The big refresh
April 27 Rebuilding Together Benefitting Rebuilding Together South Sound
WORD ON THE WEBS
The new MyTPU.org launches After months of research, collaboration, and testing, the refreshed MyTPU.org is live. The new MyTPU.org is mobile friendly and features improved organization and navigation that will help people find the content they seek in fewer clicks. Everyone can look forward to a better search function, a section dedicated to employees’ work in the community, and an updated design.
New reservation system for Tacoma Power Parks Reserving a campsite at one of Tacoma Power’s four popular parks just got easier. After 18 months of intense work done by a team of Generation employees, Tacoma Power
In this issue
Page 2
Advanced meters
Parks have a new reservation website (MyTPU.org/Parks) and reservation phone number (833-290-8180). “We used to share Washington State Parks’ reservation system,” said Wildlife and Recreation Coordinator Pam Hefley, who led the project. “While it was worthwhile to promote our parks that way, our contract with the state ended and we created our own system.” Campers will experience a fresh look and improved functionality, including: • Optimization for any device. • Easier navigation of campsite maps. • Saved preferences and applicable discounts that automatically populate future reservations. Continued on page 5
Page 4
Habitat for Humanity Women Build
Page 6
The glory of story
Advanced meter program team gains steps toward digital transformation New advanced meters are taking off at Tacoma Public Utilities. The Advanced Meter Program team completed its contracts with selected technology and support vendors that will help us transition to a modern, digital utility. Other service providers, such as the banking and healthcare industries, have already adapted to the digital needs and
expectations of their customers. The utility industry is currently undergoing the same transition. The advanced meters will lay the foundation for offering customers more than enhancements to billing and outage notifications. Replacing TPU’s aging meters and infrastructure will enable us to provide customers greater conveniences, control,
and choices over their utility services. Meter installation will begin in 2020. The program team will work to establish a strong, safe, and secure foundation for the system until then. Updates will continue as work progresses. Stay up-to-date at MyTPU.org/ AdvancedMeters.
Tacoma Rail lands its largest new customer in six years The congested ports of southern California have helped Tacoma land a major new business at the Port of Tacoma and a significant new customer for Tacoma Rail. Wallenius Wilhelmsen will import up to 50,000 new Nissans each year for the mid-west and western markets. The first ships recently arrived at the Port of Tacoma. Tacoma Rail will handle about 90 percent of those vehicles to connect train loads with national railroads. It’s Tacoma Rail’s largest new customer in about six years. “It’s a great opportunity and a significant impact on our business in the short and long term. We’re expecting to grow each year,” said Tacoma Rail Terminal Manager Todd Vincent. “It’s huge for the Port and Tacoma that Wallenius decided to use our port for Nissan. We’re excited to have them.”
Pg. 2
The vehicles will be off-loaded from ships in the Blair Waterway and get prepped for transport on 90 acres that was once home to the Kaiser Aluminum Plant location.
DATA CHECK
How satisfied are Customer Satisfaction Survey TPU employees? says favorability with utility services Survey says … holds steady Two-thirds of the TPU workforce participated in a revamped 2018 Employee Survey with results that show 81% favorable engagement. Employees give high marks for TPU’s focus on serving communities and manageable work-life balance. Communicating with employees about changes in utility programs, policies and procedures is flagged as an area to improve. Leaders will continue to emphasize training and development and increasing accountability. TPU also plans to focus on continuous improvement and has already integrated feedback from the survey into L.E.A.D supervisor training as well as departmental goals. The TPU Market Development team upgraded the survey last year based on renewed interest from leaders. They sought direct feedback from the utility’s workforce to identify areas for improvement.
Results are in. The 2018 TPU Customer Satisfaction Survey shows overall favor with steady or slight improvement from 2017. Most people trust TPU, feel the utility is managed well, controls costs (with a slight improvement), is a good corporate citizen, easy to do business with, and environmentally responsible with stable community involvement. Scores for accurate, easily understandable bills also remain steady or slightly improved. Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water received very positive overall satisfaction ratings. Reliable service and responsiveness are the most cited reasons for Tacoma Power. Water quality and reliable service are the most cited reasons for Tacoma Water. The value of service, water quality, reliability, maintenance,
outage notification, and service restoration are consistent year-over-year. Rates, billing, and payment are the most cited concerns associated with less positive ratings. One-third or more people who receive “all services” (Power, Water, and Environmental Services) indicate their bill is not very or not at all affordable compared to 16% of those who receive fewer services. This indicates people with the highest bills tend to give the least positive ratings. Concerns may also increase due to bimonthly billing. The utilities will use results from the survey to identify needs, plan work, and monitor how well we serve customers over time.
