Power Lines newsletter header 
Robin in December
In This Issue
 
Employees Give to
United Way 
 
Notice for Life Support Customers
 
Go Green with Wind Power
 
PUD Pays Property Taxes
 
Stay Away from Downed Power Lines!
 
No Power?
 
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Issue: # 60 December 2009
PUD EMPLOYEES GIVE $20,207 TO UNITED WAY
Columbia River PUD employees rocked the house during this year's United Way campaign.  They raised $20,207 for the local chapter - a 23% increase over last year!   
 
Fifteen people, nearly one third of the PUD's 48 employees, earned a spot on the Forest Leadership Giving honor roll, having donated $500 or more. According to Columbia County United Way Executive Director Kathye Beck, that percentage of leadership givers is unequalled in the county.
 
PUD employees have given the largest average gift of any local company during three of the past four campaigns. This year's average gift of $421 per employee is likely to garner the same recognition, said Beck. 
 
United Way Campaign Coordinators
PUD Campaign Co-Chairs Sherry Welter, left, and Libby Calnon, right, accept a "Grahammy Award" from United Way Executive Director Kathye Beck in recognition of their successful campaign.
 
 
NOTICE FOR LIFE SUPPORT CUSTOMERS

If someone in your home is on life support, it is very important that you plan ahead to prepare for storms, outages and other emergencies.

Your backup plan should include an alternate source of power, such as a standby generator, or transportation to another location. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.
GO GREEN WITH WIND POWER!
 
Photo of wind turbinesBuying wind power helps reduce greenhouse gasses from carbon-based generation resources and supports the development of renewable energy.
 
Through our Choice Energy program, you can buy one or more 100 kilowatt-hour blocks of wind power for an additional charge of $2 per block per month. Or, you can buy 100% of the energy you use through the Choice Energy program for an additional 1.5¢ per kilowatt-hour per month. 
 
PUD PAYS PROPERTY TAXES
 
Did you pay a property tax bill last month? Your PUD did.
 
Columbia River PUD paid $387,573 in property taxes to Columbia and Multnomah Counties for 2009. The amount is based on assessed value for our distribution system and headquarters facility of $30.1 million.
STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED POWER LINES
Power lines down on Parkdale Road in Rainier 
Power Lines are dangerous! If you see a downed line, follow these important safety tips to avoid injury:
  • Call us at (503) 397-1844 to report downed lines. 
  • Never touch a downed power line. Always assume the power line is energized and dangerous.
  • Always keep at least 50 feet away from any downed line. The ground around a power line may be energized as well, making it very dangerous.
  • Never touch trees or limbs that are touching power lines.
  • Never drive over a downed power line, or under a line that is sagging over the roadway.
  • Don't touch cars, debris or fallen branches that are near downed lines. Anything touching a power line is just as dangerous as the power line itself.
  • If a power line falls on your car, stay inside and wait for emergency personnel. Only exit the car if it is on fire or in danger of catching fire. To avoid electrical shock, do not touch the car and the ground at the same time. Open the door and without touching the ground, jump away from the car.  Land with your feet together and shuffle away.
NO POWER?  HERE'S WHAT TO DO:
Photo of meter with power. 
  1. Check your electric meter. If there are numbers in the display, you have power. Check your circuit breaker box or fuse panel for tripped breakers or blown fuses. 
  2. If there are no numbers in the meter's display, your power is out. Call us to report the outage: (503) 397-1844
  3. Turn on a front porch light. This helps our crews determine when power is restored. 
  4. During cold weather outages, please turn off all electric heaters, water heaters and cooking equipment at the breaker or fuse panel. When power is restored, you can turn these back on one at a time, in 15-minute intervals. This step helps prevent overloading of the electric system when power is restored, which can cause more outages. 
  5. Unplug sensitive electronic equipment such as computers, TVs & stereos to prevent damage from voltage surges or spikes when power is restored.