Powerlines Blog Seattle City Light

Powerlines

News and Updates from Seattle City Light

City Light Tradeswomen Shine at Annual Awards Ceremony

by

Congratulations are in order for Transmission Right-of-Way Crew Chief Margaret (Peggy) Owens and Lineworker Apprentice Erika Belsby who were recognized by Washington Women in Trades (WWIT) with top awards for their commitment and contributions to the skilled trades. Peggy was named Tradeswoman of the Year, and Erika is the recipient of the Peggy Cook Apprentice Award.

The annual awards program “recognizes, celebrates, and validates the successes and challenges” of women as they make history in non-traditional careers. Other award categories include Lifetime Achievement, Active Advocate, Union Activist, Instructor, Workplace Leader, the Josie Dunn Apprentice Award, and honorable mentions. See the full list of recipients here.

Peggy Owens

Peggy began her City Light career as a lineworker apprentice 24 years ago and now serves the utility as one of two crew chiefs on the Vegetation Management Team. “Peg is incredibly dedicated to her job, this utility, and her position as a tradeswoman,” said Vegetation Management & Fleets Manager Dave Bayard. “She’s responsive 100% of the time, day or night, in all weather, always ready to jump in and do her part. She’s deeply dedicated to her team and is very aware of her position as a successful tradeswoman in a male-dominated industry and works hard to serve as a role model for those coming up behind her.

Erika Belsby
Photo credit: Tauna Hood

Erika, who is almost halfway through the apprenticeship program, was inspired to become a lineworker through her participation in logger sports (i.e., ax throwing, wood chopping, sawing, and speed pole climbing). “I like the physical and mental challenges of being a lineworker,” Erika shared. “I love being outdoors. The work is different every day.

“This award puts me in a position to better advocate for women in this trade. It also allows me to highlight City Light’s apprenticeship programs,” Erika said. “I’m flattered WWIT recognized my hard work; it’s an honor to be in the company of the women who won this award before me. I want to help WWIT educate women on skilled trades careers and, hopefully, direct them to opportunities at City Light.”

Congratulations to Peggy and Erika on this well-deserved achievement. We tip our (hard) hats to you!

Seattle City Light breaks ground on new solar microgrid at Miller Community Center

by

Seattle City Light began construction this week on a new solar microgrid at Miller Community Center, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The microgrid, a demonstration project, will provide backup power storage for the community center during emergency events, such as a windstorm or unplanned power outage. 

Miller Community Center, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood

The solar microgrid project, designed and installed by contractor Worley, will include the installation of solar panels and a fenced-in battery energy storage system with microgrid controls. Construction is scheduled for completion in March 2021. Once activated, the University of Washington will perform analytics on the microgrid’s operations.  

As part of the project, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture hired Seattle artist Julia Harrison to develop an artwork installation for the microgrid project. This installation will occur in spring 2021.

City Light and Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) selected Miller Community Center to host the $3.3 million demonstration project, after a careful assessment of sites. Funding was provided through a $1.8 million investment from City Light and a $1.5 million Washington Department of Commerce grant. 

For more information about this project, please visit seattle.gov/light/atwork.   

Seattle City Light, one of the nation’s largest publicly owned utilities, generates and delivers affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible power to the homes, businesses, and communities we serve. We provide carbon-neutral electricity, generated primarily from carbon-free hydropower, to over 900,000 residents in Seattle and the surrounding areas. 

Seattle Parks and Recreation provides welcoming and safe opportunities to play, learn, contemplate and build community, and promotes responsible stewardship of the land. We promote healthy people, a healthy environment, and strong communities. 

City of Seattle can Help Pay Your Electric and Utility Bills

by

Traducción Española | dịch tiếng Việt | 中文翻譯  | 한국어 번역 Tarjumaadda Af-Soomaaliga | የአማርኛ ትርጉም

COVID-19 has affected Seattle residents in many ways. Many people, including older adults and families, are facing tough times due to job loss.

The City of Seattle can help people who are struggling to pay their electricity and utilities bills. Eligible households can enroll in the City of Seattle’s Utility Discount Program (UDP), which offers a 60% discount on Seattle City Light bills and a 50% discount on Seattle Public Utilities bills.

Person's hands counting paper money

To be eligible, your pre-tax household income must be at or below 70% of the state’s median income. (The “median income” value is used by many
programs to determine income eligibility. In 2021, a four-person household
may earn up to $5,996 per month or an annual income of $71,952 before
taxes or other deductions.)