Rate pilot to support local investment in electric vehicle fast charging stations A pilot electricity rate will help Tacoma Power better understand the impacts of DC Fast Charging (DCFC) on local infrastructure and electricity use over the next 13 years. The rate, called Schedule FC, lowers the demand charge DCFC owners and operators pay for electricity while slightly raising the energy charge over the 13 years (demand charges gradually increase and energy charges gradually decrease to the general service [G Schedule] rate).
The rate is open to 25 public DC Fast Charging stations on a first-come, first-served basis. Businesses on the Schedule FC rate will operate the DC Fast Charging stations like gas stations for EVs through networks such as Electrify America, Tesla, or EVGo. LeMay— America’s Car Museum and the Tacoma Mall currently have DC Fast Charging stations on the Schedule FC rate and a local Walmart is slated for another soon. Information collected through the pilot will inform future rates and ensure
Tacoma Power remains a competitive provider of electricity for local EV charging station investment. In addition to providing important information and ensuring the utility is ready to serve the future demand associated with fast charging stations, the pilot also aligns with the City of Tacoma’s resolution in support of electric vehicles. Tacoma Power launched the pilot rate on Jan. 1, 2019. The pilot will end in 2031.
Pg. 3
bits & pieces
Cowlitz Falls North Shore Collector wins prestigious engineering award Tacoma Power’s Cowlitz Falls North Shore Collector not only collects fish, but awards as well! The collector was recognized with the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Regional Best Projects 2018 Award for Water/Environment late last year. “These awards honor the most innovative and outstanding environmental engineering projects in the Northwest,” said Natural Resources’ Adaptive Program Manager Matt Bleich. “It’s a coveted award in the industry,
and we were honored to receive it.” Tacoma Power built the collector to help improve juvenile fish collection rates, a critical step in restoring natural salmon populations in the Cowlitz River. This is its second baseline year of operations. “This collector is one of a kind, and the hard work that went into it is already paying off,” Matt said. “I am delighted ENR recognized the work of our employees, contractors, and stakeholders for their commitment to quality design and construction. The team’s efforts will benefit fish, the environment, and our customers for decades to come.”
Building women, not just houses Community Connection’s partnership with Women’s LINC, a resource group at Tacoma Public Utilities, encourages women to try something new this May while serving the communities they live and work in. Female employees at TPU will participate in an upcoming Habitat for Humanity Women Build this spring alongside other women throughout the community and future Habitat homeowners. Volunteers will work under the guidance of trade professionals to practice construction skills and get a chance to test those skills in a safe environment on site. “While this event is open and accessible to everyone at every skill level, we hope this partnership with Habitat will help women in our community see the wide range of employment possibilities available to them here at TPU,” said Community Affairs Manager Erika Tucci. Volunteers will get to meet other women at TPU while making an impact as they help families build strength, stability, and independence.
Pg. 4
Collection rates before/after launch of new collector (long-term goal: 95%)
SPECIES
BEFORE
TO D AT E
Coho and steelhead
45%
75%
Chinook
4% 65%
Generation to Meter program introduces TCC MESA students to utility work
Utilities celebrate beloved engineers during EWeek National Engineers Week (EWeek) is a celebration dedicated to ensuring a diverse, well-educated, future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. TPU celebrated EWeek in late February by recognizing engineers from across the utility.
Dessert donations support seniors Community Connection’s annual Delectable Desserts bake sale raised over $2,200 for the TPU Senior Assistance Fund beating last year’s event by more than $700. The fund allows the Customer Solutions office to offer one-time, $100 utility bill assistance grants to senior customers who need help paying their utility bills. Employee contributions entirely fund the grants.
Employees participated in scavenger hunts, and TPU leadership sent special communications thanking its engineers. Director Jackie Flowers also hosted female engineers and engineering techs for a luncheon celebrating Women in Engineering Day.
In partnership with Tacoma Community College and its Math Engineering Science Achievement Program, Tacoma Power hosted a one-week experience for students during their 2018 winter break. Students learned about hydro generation, power transmission, and electrical distribution in a Generation to Meter class taught by Tacoma Power’s expert employee instructors. Students also met many in-house utility professionals who work in engineering, science, and math. The partnership helps college students gain exposure to Tacoma Power so they might consider employment in the utility field. The program also supports professional enrichment for utility employees by allowing them to mentor, do public speaking, and share their career paths with students during one-on-one interviews, hosted lunches, and panel discussions.
Websites continued from page 1 Employees can pull a wider variety of data out of the new system. “We can run customized reports that will help inform our business decisions,” Pam said. “Having this site is a way for us to come into our own and build on our existing customer base. Employees should make their reservations now; sites are filling up fast!”
