2010 census.-History:...
- Washington