UDP Application Process
• Complete the online enrollment form at this website.
The form is in English. For language support, please call to speak to a
representative.
Your application will be reviewed and processed. If your application meets the eligibility requirements, your household will be enrolled.
The response email or letter may be in English.
• The discount may take up to two billing cycles to appear on your bills.
• Customers approved for receiving the discount will need to renew their application with income documentation six months after their approval date.

If you receive a call, email and/or postcard stating you need to contact our office to renew your application, please call 206-684-0268 to speak to a representative. Interpretation services are available. You do not need to complete another online application form.

If you have questions about UDP enrollment or would like assistance, call or e-mail UDP@Seatttle.gov. If you need an interpreter, please request one when you call, and please tell the operator what language you need interpretation for. There may be a slight wait time to connect to an interpreter.

You can find additional information, including more detailed eligibility requirements, on this webpage: www.seattle.gov/UDP.

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities will keep services on for customers, even if they are behind on paying their bills, throughout the pandemic. Customers can set up a deferred payment plan by calling 206-684-3000 or by sending an email through this website at any time.

City Light is ready for winter weather. Are you?

by

A Seattle City Light truck driving on a road covered in snow at night

Seattle City Light monitors weather conditions to prepare for potential power outages when high winds, heavy rain, or snow and ice are in the forecast. We are prepared with the necessary equipment, supplies, chains for trucks, etc., to respond to any outage. Should there be widespread outages, we have crews on standby ready to respond and work 24/7 until every customer is back on. You can track outages on our online outage map –seattle.gov/light/outage.  

As winter weather begins to roll in, the hazards of snow and ice can bring our region to a halt. We have a few tips to keep you ready, warm, and most importantly, safe.

What should I do if the power goes out and it gets cold?

  • Never use generators and barbecues indoors; keep them outside and away from windows.
  • Use flashlights and battery-operated candles to light the inside of your home; avoid open flames.
  • Stay warm with layered clothing and blankets.
  • Keep doors and windows shut.
  • Open your blinds facing sunlight; this helps bring warmth into your home.
  • Weatherize your home; caulking and weatherstripping are easy ways to keep cold air out. Find out how you can weatherize your home and get rebate information at energysolutions.seattle.gov.

How does the cold weather or snow impact my electrical service?

  • Snow and ice-related outages occur if a branch falls on powerlines due to the weight of the precipitation. Sometimes, equipment may fail due to low temperatures.
  • Avoid driving during this type of inclement weather as striking power poles can cause outages.
  • Rapidly melting snow on tree branches can cause them to spring up into powerlines, which can cause outages.

How do I stay safe in the snow?

  • Falling on icy sidewalks is a major cause of injury following a winter storm. Always wear appropriate footwear.
  • If you must drive, make sure your car is ready. Carry chains or other traction devices and be prepared to put them on. Make sure windows are clear and the snow is brushed from the entire car.
  • Know where your valve shutoffs are located. If an emergency occurs, you’ll need to know how to shut off electricity, gas and water at main switches and valves.

For more tips to help you prepare for an outage, visit powerlines.seattle.gov/outage.

Seattle City Light recognized as No. 1 West Midsize Utility in J.D. Power 2020 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study

by

Seattle City Light received the highest customer satisfaction index score of any midsize electrical utility in the western United States, according to the J.D. Power 2020 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study. The overall satisfaction index examines six factors: power quality and reliability; corporate citizenship; price; billing and payment; communications; and customer contact. Seattle City Light received the highest score (5 of 6) in the following: power quality & reliability; corporate citizenship; price; billing & payment; and customer contact.

“This award is a great example of the commitment of our City Light employees to our customers, especially during a year that has brought so many unexpected challenges for our business community,” said City Light General Manager and CEO Debra Smith. “We are honored to receive this prestigious award, especially when so much has been asked of our employees. We cannot thank them enough for their dedication to their work.”

The study, fielded from February through October 2020, was based on responses from 18,457 online interviews of business customers in decision-making roles related to their utility company.

As the number of COVID-19 cases began to rise within the region, City Light’s Business Customer Services took significant strides to support its customers, including small and medium business customers, to help ease the financial challenges of the pandemic. The team, including Key Customer Managers, provided a holistic approach to supporting its customers, including proactively offering payment plans or arrangements, providing virtual energy audits to identify methods to reduce electricity usage within their business, working with customers one-on-one through a concierge-style service and contacting known closed businesses such as restaurants to assist in closing their City Light accounts. We believe these efforts contributed to the utility’s increase in its overall customer satisfaction index score by 32 points from 2019. 

