EPHRATA — Nearly six months after Grant PUD broke ground on its new Ephrata Service Center, the project is advancing on schedule and on budget, with major site work now underway and structural construction expected to accelerate through 2026. 

The 34‑acre complex, located near Walmart and the future Grant County Jail, is designed to replace the utility’s aging 1970s‑era downtown service center. Grant PUD officials say the new facility will improve operational efficiency, response times and long‑term capacity as the county’s power needs continue to surge. 

In a Wednesday statement, Chuck Allen, Grant PUD’s manager of External Affairs and Communications, said the project remains on track. 

“Our contractor has primarily focused on doing the grading and installing in‑ground utility lines and preparing for laying the foundation,” Allen said. “We are expecting construction to remain ongoing through 2026 and 2027 with us taking occupancy beginning the first quarter of 2028.” 

Allen confirmed the project is on time and on budget, with a maximum construction price of $188.6 million. 

The facility  

The new service center will house the departments that keep Grant County’s power system running: line crews, transportation and facilities teams, power delivery engineering, the electric shop, dispatch and control center, warehouse and materials yard, fueling station, and the mail and copy center. 

Its purpose, Allen said, is straightforward: to give the utility the space, tools and flexibility to respond to daily operations and emergency outages across the western half of the county. 

“The new Ephrata Service Center will provide Grant PUD with space, agility and facilities to safely and more efficiently respond to day‑to‑day operations, maintenance work, connection requests and emergent outages,” he said. 

The need is clear, Allen said. Since the original center was built in 1975, Grant County’s electrical system has expanded dramatically with annual power sold increasing from 918.9 million kWh to over 6.3 billion in 2024. 

Why build new? 

Grant PUD’s long‑term facilities analysis concluded that upgrading the old center would cost more and deliver less. 

“The current Ephrata Service Center is crowded, inefficient, and not up to the safety and operational standards of Grant PUD,” Allen said. “Design upgrades are required for compliance with modern building codes, meeting or exceeding modern safety standards and improving energy efficiency.” 

The new location offers room to grow for at least 30 years. 

Design, delivery, planning 

The project is being built under a Progressive Design Build model, a single‑contract approach that Grant PUD says improves collaboration and cost control. The design‑build team includes Turner & Townsend Heery, Integrus Architecture, Huitt‑Zollars and Absher Construction. 

The project is funded through power‑sales revenue and is already incorporated into the utility’s long‑term capital plan and 10‑year rate trajectory. 

“This project…has been factored into Grant PUD’s present published rate trajectory over the next 10 years,” Allen said.  

No additional rate impacts are expected. 

Up next 

With underground utilities nearly complete and foundation work beginning, vertical construction will become more visible to the public throughout 2026. 

Allen said the Ephrata community should view the project as a long‑term investment in reliability and affordability. 

“This project is replacing a 50‑year‑old facility that is no longer adequate for Grant PUD’s present mission and the projected growth to our power system over the next 30 years,” he said. “This new Ephrata Service Center is a key asset in how Grant PUD plans to continue providing reliable and low‑cost power at competitive prices for decades to come.” 

    The Grant County Public Utility District is on time and budget with the construction of the new Ephrata Service Center. Pictured is a rendering of the completed project.