Talks, tours, and tasty treats: Employees engage in the second annual TPU Connects
Hundreds of employees attended the second annual TPU Connects All-Employee Meeting & Conference in person and online May 7-8.
IN ADDITION TO 17 PRESENTATIONS, THE TWO-DAY EVENT INCLUDED:
An Information Fair in the Cafeteria both days featuring a variety of topics.
The in-person and online Taste of TPU fundraiser (raised over $2,800 for our Senior Assistance Fund).
Food trucks in the yard.
A visit from Tacoma Rainiers’ mascot, Rhubarb the Reindeer
New this year: Tours of the Cowlitz River Project and Cushman Hydro Project on May 10 (see story in this issue).
Continued on page 3
p Rhubarb, the Tacoma Rainiers mascot, made a special appearance at the second annual TPU Connects.
p Dr. John Gaines, community relations manager, Customer Experience and External Affairs, and Director Jackie Flowers shared words of wisdom during TPU Connects.
Bernie Peterson
Hollis Tamura
More than 100 employees enjoy tours of the Cushman and Cowlitz hydro projects
From watching juvenile salmon released into a river to marveling at water spilling from the tallest dam in the state, more than 100 employees enjoyed a gloriously sunny tour on May 10 at two of our hydro projects: the Cushman Hydro Project in Mason County and the Cowlitz River Project in Lewis County.
Generation Manager Chris Mattson and employees at both remote locations generously offered tours as a new addition to the TPU Connects event.
At TPU, we’re proud to create clean, renewable hydroelectric energy for our customers, and it’s important that employees across TPU, many of whose work every day contributes to creating this energy, have the opportunity to see these awesome facilities first hand,” Chris said. “We thought it would be fun to invite them to learn more about our work with hydropower, fisheries, hatcheries, wildlife, lands, parks, and recreation.”
The day started with staff loading onto two buses at our main campus. They wore their shades and hats and carried a packed lunch. The Cowlitz tour left first and headed to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery Visitor Center. The tour guides were Field Supervisor Missy Baier, Natural Resources Analyst Jamie Murphy, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Hatchery Manager Larona Newhouse. They explained the hatchery process from spawning to the adult fish separator. They warned employees of possibly getting splashed by the large fish as they came through the separator. Splashing came true as attendees picked up, held, and had their photos taken with a salmon weighing close to 15 pounds.
Before heading to Mossyrock Dam, staff enjoyed their lunch at Mossyrock Park and took fun group photos. At the dam and powerhouse, Cowlitz River Project Manager Chad Chalmers and Hydro Project Mechanic Clarence Lupo explained that the dam is a foot taller than the Space Needle from bedrock. Attendees saw the 480-ton capacity powerhouse crane hooks and wrenches ranging from 100 to 200 pounds. Staff received a surprise water spill event, which looked like a waterfall. The tour ended with the bus driving across the top of the dam so employees could enjoy the gorgeous view.
p Employees peek over the edge of Cushman No. 2 Dam during their tour of the Cushman Hydro Project.
Tacoma Power Facilities Operations Manager Tammy Smith said witnessing the salmon hatchery process and holding a fish was exciting. She also appreciated the opportunity to tour the dam and powerhouse.
The Mossyrock Dam’s steady hum and the sensational vibrations of the generator’s beating heart producing energy and serving thousands of our customers left me in awe,” Tammy said.
The trip inspired Tammy to do her best work to support our dynamic workforce.
I want to ensure they have facilities and equipment that allow them to serve our customers, be efficient and effective in their jobs, and do their best work,” she said.
Tour guides Hydro Project Electrician Chris Gleason, Hydro Project Mechanic Dale Gustafson, and Hydro Utility Worker Jared Brooks showed the Cushman tour participants the Cushman No. 1 and 2 dams and the No. 2 Powerhouse. Cushman Fisheries Facilities Manager Andrew Ollenburg highlighted our state-of-the-art fisheries facilities, including our floating juvenile fish collector, adult fish handling facility, North Fork Skokomish Salmon Hatchery, and Saltwater Park Sockeye Hatchery. Attendees saw employees release juvenile salmon into the North Fork Skokomish River and enjoyed lunch at a peaceful picnic area.
