Energy in the News

Overwhelmed by what you're hearing in the news? Confused? Can't separate fact from fiction? Our mission is to be your trusted energy partner. We want to inform, engage, and empower you with information and tools so you can make a difference in your community.

Community Forums 2024

Benton PUD held a series of forums in Fall 2024 to inform our customers and help answer the question, "is affordable, reliable electricity in jeopardy?"

Check out the presentation slides below to learn more about these topics:

Northwest Close to Blackouts – How Did We Get Here?
Washington and Oregon Clean Energy Policies – Global & U.S. Perspectives
Washington Energy Strategy – Challenges and Concerns
Where Do We Go From Here? – Near and Long Term

General Manager Rick Dunn at the Community Forums

Community asking questions at the Community Forums

Articulate Rise 360

We are proud, honored, and excited to be featured by Articulate 360, one of the top e-learning platforms for developing workplace training, along with Campbell Training Solutions for our EmPOWERed training series.

Check out the article here: https://www.articulate.com/case-study/benton-pud/

Now you can be a part of the story TOO! The EmPOWERed series is a learn-at-your-own-pace educational program that will boost your knowledge of the power industry.

Substack Reads

Benton PUD’s General Manager Rick Dunn gained regional attention with an op-ed published in a weekly energy newsletter read by northwest utilities and policymakers. The opinion piece expresses opposition to a controversial local wind farm while supporting new nuclear development.

The opinion piece and related articles have been republished on Substack, which Benton PUD plans to use to influence state and federal energy policies. You can read articles without subscribing. Although, if you would like to be notified of future articles, subscribing to Rick’s Substack is free. Please read, share, and comment by clicking https://rickdunn.substack.com/

We're always thankful for your support and encourage your engagement with Rick and Benton PUD staff on all things power. At Benton PUD, we desire to #EmPOWER our employees, friends, families, and the communities we serve. To achieve this foundational goal, we want to ensure you are informed about what faces us as a utility and, ultimately, what faces you as our customer-owners.

Energy Generation Lifecycle Considerations

With all the emphasis on “clean energy” these days, it’s easy to miss the fact that all sources of energy have environmental impacts. While “clean energy” is usually all about greenhouse gas emissions, you need to consider the full lifecycle of different electricity generating technologies. Consider more of a global perspective on power generation and the concept of energy poverty. Afterall, electricity is a commodity and a service that “powers all other industries.”

Hydroelectricity: The Foundation of Northwest Public Power

Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee Field Hearing - June 26, 2023

Click here for Written Testimony and Presentation Slides

You can watch the entire hearing. Testimony by Rick Dunn, General Manager of Benton PUD begins at 45:45.