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News and Updates from Seattle City Light

Seattle City (spot)Light: Jen Chan

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Jen Chan joined City Light in May 2019 and celebrated her 20 years at the City of Seattle this past August. Jen grew up in Boston, but after one too many snow-shovel laden winters, normalized negative experiences with Boston drivers (okay, she may have been a co-participant in certain, totally justifiable situations), and a huge desire to see what the other coast was like (GO, SEAHAWKS!!), she moved to Seattle in 1996 to pursue her Master of Social Work at the University of Washington.

In this week’s (spot)Light, Jen shares more about her work at City Light, her life in Seattle, and overall, what she wants to accomplish in her role at the utility.

As City Light’s Chief of Staff, Jen oversees Communications, Performance Metrics & Benchmarks, Strategic Plan, Continuous Improvements, Organizational Change Management and other high-profile projects from the GM’s Office. One of the most common questions Jen hears is: What does a Chief of Staff actually do? Which is a great question since she has wondered that herself, given there is no standard definition and always a challenge to explain to her parents that she is not literally the “Chief” of all staff. So, one way she thinks of her role is: “Aside from management responsibilities for specific work areas, I like to think of myself as the behind-the-scenes person trying to align timing, information, opportunities and decision-making to develop a path forward and get stuff done. While not intentional, I have spent most of my career facilitating workstreams or executive decision-making on topics where I am not the subject matter expert. Having an outsider’s perspective helps me stay out of the weeds, hone in on the most salient issues or concerns at hand, and draw out broader connections, risks and impacts to develop a more informed, scalable and systemic response.” While this explanation may help clarify her role to some, she knows her parents may still not understand what she does. To which it may be easier to just respond: “Yes, mom and dad. I am the Chief of a very small number of staff.”

Jen lives in the Bryant neighborhood in Northeast Seattle with her husband Vince and her two children, Olivia (14), Marcus (12) and dog, Remy (2). Pre-COVID, they spent most of their free time watching their kids’ soccer, basketball and ultimate frisbee games. However, now with their family time freed up, they spend most weekends thinking about the yardwork, closet cleaning, home projects or hiking adventures they should do instead. Three-quarters of the family loves traveling; the other quarter barely tolerates it. This means the family’s traveling habits are typically set by the family member who does most of the household planning (i.e., Jen), so yes, traveling is one of their hobbies.

When reflecting on what Jen would like to accomplish at City Light, she shared: “I absolutely believe that our time here in life and at work is very precious, so for whatever issue I work on, I want to add value to the organization and to customers. At the same time, I think it’s super important to keep everything in perspective, have a little fun when doing good, and definitely enjoy and cultivate the people relationships we form along the way. So, to me, how I judge my time here will boil down to two things: added value and people connections.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Kelly Haren

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Kelly Haren has been a dedicated member of the City Light team for 20 years. “I’m the Generation Supervisor at Cedar Falls and Tolt hydro projects where I support the crew and operations at both sites,” Kelly shared. “My responsibilities include coordinating projects with utility divisions, facilitating training and safety programs, and supervising activities that impact fisheries, deal with environmental issues or influence our dam and public safety programs. I also work with City Departments, like Seattle Public Utilities, for operations planning.”

Originally from Idaho, Kelly moved to the Seattle area after joining the US Coast Guard, where he was stationed in Seattle and Astoria. “I met my wife during that time, and we’ve lived in the Northwest ever since.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Kelly talks more about his life pre-City Light, his family, and more about his work at the utility.

“I spent a couple of years at the University of Idaho before joining the Coast Guard. In college, I studied engineering, basic science, and math. In the Coast Guard, I received experience and education in many engineering and mechanical fundamentals but became an electrician after completing my trade schooling and necessary hours. I was attracted to City Light because of its apprenticeship opportunities, the ability to support my family better, and the varied types of work and opportunities the City would provide throughout my career.”