Associate Power Systems Engineer Dan Reed said this was the first time he had visited Cushman in 17 years of working for Tacoma Power. He encourages others to take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about how we produce energy and deliver it to our customers.
Many other participants were also first-time visitors. From learning about fish conservation to power generation, employees said they appreciated the opportunity and had a great time.
“This was a pilot to see if there was enough interest; it’s great news that the buses were full,” Chris said. “I’m excited that so many employees attended, and I hope they are also now passionate advocates for hydropower. After all, our power is water! We’re hopeful we can offer the tours at future TPU Connects events.”
Continued from page 1
SOME
“ “ “ “
SURVEY FEEDBACK:
The two days felt like a professional conference; the organization and sponsorship really enhanced the program this year. Providing an opportunity to network and engage in person was really great, and I hope attendees appreciated the changes from last year and we have even more in-person attendance next year.”
LOVED all the different talks. It was a really fun way to learn more about what is going on in the utility that I may not always hear about.”
It was a great opportunity to network with folks I wouldn’t interact with on a typical day!”
It was like attending a conference without leaving town. It helped me learn more about both my section and other areas of the department and the utilities. It was excellent.”
The presenters did a terrific job covering many subjects. You can see their PowerPoint slides and videos of the presentations on the TPU Connects Unet page.
Thanks to everyone who participated. and a big shout-out to everyone who assisted with the event! The next TPU Connects All-Employee Meeting & Conference occurs this October. Check Newsline for updates and information.
p Employees toured Mossyrock Dam, the tallest dam in Washington state, during their tour of the Cowlitz River Project.
q Employees heard about a variety of subjects during TPU Connects.
p Tacoma Power Facilities Operations Manager Tammy Smith held a 15-pound salmon from the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator with the help of Natural Resources Analyst Jamie Murphy.
Congratulations to our 2023 Service Awards recipients
In March, we celebrated 186 employees who reached a milestone in their years of service at TPU in 2023. Employees, managers, and leadership gathered for a ceremony and had the option to attend breakfast or lunch. Each honoree received a customized acrylic plaque that featured their name and years of service, plus a photo with their superintendent and Director, Jackie Flowers. Recognition began with 10 years of service and then every five years following. Congratulations, honorees, and thank you again for your dedication to our utility and the communities we serve.
We also recognized our Service Awards honorees at TPU Night at the Rainiers on Aug. 22. Watch for the full story in our Fall edition of Ubits
2023 SERVICE AWARDS HONOREES
40 Years
Sherri Ingalls, Power
35 Years
Francine Artis, CXEA
Jerome Watson, Water
30 Years
Mike Cassidy, Power
Mark Hallman, Power
Ray Leske, Power
John Parker, Power
25 Years
Trina Jose, CXEA
Josh Newman, CXEA
Kathryn Weller, CXEA
Jin Yi-Kirby, Management Services
Andy Aubry, Power
Richard Boaz, Power
Clem Corbiell, Power
Kelly Crothers, Power
Joseph Elliott, Power
Sheila Fisher-Whitney, Power
Scott Freeman, Power
Patty Gillingham, Power
James Hellman, Power
Tim Hogan, Power
Willie Howard, Power
Jason Hymer, Power
Dustin Lynn, Power
John Munson, Power
Wandi Prom, Power
Jewel Richardson, Power
Kurt Schuman, Power
Randy Sherman, Power
Dan Sullivan, Power
