EWEB faces a choice between two good options, but it's a challenging choice nonetheless.

The choice is which Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) product EWEB should choose as we negotiate a new two-decade power supply contract with the federal agency that supplies roughly 80% of EWEB's power.

After rigorous analysis, EWEB narrowed the choice to one of two products: load following or block with shaping. Load following is a full-service product in which BPA will meet all of EWEB's current load, requirements, including our peak needs, but minus the contributions of most of EWEB's owned generating resources. Block with shaping is more of a do-it-yourself product in which EWEB takes a more active role in balancing load with resources. Load following presents a more dramatic shift from the way EWEB has historically operated, while block with shaping lies closer to the status quo.

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson describes how he is leaning towards selecting the load following product – an initial leaning that he presented to EWEB's Board of Commissioners this week. This product will maximize EWEB's access to BPA's low-cost hydropower resources. 

Both products require that EWEB manage the output of our resources, such as Carmen-Smith. And another decision point lies ahead: In 2026 EWEB will decide if we want BPA to cover our load growth or if we want to do that ourselves.

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The methods that EWEB uses to source the energy that we deliver to customers could change in profound ways in the years ahead.

EWEB is on the cusp of a decision on a new contract with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). BPA provides roughly 80% of the electricity that EWEB supplies to the community. The current contract will end in 2028, and EWEB is in the process of determining the which of several BPA “products” we should opt for. 

The details are complex, but the importance is profound: The contract will cost between $2.3 to $2.8 billion over the next two decades, according to financial analysis conducted by EWEB staff. But the quantitative analysis isn’t the only driver to a good decision, since there are important qualitative factors to consider to ensure we optimize our current power portfolio.

And EWEB must make a decision soon. The deadline is July, with several milestones to reach before then. In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank discusses the process for choosing a new BPA product and the timeline for making the choice.

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The customers have spoken.

And they have a lot of good things to say about EWEB. 

EWEB's 2024 customer satisfaction survey indicates that customer satisfaction with essential services like water and electric reliability has significantly improved. However, affordability remains a priority for many customers.

The survey, conducted by independent research firm GreatBlue Research, Inc. gathered responses from nearly 1,300 residential customers. The findings indicate that overall customer satisfaction with EWEB has grown from 53% in 2022 to 65% in 2024, reflecting strong confidence in the utility’s priorities and initiatives.

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, General Manager Frank Lawson discusses those results, as well as the 2024 annual report that he presented to the Board of Commissioners.

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With the new year, EWEB's Board of Commissioners has approved a new set of strategic goals to guide the utility through 2025. In this episode of Frankly Speaking, General Manager Frank Lawson digs into each of the seven goals that the Board approved this month and discusses an eighth goal that the Board may add.

But how will those goals affect each team at EWEB? Some goals clearly pertain to certain teams, such as the Energy Division's work on energy supply contracts. Others will affect nearly the entire utility, such as formalizing an operational asset management plan.

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EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson talks with retiring Assistant General Manager Rodney Price about his career at EWEB, his advice for EWEBers and his plans for retirement. 

"There's never been a better time to work at EWEB," Rod says. “There’s the opportunity to do some things in the energy world that most utilities just don’t get those opportunities. So it’s fun, challenging, exciting – so exciting that I’m going to go play golf!”

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EWEB is making major investments across the utility that will have impacts spanning years and even decades. In this episode of Frankly Speaking, General Manager Frank Lawson discusses a series of investments the utility is making.

 The most notable for employees driving into the office recently has been EWEB Enterprise Solutions (EES). The parking lot is full, and the hallways are buzzing. The customer service team is helping customers adapt to the new portal, while other teams implement new processes.

Other major investments at the utility are also advancing. In Generation, a newly approved $18 million contract for consultants will help the team manage the Leaburg decommissioning. In the Energy Division, analysis continues on the potential contract options with the Bonneville Power Administration – a choice of between $2.5 and $3.2 million over the next couple decades.

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EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson discusses recent progress on major infrastructure projects on the water and electric side – College Hill Reservoir and Currin Substation – as well as the EWEB Enterprise Solutions project that is nearing the finish line. He also highlights a few topics from the November Board of Commissioners meeting. Listen in to find out which outstanding team was recognized this time!

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EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson shares insights about EWEB's budget and rates process, the utility's long-term rate design project and the contract negotiations with EWEB's largest energy supply, the Bonneville Power Administration. He also highlights the work of one outstanding team at EWEB. Listen in to find out which one!

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