“I live in the Auburn area on a small lake and enjoy being on the water, boating and relaxing! My favorite activity is traveling with my wife; Hawaii, Cabo, and the Florida Keys are a few of our favorite destinations. For hobbies, I love golfing, boating, and taking the RV out for weekend getaways. I also have four young grandchildren with whom I enjoy spending as much time as I can!”

“What I love most about working at City Light is the many opportunities I’ve had in my career, up to this point. I started in the Constructor Apprenticeship, worked as a journey-level Constructor in Substations downtown, and transferred to the Generation team, where I learned about hydro operations. I also assisted our Apprenticeship Office as a Craft Advisor. Now I can apply all my previous experience to my current role as a Generation Supervisor. City Light has been such a great place to build a career and provide for my family.”

Seattle City Light Continues to Meet I-937 Requirements

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The Energy Independence Act, known as Initiative 937, was approved by Washington State voters in 2006. It requires state electric utilities serving 25,000 or more customers to obtain at least 15 percent of their electricity from new renewable resources by 2020 and undertake all cost-effective energy conservation.

For energy conservation, I-937 requires each covered utility to identify its achievable, cost-effective conservation potential over a 10-year period, starting in 2010-2011. Utilities must update those assessments at least every two years.

Seattle City Light is meeting or exceeding each of these requirements, a seen in excerpts of the report below.

Summary of Achievement and Targets (MWh)
 2018-2019
Biennial		 2020-2021 Biennial
Potential 2018-2027              791,028Potential 2020-2029          724,189
Target 2018-2019              214,620Target 2020-2021          186,325
Achievement 2018-2019              286,213  
Excess (Deficit)                71,593  

2018-2019 Target Setting
In order to meet the I-937 target setting requirements, City Light used the Utility Analysis Option (Conservation Potential Assessment) to establish its biennial target and ten-year potential.  The Conservation Potential Assessment (CPA) identifies City Light’s achievable and cost-effective energy conservation potential over the next twenty years.  This study identified a biennial energy conservation potential of 214,620 MWh (24.5 aMW) for 2018-2019 and a ten-year conservation potential of 791,028 MWh (90.3 aMW).  The Seattle City Council adopted these targets with Resolution #31765.

2018 – 2019 Achievement
City Light is reporting 286,213 MWh against a target of 214,620 MWh. The energy savings reported are reflective of busbar savings (site savings plus applicable transmission & distribution factor).  There is an exception where site savings are being reported; the Residential Energy Savings includes behavior-related programs (OPower/Oracle) that are estimates and are reported as site savings.  A formal third-party evaluation of the energy savings will be completed in the near future to substantiate the energy savings. 

The NEEA-related energy savings includes the direct savings from SCL’s funding of NEEA and the indirect savings allocated to SCL by BPA.

Read the whole report here.

Community (spot)Light: Bob Weeks

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Meet Seattle City Light volunteer, Bob Weeks. Bob, along with the occasional help of family and friends, has spent the past year working tirelessly within a utility transmission corridor next to the Duwamish River. During his weekly visits, he mulches native plants, cuts back and digs invasive Himalayan Blackberries as well as other noxious weeds.

City Light volunteer, Bob Weeks

Bob’s site is adjacent to Tukwila’s Cecil B. Moses Park and part of North Wind’s Weir, a habitat restoration project on the Duwamish River. The stewardship of this site began with Bob’s sister, Pam. She began removing non-native blackberries and planting native plants several years ago as part of a volunteer party for her 70th birthday celebration. Last fall, Bob noticed the native plants that Pam and her party planted were being overgrown with blackberries. As a result, Bob picked up a shovel (technically, a Pulaski), clippers, and got to work.

Bob’s restoration work began as a child when he dug up non-native blackberries at his family home in West Seattle, replacing them with native conifer trees. Sixty years later, most of them are still thriving. As young boys, Bob and his brother played on Harbor Island while their father worked on a boat at the nearby Jim Clark Marina. Later he canoed around the lower Duwamish and began exploring upriver by kayak. Eventually he took a Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition tour of the river led by B.J. Cummings.