Nathalie Sweatt, Power
Craig Taylor, Power
Simon Torres, Power
Karel Wells, Power
Derrek Whitfield, Power
Barb Whitmore, Power
Doug Wright, Power
Ron Mills, Rail
Chris Hicks, Water
Denyse Kerlee, Water
Scott LaFrenier, Water
Kirk Newell, Water
Paul Schrup, Water
Ken Young, Water
20 Years
Sherry Berreth, CXEA
Roberta Haegele, CXEA
Jeanne Jollo, CXEA
Angela O’Hagan, CXEA
Cita McClendon, CXEA
Ebony Peebles, Management Services
Gary Bartlett, Power
James Blessing, Power
Bob Boles, Power
Jared Brooks, Power
Ebon Brown, Power
Julie Dillard, Power
Steve Fairchild, Power
Curt Ferguson, Power
Jim Grewell, Power
Summer Grove, Power
Jason Henry, Power
Hien Ho, Power
Eric Hoffman, Power
Frank Merritt, Power
Trina Murphy, Power
John Roe, Power
Jason Schulz, Power
Harry Ahmu, Rail
Mark Brown, Rail
Jud Bruton, Rail
Seth Nutter, Rail
Eric Taylor, Rail
Gregg Warner, Rail
Jeff Bolam, Water
Ben Fricke, Water
Todd Honey, Water
Kevin Horn, Water
Michael McCaffrey, Water
Eric Sheck, Water
Holly Smith, Water
15 Years
Sylvia Carr, CXEA
Rosalyn Collins-Kloutse, CXEA
Sam Crawford, CXEA
Keil Drescher, CXEA
Rebecca King, CXEA
Al Martinez, CXEA
Dave Rosholm, CXEA
Jenni Allen, Power
Louis Allen, Power
Jesse Bauer, Power
Chris Bodine, Power
Adam Brinkman, Power
James Burton, Power
Brad Ennis, Power
Ozan Ferrin, Power
Sean Forslund, Power
Todd Fukumoto, Power
Rick Hill, Power
Lonnie Junderson, Power
Saul Kirkman, Power
Cam Lehouillier, Power
Jeff Mackey, Power
Leah Marquez-Glynn, Power
Mike McCoy, Power
Ryan McGraw, Power
Samuel Novak, Power
Joe Parris, Power
Beverley Pinkerton, Power
Andrew Printz, Power
Sarah Quintana, Power
Patrick Riedell, Power
Cullen Ritchie, Power
Edward Sablan, Power
Jeff Stafford, Power
Tom Strand, Power
Johnny Vetter, Power
p Director Jackie Flowers and Deputy Director of Customer Experience and External Affairs LaTasha Wortham congratulate Department Aide Cita McClendon on her Service Award.
Jeff Vincent, Power
Jessie Wells, Power
Nathan Worthington, Power
Eric Fay, Rail
Dale King, Rail
Eric Olson, Rail
Michael Ross, Rail
Kelly Cooper, Water
Mitch Foster, Water
Gary Fox, Water
Maurice Jackson, Water
Mandrell Luckey, Water
Daniel Martin, Water
Curtis Roland, Water
David Schmidt, Water
Dan Shadlow, Water
Aaron Tanczos, Water
Geff Yotter, Water
10 Years
Erika Davis, CXEA
Daniel Drennan, CXEA
Holly Lucht, CXEA
Tasha Moore, CXEA
Julie Sallenbach, CXEA
Elisha Shinn, CXEA
Patrick Welcher, CXEA
Dean Ainardi, Power
Kelli Brown, Power
David Cogswell, Power
Travis Dos Santos-Tam, Power
Margo Fengler-Nunn, Power
Wes Haynes, Power
Mike Hostetter, Power
Mike Isenberg, Power
Judd Johnson, Power
Anthony Kent, Power
Scott Klauminzer, Power
Jesse Liechty, Power
Gary Lofton, Power
Kevin Madden, Power
Gregory Miller, Power
Vinson Mounivong, Power
Collin Ohman, Power
Mark Pervinich, Power
Kim Quinones, Power
Amanda Rowley, Power
Eric Russell, Power
Bryan Russo, Power
Kevin Siebert, Power
Keith Smith, Power
Laura Sterio, Power
Ramananthan Veeraraghavan, Power
Colten Wesen, Power
Jerid Barnes, Rail
Shawn Brown, Rail
Christopher Hoff, Rail
Kevin Kesterson, Rail
Randall Schroedel, Rail
Zach Simmons, Rail
Jesse Hoisington, TPU Director’s Office
Nicole Bogatay, Water
Alyssa Brown, Water
Brandon Corey, Water
Jeff Krier, Water
Scott Mason, Water
Lance Matney, Water
Lea McMillen, Water
Ryan Murphy, Water
Marc Powell, Water
Phill Ringrose, Water
Richard Shepherd, Water
A refreshed vision for Physical Security
Safety is a top priority for our utility. One of the primary ways we demonstrate this shared value is through the work of our Physical Security team. They manage multiple elements of physical security for nearly 1,400 employees. Key cards and scanners, cameras, security guard contracts and schedules, and compliance requirements are part of a day’s work.
