Douglas County Public Utility District

Douglas County P.U.D. No. 1

Douglas County PUD Logo
Established:	1936
Headquarters:	East Wenatchee
Number and Type of Power Generation Plants:	1 Hydroelectric Project, 1 Wind Project (shared ownership)
Energy Production	840 megawatts (rated, Wells Dam)
Power Poles
Miles of Line
Customers Served
Average Residential Rate	2.63 cents/kilowatt-hour
Douglas County PUD Website

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 Administration.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Douglas County PUD began the necessary steps to build and license Wells Dam on the Columbia River. 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, Washington
• Waterville, Washington
• Washington

References

• Douglas County PUD No.1 Website
• Douglas County Community Network