“Customer service demands continuous improvement while remaining nimble enough to anticipate change,” said Craig Smith, City Light Chief Customer Officer. “This year, our Business Customer Services team went above and beyond to provide the outstanding level of service our utility strives for. City Light will remain steadfast in its commitment to its customers as our region recovers financially from this pandemic and beyond.”

The 2020 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study, now in its 22nd year, measures satisfaction among business customers of 86 targeted U.S. electric utilities, each of which serves more than 40,000 business customers. In aggregate, these utilities provide electricity to more than 12 million customers.

For more information about the J.D. Power Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/utilities/electric-utility-business-customer-satisfaction-study.

About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world’s leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power is headquartered in Troy, Mich., and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

About Seattle City Light
Seattle City Light, one of the nation’s largest publicly owned utilities, generates and delivers affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible power to the homes, businesses, and communities we serve. We provide carbon-neutral electricity, generated primarily from carbon-free hydropower, to over 900,000 residents in Seattle and the surrounding areas.

How City Light Can Assist with Your Bill During the COVID-19 Outbreak

by

The lasting impacts of COVID-19 are becoming more apparent every day. As our region grapples with this changing environment, we are seeing the financial toll of the virus taking shape, leaving some of our customers in challenging financial straits.

We want you to know that City Light and Seattle Public Utilities will keep utility services on during the COVID-19 Civil Emergency. This will provide immediate utility relief for customers, both residential and commercial, financially impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Effective immediately, our customers can set up deferred payment plans if their financial stability has been jeopardized by COVID-19. Utility service will stay on as their deferred payment plans are developed and implemented. 

Customers financially impacted by COVID-19 are urged to set up payment plans with either Seattle City Light or Seattle Public Utilities by calling 206-684-3000 or sending an email 24/7 at http://www.seattle.gov/utilities/about-us/email-question.

Looking to help others? Donate to Project Share
Finally, there is a program available for LIHEAP or ELIA participants which is funded by donations from City Light employees, customers and other supporters. Project Share takes donations and disburses the money to those in need. Last year, Project Share provided assistance to about 1,000 people. The average benefit for recipients was $250.

Project Share’s one-time emergency assistance grants can make a huge difference in the lives of your friends and neighbors. If you are financially stable, please consider making a donation here. 

Uncovering History: The Life of a Seattle City Light Archaeologist

by

Uncovering a pond in the town of Diablo

Seattle City Light’s more than 1,800 employees hold a bevy of positions from engineer, to lineworker, to fish biologist to fudge master (although that last one is more of a moniker). Here’s another enviable position to add to the list: archaeologist. Since assuming her role in 2016, Senior Archaeologist Andrea Weiser has played a critical role in preserving and discovering the history of City Light and the areas it affects.

Before any projects, from replacing a pole to building a large piece of infrastructure, Andrea and members of a team of consulting archaeologists research and test the area for potential historical archaeological significance that could be disturbed. Once the evaluation is complete, the utility can move forward or adjust their plans. This protocol complies with City Light’s obligations to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as compliance with state and federal laws and Seattle municipal code regarding cultural resources and coordination with Tribes who retain treaty rights in their usual and accustomed areas.

While not very common, Andrea and her team may uncover an artifact that harkens back to the origins of the Skagit Hydroelectric Project’s existence. One day while conducting archaeological monitoring for a water meter project in Newhalem, a town owned and operated by City Light within the project, they made a discovery–an Old Taylor Bourbon bottle from the 1940s found nestled among the roots of a stump. The find alone was a surprise and the fact that the bottle was still intact was rare for the team to uncover. 

The recovered Old Taylor Bourbon bottle

“In the 1940s, the company town of Newhalem had memorable ups and downs. At this time, Diablo and Gorge Powerhouses were in production, Ross Dam was under construction, and tourists who accessed the project by train were treated to meals and scenes that caused a buzz of excitement,” Andrea explained. “Evening activities included dances and cocktail parties. In September 1940, the Selective Training and Service Act required men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft, and in 1941, U.S. military personnel were deployed for World War II. Construction of Ross Dam was put on hold until the war ended in 1945 and Ross Dam was completed in 1949. During this era, there were many reasons to drain a bottle of bourbon.” 