Our Physical Security team regularly assesses goals, threats, and successes to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.
At the end of 2023, the team partnered with representatives from Transmission & Distribution, Power Shared Services, Generation, Water, Rail, Customer Services, Tacoma Public Utilities Emergency Management, Safety, and Human Resources to refresh the vision statement for Physical Security. An agreed-upon vision benefits everyone and empowers everyone to actualize it.
The team drafted a proposed vision statement based on the group’s input, and the Executive Leadership Team approved it:
TPU Physical Security will advance the protection of our people and assets with the help of our employees so they can excel in a secure environment.
The TPU Safety Value description states, “We protect everyone’s physical and psychological safety.” The refreshed Physical Security vision statement supports this by calling out the need for everyone to work towards this goal. “With the help of our employees” signals that we all play a part in creating a secure environment.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
See something, say something! Let our security guards know if you have concerns. SMCGuard@CityofTacoma.org or 253-502-8779.
Take a 30-minute tour with Judd Johnson to see how the Physical Security team keeps us safe on campus.
Always use your badge (or a visitor’s badge) and scan it at required doorways and gates. Do not tailgate—never allow others to follow you on or off campus without scanning their badge.
Never leave a vehicle unlocked or running unattended. Always take your vehicle keys with you.
Ensure gates (vehicle and pedestrian) close behind you.
ORIGIN STORY
New Tacoma Power generator maintenance schedule could yield millions in annual wholesale revenue
Resource adequacy and affordability are shared concerns across the power industry. Tacoma Power’s hydropower facilities provide clean, renewable hydroelectric energy and flexible generation that keeps resources available when needed most, which increases the utility’s potential for more wholesale revenue.
A team of Tacoma Power employees created a way for the utility to yield an average of up to $2.2 million in annual additional wholesale revenue while improving workload efficiency for hydro project staff. This additional revenue helps keep utility rates affordable.
Tacoma Power’s senior leadership team launched a strategic objective in 2023 to limit operating expenses to a 6% increase and expand new sources of net revenue by $5 million for the 2025/2026 biennium budget to help keep rate increases low through 2032. In support of this objective, they created a strategic initiative to modernize hydropower turbine-generator maintenance schedules to increase the utility’s generating flexibility.
Nathan Manning, civil engineering manager in the Generation section, brought his ideas for how to help achieve this initiative to Generation Manager Chris Mattson.
“Nathan understood that flexible and available energy capacity equals revenue possibilities and that there are potential long-term impacts to changing maintenance plans,” said Chris.
Tacoma Power has four well-established hydropower projects, so it’s tough for the utility to find new revenue sources. Finding the balance between maintaining reliable power and making changes to something known and proven, such as maintenance schedules, was challenging.
The challenge did not deter Nathan, who led the initiative team, which included engineering and maintenance staff from each hydropower facility.
The team reviewed the current maintenance outage schedules at Mossyrock Dam (part of the Cowlitz River Project) and the Cushman Hydro Project and asked:
• Which maintenance actions can be done without taking the large generating units offline?
• Does this task provide increased reliability or reduced risk?
• Is the current frequency of this task necessary, and are there impacts of extending the frequency?
• Are there ways to do this task more efficiently?
“We discovered not all tasks required taking an outage,” Nathan said.