His connection to the Duwamish continues through his restoration work. While volunteering at his site, he enjoys seeing Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Herons, King Fishers and other birds and critters that grace the Duwamish River. Freeing native plants from the blackberry overstory and adding new native plants serves the Duwamish River and its native salmon runs. Bob’s stewardship is motivated by his appreciation of the Duwamish River’s history and restoration efforts. Thank you so much for your time, energy and dedication, Bob!

Seattle City Light Releases 2019 Contact Voltage Survey Results

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In late 2019, Seattle City Light completed its 10th consecutive year conducting contact voltage testing. With the help of Osmose Utilities Services and Utility Testing and Geographic Information Systems (UTGIS), City Light was able to identify and repair seven instances, six City Light-owned assets and one privately-owned system, where metal structures or equipment were improperly energized with at least 30 volts of electricity. These instances were responded to and repaired immediately after being discovered. Both contractors supported the testing by calculating survey routes to ensure area coverage and using their mobile detection program to detect and log the events.

This year’s findings were significantly fewer than those in 2018, when 17 instances were discovered by this survey testing. Testing in 2018 also identified 17 instances of contact voltage of less than 30 volts, which were also responded to and either repaired or de-energized. Over the ten years of survey testing, no accidents or injuries have resulted from this method of testing.

City Light is one of the few utilities in the country to regularly test its equipment for contact voltage. Watch to see how this industry-leading safety testing takes place.

Contact voltage events can be the result of many factors, including weather, improper installation, aging infrastructure and corrosion. City Light’s contact voltage testing and response is a demonstration of the utility’s commitment to safety, both for the public and for its employees. Surveying for contact voltage events can also help increase power quality and decrease vault fires.

It is important to note that most cases of contact voltage occur in the winter months when weather can be a factor. You can keep yourself and your loved ones safe by taking these tips into account:

  1. When walking your pet, be aware if your pet acts strangely around any potentially energized metal equipment.
  2. Don’t tie your pet’s leash to a streetlight or near a handhole.
  3. Avoid contact with metal equipment that could be energized.
  4. Report any streetlights that remain on during the day or that are flickering during the evening. This could indicate a problem.
  5. To report a malfunctioning streetlight or a streetlight that is out, visit seattle.gov/light/streetlight.

The full report can be found here: 2019 Contact Voltage Survey Results (PDF).

Underdeck Lighting Improvements at South Cloverdale Street

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Starting in late August 2020, Seattle City Light will upgrade the underdeck high pressure sodium (HPS) light fixtures at the State Route 99 overpass on South Cloverdale Street. The lights will be replaced with new light emitting diode (LED) fixtures that will improve pedestrian and traffic safety. This work was previously scheduled in April 2020 and pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction work area at South Cloverdale Street

Customers can expect sidewalk and lane restrictions in the immediate work area during construction hours. Traffic control flaggers will be used to maintain traffic and pedestrian safety through the work areas. Some noise is expected during construction.

Street view at South Cloverdale Street (Google)

Construction is scheduled to start in late August 2020. The planned duration is approximately two to three months. Crews will be working Mondays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some weekend work may be required during this project.

For more information, please contact Patrick Donohue, Sr. Capital Projects Coordinator at patrick.donohue@seattle.gov or (206) 427-5301. Learn more by visiting www.seattle.gov/light/atwork.

Seattle City (spot)Light

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Hannah Staples has been with City Light for five years. Starting out as a college intern in her first year, Hannah moved between a few temporary positions before moving into a permanent role with the Spatial Analytics team within Geographic Information System (GIS) Services as a GIS Analyst.

“I was born and raised in Bremerton, which is just a quick ferry ride from Seattle. Growing up, making a visit to Seattle was always a special occasion and I have loved making Seattle my home! I have thought about moving to other cities, but being around water, mountains, and forest all feel necessary to me and it’s hard to find that combination anywhere else!”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Hannah shares more about her work at City Light, her creative hobbies, and her life in Wallingford.

