Substations, fiber and turbines included

EPHRATA - Grant County PUD commissioners approved a $450.3 million budget Monday which didn't contain any power rate increases for customers.

The budget is $13.6 million higher than last year's proposed budget of $436.7 million.

Spending areas include $10.3 million to expand the fiber-optic system, $26.8 for Wanapum Dam's turbine replacement project and $5.7 million to build a new substation near Ephrata and to expand substations near Quincy and the Port of Moses Lake.

Grant County PUD Commissioner Greg Hansen said the budget is still too high, even after $8.4 million was trimmed after budget hearings.

"I hope staff will take every opportunity to cut the budget where they can," Hansen said.

He said the final result will happen after it's learned how much was spent in 2008.

Commissioner Bob Bernd said the budget amount is higher than the entire commission wanted.

With area growth, he said he trusts the spending is warranted. He also said the utility spent less this year than was expected.

The budget also includes an increase of about 44 new employees as compared to last year, said Dorothy Harris, PUD spokesperson. The turbine replacement at Wanapum Dam and training employees to replace retiring workers are some reasons for the employee increase.

The final budget decreased partly because some work was moved to later years, such as a stabilization project that would further stabilize Wanapum Dam by adding more concrete, she said.

The PUD hasn't received an order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission setting a deadline for the project and part of the work was moved to 2009, she said.