The team created a maintenance outage schedule that separated tasks requiring unit downtime and changing many of their cycles, which resulted in significant time savings:
• Cushman former annual unit downtime 9-11 weeks
• Cushman new annual unit downtime 4-6 weeks
• Mossyrock Dam’s former annual unit downtime 7-8 weeks
• Mossyrock Dam’s new annual unit downtime 3-4 weeks
Another benefit is improved workloads and efficiency for hydro project staff. Instead of requiring an entire outage crew to work on tasks throughout an outage, they can work on separate tasks before and concurrently during the outage.
THE MISSING PUZZLE PIECE
Minimizing downtimes was one piece of the puzzle. The team also needed to find a way to determine the monetary value of the increased generator availability. Nathan worked with Leah Marquez-Glynn, assistant section manager in Power Management.
“Leah worked a tremendous amount of time to develop the potential revenue value,” said Nathan. “She brought the missing piece—the valuation of our work.”
The outcome of these efforts was dramatic.
“By roughly halving the time generating units are unavailable for routine maintenance, it should yield an average annual wholesale revenue of up to $2.2 million,” Nathan said.
Chris raved about the team’s work.
They exemplified exceptional teamwork and change management practices,” said Chris. “Creating a more efficient work environment while generating revenue all contributes to our ability to help keep our customers’ rates low.”
Other Initiative contributors included Tyler Braun, Jeff Brown, Chad Chalmers, Lee Edwards, Brad Ennis, Ozan Ferrin, Kyle Gadberry, Christopher Gleason, Dale Gustafson, Ying Hall, Eddy Hix, Eric Hoffman, Bizhan Hooman, Greg Kenyon, Clarence Lupo, Mike McCoy, Viet Ong, Si Phan, David Smith, Mike Strombach, Ram Veeraraghavan, Sean Veley, David Wagner, Mark Wikander, and John Williams.
For more information, visit Tacoma Power’s SharePoint site on Unet.
p One of the Cushman No. 2 Powerhouse generators at the Cushman Hydro Project.
Tacoma Water’s sound financial governance
helps customers
Tacoma Water had a difficult 2023. The closure of the WestRock pulp mill meant losing their largest customer—the equivalent of 100,000 residential customers. To keep operations steady during this rapid change, the Tacoma Water financial stewardship team worked with Customer Experience and External Affairs to advocate for a rate increase. Typical rate increase cycles involve months of conversations with policymakers and the community. Due to losing WestRock, the utility compressed this cycle into a few weeks.
In April 2022, during an annual review, S&P Global increased Tacoma Water’s credit rating from AA to AA+. This increase placed the utility in the top 17% of U.S. water utilities rated by that agency. It was an extraordinary accomplishment, especially given the ongoing impacts of the pandemic the utility was still navigating.
The Tacoma Water and Regional Water Supply System (RWSS) bonds are rated by two independent rating agencies, Standard & Poor’s (S&P Global) and Moody’s, similar to a credit rating we may have for personal credit. Agencies base ratings on criteria such as financial measures (cash reserves, debt relative to income), conditions in the local economy, and management practices. Like a personal credit score, a higher rating can mean that we have lower borrowing rates and more available funding opportunities. It demonstrates good financial stewardship, strong operations, and thoughtful long-range planning.
In early 2023, Tacoma Water started preparing for the bond market and refinancing some outstanding bonds. The utility met with rating agency analysts to support updated credit ratings. The meetings occurred about one week before WestRock announced the closure of its Tacoma mill. Tacoma Water held that work to address the financial impacts of the loss of its largest customer. Once staff received approval from the Public Utility Board and Tacoma City Council for the rate increases necessary to maintain the utility’s financial and operational strength, the financial stewardship team shared updates with the rating analysts.
Moody’s increased the Tacoma Water and RWSS credit ratings from Aa2 to Aa1 on January 2, 2024. This increase is remarkable, especially given the recent loss of Tacoma Water’s largest customer.
HOW MOODY’S RATED TACOMA WATER
• Excellent rate-setting record, which was demonstrated following the recent closure announcement by its largest customer, with rate increases to maintain financial metrics, as well as equitable and affordable customer rates.
• Long-term financial stability, including sustained strong liquidity and debt service coverage.
• Sophisticated management of regulatory compliance and 10-year capital program.