InWeb NetWork Hannah Staples Spotlight

“Very simply put, I make maps. Basically, if there is any type of data that has a location associated with it, I can analyze that data and create interactive web maps that help various business units at the utility gain more insight into their data. Some examples of work I’ve completed in the past include an interactive map of the crossover between poles of a particular height and scenic routes, maps exploring the relationship between various demographic data and Utility Discount Program customers, and work with the Streetlight group to create a map that allows their contractors to spatially update what streetlights they are working on.”

“My husband and I have been living in Wallingford for four years now. We love walking around the neighborhood and enjoying the beautiful residential streets. It’s also lovely to be walking distance from coffee shops and bakeries! I love getting involved in anything creative when I’m not working. Lately that has been photography and painting. I also make and sell jewelry and run my own small business. Outside of art, I spend a lot of time going to dog parks with my golden retriever, Maisie, and I love to go camping, especially in Olympic National Park. My husband and I actually got married at the first place we ever camped together! It was the Staircase campground.”

“I attended four different college campuses when I was studying undergrad. I started out at Western Washington University thinking I would major in Behavioral Neuroscience. I then transferred to UW Tacoma to major in Social Work and ended up graduating from UW Seattle with a bachelor’s in environmental science and Resource Management. In college I had the opportunity to intern with City Light and I quickly found that I enjoyed the work I was doing, and I met so many great people that I have been here ever since!”

“I am so grateful that I’ve met so many wonderful individuals at City Light and having great support from co-workers and supervisors makes for a great work environment. I also appreciate that City Light values maintaining a healthy work/life balance.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Kelly Purnell

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Kelly Purnell has been with City Light for three months working in the Asset Management and Large Project division. “I’m a senior project manager in the Special Capital Programs group where I’m currently managing the Accelerated Pole Replacement Program and working with a great team to continue to keep that program running.”

Originally from Southeast Idaho, Kelly went on to study at the University of Utah earning her B.S. in Geography with a minor in International Relations, and a M.S. in Geography with a focus on Geographic Information Systems and environmental planning from the University of Idaho. “In 2008 I interned in Bellevue at Puget Sound Energy during grad school, and about six months after the financial crisis happened my former colleague there called me and told me they had a contract position available if I wanted it. I moved here two weeks later and never regretted it for a moment.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Kelly shares her assortment of hobbies, what she loves about the area, and her new role at City Light.

InWeb NetWork Kelly Purnell spotlight

“I have so many hobbies- I’m a serial hobbyist. Right now, I’m attempting to learn how to play the ukulele, though my general lack of musical talent will likely land that instrument next to my dusty banjo; one can dream though… I’m also a big reader and I love concerts so hopefully we’ll all get to attend one again. My real passions are in the mountains. I’m a backcountry skier, ski patroller at Summit Central, sometimes mountain biker and road cyclist, and avid long-distance hiker and backpacker. Every now and then I still do a little mountaineering Basically, a tent is my happy place. If I can combine any of my interests with my love of travel, all the better. I feel lucky to have had some of those opportunities in the past and I’m eager to explore more of them once we are able to again.”

“I currently live in North Kirkland. After nine years in Seattle and commuting across Lake Washington, I caved and went to the eastside. Of course, less than two years later I took this job at City Light and now I have that same commute in reverse! I love the much quicker access to open spaces than I had in Seattle, and it’s at least half an hour less to get to the mountains where I spend a lot of my spare time. I also live very close to the Woodinville wineries and my dog appreciates the enhanced access to the outdoors and Marymoor.”

“I worked at Puget Sound Energy for ten years in multiple capacities, starting as a land planner and ending as a project manager for complex electric infrastructure projects. It was a great company to work for and I enjoyed my years there, but I was looking for new and interesting opportunities and to gain perspective on the organizational differences within the industry. Seattle City Light had an opening in their Special Capital Programs group and here I am, looking forward to working on all the innovative and interestingly complex infrastructure projects. Three months in, it’s the people that stand out the most. I’ve barely met anyone in person due to COVID, but regardless, everyone I’ve met via a screen or a phone call is welcoming and eager to help me find my feet in the organization. I really appreciate that. None of this craziness is easy for any of us, and a little help goes a long way right now.”