Pg. 5
THE GLORY OF STORY
The Many Faces of TPU: An inside look at those proudly serving our communities behind the scenes It is easy to think of Tacoma Public Utilities as the big building on South 35th Street or the bill that comes in the mail, but it is the people that make our organization hum. From customer service representatives to archeologists, railroad engineers and custodians to biologists, TPU employees are diverse, passionate individuals working every day to provide vital services to our customers. On select Wednesdays, we highlight some of TPU’s dedicated employees in Power, Water Rail, and Click! on social media. We ask them about their time at TPU, the specifics of their job, and what they want others to know about their work. We also worked with a photographer to help us capture a typical day for each of them. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for a peek behind the scenes and to learn a little more about the people who make TPU tick. Tacoma Water Apprentice Kim Edwards
“Where does your money go” video series aims to help make buying renewable energy credits tangible First up – Aberdeen Biomass How do we make a renewable energy program, like Evergreen Option tangible for customers? Show them the power of their purchase. Evergreen Options members donate monthly in support of local renewable energy projects, and purchase RECs (Renewable Energy Credits), for about $3 a month to offset their personal carbon footprints. We can trace those RECs back to projects around
Pg. 6
Washington state. A newly launched video series, “Where does your money go?” highlights members’ dollars hard at work. The first story took place in Aberdeen where Evergreen Options members supported Sierra Pacific Industries’ lumber mill along the Chehalis River. Through the use of an onsite cogeneration steam plant, fueled by leftover scraps the mill creates, it produces enough energy to power all its equipment and 18,000 homes. Steam, not
smoke, fills the sky as a beacon of clean, renewable, reliable energy. It is an achievement, or as John Gardner, the supervisor of cogeneration says, “It’s America.” Watch the complete journey from the saw mill in Aberdeen to a windfarm in Kennewick and back on Facebook and Instagram.
Who’s new around here
Robert Asagai Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Paula Battle Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Brett Vanderblock Sr. Utilities Economist Tacoma Power
Jasmin Bolong-Pleasant Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Rachel Bush Customer Services Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Elizabeth Combs Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Trese Forsberg Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Seema Ghosh Engineer Tacoma Power
Robert Hefley Railway Conductor Tacoma Rail
Casey Jarbeaux Management Analyst Tacoma Water
Matthew McDaniels Railway Conductor Tacoma Rail
Gabriel McGuire Natural Resource Specialist Tacoma Power
Timothy Nordstrom Engineer Tacoma Power
Franz Obado Utility Worker Tacoma Water
Nicholas Rummel Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Me’chelle Schilling Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Taylor Oakes Sabrina O’Donnell Heather Rivard Customer Service Utility Services Representative Customer Service Representative Tacoma Water Representative Tacoma Public Utilities Tacoma Public Utilities
Mitzy Robbins Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Hanako Winters Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Who’s ready to relax? Eric Bourlet, Tacoma Power communications system technician, retired in January after 20 years of service. Christopher Cassidy, Tacoma Water service mechanic, retired in January after 27 years of service. Mark Davies, Tacoma Power grounds maintenance worker, retired in February after 30 years of service. Paul Hackett, Tacoma Public Utilities field investigator, retired in January after 35 years of service. Paul Paris, Tacoma Power engineer technician, retired in January after 8 years of service. John VanAusdeln, Tacoma Rail locomotive engineer, retired in January after 19 years of service.
Pg. 7
Tacoma Public Utilities PO Box 11007 • Tacoma WA 98411
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TACOMA WA PERMIT NO 2
New power rates in effect April 1 A rate adjustment went into effect April 1. Customers will receive an average increase of about 84 cents per month on their electricity bill. Some major activities supported through rates include: • Operating seven hydroelectric dams and four fish hatcheries. • Purchasing electricity from the Bonneville Power Administration. • Maintaining and upgrading nearly 2,400 miles of power lines. • Keeping the electric system secure from cyber and physical threats.
Ubits is a publication for Tacoma Public Utilities employees and is provided as a courtesy to retirees. ubits@cityoftacoma.org • 253-502-8754
• Investing in technology to comply with federal regulations, improve reliability, and enhance customer service. • Improving safety programs for customers and employees.
While any rate increase affects people, Tacoma Power customers enjoy some of the lowest rates in the Puget Sound region. The rate adjustment allows us to continue investing in projects that ensure people receive clean, reliable electricity every day. Before presenting the rate adjustment to the Public Utility Board and Tacoma City Council for approval, over 45 public meetings occurred to ensure all stakeholders had the opportunity to provide feedback.