• Strong system characteristics, including ample capacity and water resources (high-quality, long-lived water supply).
• Broad and diverse customer base served by a local system larger than the city and augmented by a regional second water supply.
• Growing service area and improving resident income levels. Additionally, Tacoma Water’s strong AA+ credit ratings were affirmed for Tacoma Water and the RWSS by Standard & Poor’s on December 22, 2023.
This level of confidence from the rating agencies within four months of the utility’s realization of its most significant financial risk is a testament to the system’s resiliency and the dedication of its Financial Stewardship team.
SOME COMMENTS FROM STANDARD & POOR’S
• Despite the loss of its largest customer, the utility has implemented necessary rate increases to maintain a healthy financial profile.
• The rating also reflects Tacoma Water’s consistently healthy financial performance, including strong all-in debt service coverage levels and robust liquidity.
• Further support for the rating is provided by the system’s stable customer base and robust long-range planning.
• With the closure of the mill, we view the utility’s customer base as further diversified, with an opportunity to market excess capacity to new wholesale members or new businesses.
• To help mitigate the financial impact of this loss, Tacoma’s City Council adopted an additional rate increase of 5%...we view these adjustments as supporting the future financial performance of the utility in the near term.
This recognition belongs to the Tacoma Water Financial Stewardship team and the utility. Their dedication to provide clean, reliable water is the foundation for operational and financial strength, and the reason employees come to work.
Improved reservoir operations provide multiple benefits in water supply and salmon recovery
In partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E), Tacoma Water can now access weather forecasts to improve reservoir operations at Howard Hanson Dam. The CW3E’s Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) uses real-time data and weather forecasting to guide reservoir operations so we can make more informed decisions to store more or less water. This data helps improve our water supply and fish habitat and aid in flood control.
FIRO, a powerful amalgamation of science, technology, and engineering, enables continuous improvement of reservoir operations and water control manuals based on state-of-theart science. This approach provides improved forecasts of landfalling atmospheric rivers and resulting precipitation. It enables more flexible, educated decisions about dam control, allowing the utility to store more water at the beginning of the flood season, without increasing flood risk. This improves water supply and fishery habitat, underscoring the tangible benefits of improving operations.
Howard Hanson Dam serves several purposes besides providing our water supply to meet summer peak demand. During the spring, Eagle George Reservoir is filled for fish conservation and additional water storage and is managed solely for flood control in the winter. Our current water control process manages risk at Howard Hanson Dam by not refilling until Feb. 20 and ensuring Eagle Gorge Reservoir is empty and ready for flood storage on Nov. 1. At this stage, we are researching how well meteorologists can reliably forecast atmospheric river events to increase the number of days in advance of an event. Refill could start earlier in the future, enabling a better chance of reaching full storage earlier in the season.
Jessica Knickerbocker, Tacoma Water deputy superintendent and co-chair of the FIRO Steering Committee, shared some of the program’s objectives.
This technology and science inform more efficient water management, which leads to a consistent supply that satisfies our environmental obligations and provides drinking water,” said Jessica. “Reliable seems like the keyword here,” she added. “If we can capture and store large water events, it will sustain us through extreme weather and climate changes.”
From the Watershed Services team, one natural resources analyst is involved at an operational level and another analyst sits on the FIRO Howard Hanson observation team. They coordinated with the CW3E to install and maintain three surface meteorology stations at Headworks, Maywood, and Lester, and one radiosonde balloon launch station at McMillin Reservoir. In installing the weather stations, it was important to have an unobstructed view of the sky and the ability to provide an electrical feed for the equipment. The stations needed to be accessible but not conflict with other needs at the plant. For the balloon launch site, they identified properties that had space available to store the balloon launch equipment, a secure location, and had power available. One of the attractive aspects of McMillin Reservoir
was the open space allowing for launching the balloons without above-ground interference.
Jim Goodman, operations manager for Water Operations and Maintenance, manages the site and coordinated access and other necessities for getting the project installed.