Seattle City (spot)Light: Mario Gonzalez

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Starting at City Light in August 2016, Mario Gonzalez works with the business customer service team as their Senior Customer Service Representative. “I assist our key customer managers with our key customers’ billing inquires, our electrical service engineers with service to bill process, the business customer advisors in account related issues, and our key account yearly rate review.” Mario shared. “I’m here to support our key customer and my team the best I can with the knowledge I have in our systems.”

Originally from Los Angeles, Mario came to Washington for stability and a fresh start, “I heard nothing but good things, so I packed my bags and landed in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.”

In this week’s (spot)Light, Mario talks more about his background, his love for sports, and why he enjoys working at City Light.

“I’ve completed some courses in hospitality at a local community college back in Los Angeles, but most of my experience comes from all of the different jobs I’ve held in customer care throughout my life. They have molded me into the person I am today and I look forward to going back to school to complete my education in business administration.”

“I currently live in Bothell, just down the street from Bothell High School. The community, school district, and quiet, yet busy, downtown make this area a beautiful place for my little family to grow. I love to play sports of any kind; you name it, I’ll play it! Just not hockey, I don’t
think I was made to be on ice. One thing I get teased most for but actually enjoy the most is playing kickball. I am a part of an adult league that travels and plays competitively and after the games we all get together and go have fun at a local bar. It combines my love for travel, my love for sports, and a community of friends that I can share fun memories with.”

“My decision to come to City Light all came down to the possibility of progression and stability. I originally applied for a property management position for a large firm and the temporary position with the city. Thankfully I got both, but the city just made more sense to me at the time even though it was temporary. I’m very thankful that I chose the route I did because I’ve had so many opportunities and have advanced to a position that I am proud of.”

“At the end of each day, I can honestly say that I’ve solved a customer’s issue and in return, I receive gratitude that makes me feel appreciated. I have gained so much from working for Seattle City Light and look forward to the future.”

Removing Mill Pond Dam: How Seattle City Light Restored Sullivan Creek

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In July 2020, the U.S. Forest Service reopened the Mill Pond Historic Site to park visitors. The story below details Seattle City Light’s involvement with the Mill Pond Campground and habitat restoration efforts at Sullivan Creek.

This story was published originally in the March 2020 issue of Northwest Public Power Association Bulletin Magazine. Please note: positions and titles of contributors may have changed since the time of original publication.

Crews removing Mill Pond Dam

Dam removals are multi-faceted projects that require a clear vision of the final goal and foresight to imagine the challenges that may arise. In 2017, Seattle City Light (City Light) took on this formidable task with the removal of Mill Pond Dam, a decommissioned dam built on Sullivan Creek, the largest tributary to the Boundary Hydroelectric Project reservoir in northeastern Washington. By November 2019, City Light had completed the habitat restoration of the pond site to resemble its original pre-dam habitat condition. Project success required a clear vision, adaptability and a strong focus and a passion for the community it serves.

Mill Pond Dam was formed originally when a log crib dam was installed in 1909 by the Inland Portland Cement Company. A gated, concrete dam measuring 134 feet long and 55 feet high was constructed immediately downstream of the log crib dam in 1921. Mill Pond Dam had not provided hydropower or flood protection for almost 50 years while contributing to ecosystem degradation in the Sullivan watershed. 

Boundary Hydroelectric Project from its Vista House
Boundary Hydroelectric Project from its Vista House

Boundary’s licensed capacity of 1,117 MW can supply more than 33% of the utility’s service area power needs. During FERC relicensing negotiations, City Light and stakeholders agreed that the Boundary Reservoir offered limited opportunities for native fish restoration. At the same time during relicensing, Pend Oreille PUD, the local PUD, was surrendering their license for the Sullivan Creek Hydroelectric facility, which included Mill Pond Dam. Stakeholders in both processes identified the removal of Mill Pond as a critical mitigation measure in revitalizing native salmonid habitat in the Sullivan Creek watershed.  