I don’t think that a lot of our employees understand how reservoir operations, specifically management of our stored water behind Howard Hanson, impact our ability to reliably provide water to our customers,” said Jim. “To be involved with a project that could improve the consistency of our supply is very interesting and for me has helped improve my understanding of the upper end of our water supply system.”
In addition to the weather stations and weather balloons, CW3E launched both Air Force and NOAA aircraft into various storm events releasing radiosondes as part of the reconnaissance. The information gathered this past rainy season in the Green River helped to improve weather forecasts across the globe. The next stage of research is the viability assessment. This determines if changes could be made to the way USACE manages the water behind Howard Hanson Dam. This could result in more efficiently managed water storage that will help to ensure refill into the future as we see more anticipated effects from weather-related events.
p Tacoma Water employees install one of three new weather monitoring stations. They will access the forecasts to help improve water storage capabilities in the Green River Watershed.
Follow and like us on social media
Social media platforms help us engage with our community, share information, and build trust with customers. We use social media to tell our TPU story and provide real-time updates about important services or other issues.
FOLLOW AND LIKE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO:
• Stay up to date on what’s happening at TPU.
• Gain access to valuable updates, helpful tips, and engaging content.
• Help us increase engagement and create a more sustainable and vibrant community.
FIND US AT:
X.com/MyTPU
Facebook.com/MyTPU
Instagram.com/MyTPU
Linkedin.com/company/tacoma-public-utilities/
This Facebook post about hiring a Blackhawk helicopter to assist with a rock fall cleanup across the tram tracks at Cushman No. 1 Dam became our most popular post ever. It reached over 100,000 people in May.
Advanced meter installations hit 80% completion in June
Our utility’s meter shops and Tribus, our installation vendor, have installed over 236,800 meters as of June 3.
Tribus has installed over 213,000 small and medium-sized residential and commercial power and water meters. Our water meter upgrades are complete. They are currently working in the south Tacoma Power service area, finishing electric meter upgrades in Roy and Spanaway. Once finished in the area, Tribus will head back to Lakewood, University Place, move through Tacoma, and end in Northeast Tacoma.
Earlier this year, Tacoma Water finished all but six of their remaining upgrades and meter box repairs and our Power meter shop finished all but the remaining three solar meter customer upgrades.
Advanced meters are the foundation of our modernization strategy, and we are making solid progress toward bringing numerous benefits to all our customers. Many already realize the benefits of upgraded meters, which include monthly billing, access to detailed usage information in MyAccount, faster outage restoration, and early leak detection.
Based on the current supply chain status, we are on target to complete the electric meter upgrades by the end of 2024.
Welcome new employees
Kaela
Jenise
Jocelyn Castro
Cristina Espinoza
Xavier
Thad LeVar
CORRECTION
In the January-March issue of Ubits, part of the story introducing Utility Technology Services section manager/CIO Kalyan Kakani was invisible due to a printing error. You’ll find a corrected electronic version of the issue on Unet under TPU Publications & Brand Resources.
Anssel Lopez Senior IT Analyst
Water
Micah Loucks Senior Data Analyst
Power
Nitin Manchanda Senior Power Energy Conservation Analyst
Power
Dan Marshall Senior Power Energy Conservation Analyst
Power
Shawna Mays Customer Service Representative CXEA
Craig McCall Engineer Technician I Tacoma Power
Jonathan McQuerter Customer Service Representative CXEA
Joe Minnitti Custodian Tacoma Power
Emmanuel Morris Engineer Technician II Tacoma Power
Shazhard Nadat Railway Conductor Tacoma Rail
Garth Nelson Senior Engineering Project Manager
Power
Mark Pavlick Vehicle & Equipment Shop Attendant
Power
Samuel Potter Senior Business Systems Analyst
Power
Ryan Puddy Electrical Inspector
Power
Derrick Rountree Customer Service Representative CXEA
Tessa Russell Senior Associate Electrical Engineer
Water
Jamar Sample Senior Associate Power Systems Engineer
Nathan Schumer Principal Data Analyst
Power
Kayleigh Sheen Customer Service Representative
Charles Spencer Senior Info Technology Security Analyst