Mill Pond Dam and the Boundary Hydroelectric Project are literally across Washington state from City Light’s operations in Seattle. Communicating the reasoning, the impacts and ultimately the benefits of this project required a sound strategy from City Light’s project team and partner agencies.  

In 2015, the project team in collaboration with Hernann Ambion, City Light’s senior public relations specialist and Scott Thomsen, City Light’s senior strategic advisor, held a community meeting at the Cutter Theatre in Metaline Falls. The goal was to educate the community about the project, correct misinformation, seek input on recreation amenities that could be included in the project and ease the concerns of a community.

“Dam removals are fascinating and frankly are hard to accomplish on multiple levels. This isn’t the typical capital project that a utility works on day-to-day,” Ambion described. “This community had fished and enjoyed Mill Pond for most of their lives, and we wanted to honor that. There was great dialogue between the community, the contractors and the utility during that initial meeting. It allowed us to get everyone on the same page about the project while dispelling any misconceptions about why City Light was even involved with this project.”

To keep the community and utility employees informed of the project, City Light’s Communication team also created a short video with interviews from project leads and agencies explaining the project and its benefits.  

Mill Pond Dam before its removal

Initially, the FERC License order outlined a detailed approach to removing the dam and a highly engineered stream restoration, which required that the approximately 1 million cubic yards of accumulated sediment be retained on site. This approach would have likely resulted in costly long-term maintenance by City Light. Early on, the utility, in consultation with its stakeholders and an expert panel, agreed that a plan for a more natural and resilient restored site was needed. For Lloyd Dixon, senior capital project coordinator with City Light, this paradigm shift gave the utility the latitude to create a plan that ensured that the area would thrive for years to come.

“We wanted to look at this holistically, to re-create a stream and wetland complex that would be able to adapt to changing conditions and provide excellent habitat value to fish and wildlife. We reimagined the design of the project, so the methods were not overly prescriptive allowing the contractor to design and implement a project that placed the site on a trajectory of recovery while allowing the habitat to adapt to environmental changes accordingly,” Dixon explained. “We realized that the century’s worth of accumulated sand and gravel needed to flow downstream into the sediment-starved areas that the Mill Pond Dam had created. Stakeholder buyoff on this concept was an important paradigm shift for this project. Early in the project design process, we had a panel involved with experts in geomorphology and dam removal that agreed that flushing the sediment naturally downstream to the Pend Oreille River would benefit the entire ecosystem both from ecological and morphological standpoints.”

City Light built a system of engineered log jams, made from trees and logs, that will remain resilient and functional during flood events, mitigate the effects of climate change over time and provide significant habitat value for fish and wildlife. Dubbed the “unbreakable stream” by Dixon and his team, the system includes log structures in the active channel and side channels that will regulate sediment transport, trap large woody debris and support a healthy riparian ecosystem.  

The restored area where Mill Pond Dam once stood (After)

When the project was officially completed in November 2019, the removal and restoration project reconnected 46 stream miles of habitat above the former barrier. Because of the innovative approach to dam removal, the ecosystem can now evolve and thrive for the first time in 111 years. While the public will benefit from the newly installed amenities such as a complete-loop trail including two new bridges,  a picnic shelter, and improved campground facilities, according to John Armstrong, City Light’s manager of the Boundary Licensing Unit, the primary goal is for native fish to flourish in the watershed once again.

“City Light is proud to be a steward of this environment we operate in. We rely on science and being informed about the fish populations that we are responsible for,” Armstrong said. We acknowledge that Boundary Reservoir itself isn’t the best habitat for these populations, and research identified the best opportunities for success are within tributaries to the reservoir. We wanted to do it right. If you’re going to operate a big dam, there’s an environmental element and we take that responsibility seriously.”     

Removing Mill Pond Dam and restoring Sullivan Creek required focus, fostering strong local relationships and establishing a transparent dialogue with the community that it impacts. From the regulatory agencies who worked closely with City Light to the region who welcomed the contractors and City Light employees from Seattle into their community, this project required the expertise and vision of many people to make it a success. It’s because of those people that Sullivan Creek and its tributaries will flourish for decades to come.