Construction of Ross Dam, Jan. 1940

The team has found numerous relics of City Light’s past buried within the Project. A few years ago, while Andrea served as a consultant for the utility, her team even discovered a human-made pond buried a foot below the ground in the town of Diablo. Through historical photos and old City Light newsletters, they deduced that the pond was built between 1950 and 1955, serving as a tourist attraction in the summer for project visitors and as an ice rink in the winter for the employees and their families.

Andrea and her team have also found essential artifacts that recognize the significance of the land for native people, primarily the Upper Skagit Tribe. Before a large-scale project at the Skagit Hydroelectric Project, or for any City Light property, the utility confers with the local tribes to ensure that work doesn’t disrupt culturally-significant sites. Following one such project, City Light partnered with the Upper Skagit Tribe to create interpretive signage that recognized the importance of this land in the Tribe’s history. The sign represents a collaborative effort with the Upper Skagit Tribe to raise public awareness about ancient human history in the Skagit Project and highlight modern coordination on resource stewardship to protect and enhance fish and animal populations and habitat. Upper Skagit Tribal Council members Marilyn Scott and Edmond Mathias commemorated the sign dedication with a traditional song and honored 40 families who lived year-round in longhouses in Newhalem for generations before European settlement. Upper Skagit Tribal Policy Advisor, Scott Schuyler, spoke about a long-standing history of connections to the Skagit watershed and Newhalem, as well as treaty rights, and resources that are important to their Tribe’s culture and future.

“The council wanted to reach the public and create awareness of their history in this area,” Andrea said. “It was important to them that we recognize that the Tribe has been stewards of the land we operate in for thousands of years. We were proud to partner with them to help tell their story.” 

Interpretive signage near SR 20 in Newhalem

The interpretive signage is located in Newhalem near the Skagit General Store and includes facts about how ancient archaeological evidence corroborates the oral history the Upper Skagit Tribe teaches about their connections with the area. It also consists of a polymer replica of an artifact found at the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. The original artifact, estimated to be between 4,000 and 9,000 years old, is formed from a type of stone unique to the North Cascades mountains and was recently analyzed for biological residues revealing the presence of ancient goat blood on the artifact. Which is apropos since the word Newhalem comes from the Lushootseed word “dawáylib” translates to the thread or rope used for snaring goats. 

But this line of work is rife with challenges. Archaeological sites are heavily protected in Washington, and by law, all land in the state is protected from unpermitted digging in archaeological sites. Projects even on private lands that involve a lot of digging like installing a pool or septic tank, require contacting the Washington Department of Archaeology first (for more information, visit: dahp.wa.gov). When it comes to City Light projects, Weiser or other archaeologists carry out this coordination with the state and affected tribes. Because the Skagit Hydroelectric Project lies within the North Cascades National Park and Ross National Recreation Area, the archaeological sites are protected by federal law. To put it bluntly: you can’t go all Indiana Jones when you’re in the park or anywhere else. Even a trained professional archaeologist must have a permit to dig or collect artifacts.

“We do this work under federal and state laws, along with obtaining the proper permits. One of the risks of talking about archaeology is it can pique someone’s interest,” Andrea described. ” but you cannot go out and dig up areas on your own. You will be fined heavily and could even end up in jail, not to mention you could lose the trust of tribes who hold federal rights. In the state of Washington, if you knowingly disturb or dig up at a site, it’s illegal. There are also protections for keeping archeological sites, burials, and traditional cultural place locations confidential to protect them from looting and vandalism. It’s really serious stuff, especially with cultures where these areas are personally significant.”

While some people do dig or excavate without realizing the current laws, others are more nefarious. Last summer, someone had illegally dug and vandalized the Newhalem Rock Shelter archeological site near the Newhalem campground which is clearly marked as a protected site. According to a Facebook post by the National Park Service, the illegal excavation has caused “irretrievable damage” to the site and the Upper Skagit Tribe’s heritage. The Tribe is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of those involved. 

If you would like to learn more about archaeology in our state, The Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s website: dahp.wa.gov has a wealth of resources. You can also even volunteer to participate on a dig! Learn more at jobmonkey.com/parks/passport_in_time/.

Winter is Here, it’s Time to Weatherize!

by

Did you know that weatherizing your home can keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer and reduce your energy bill? Now is a great time to take advantage of theCity of Seattle’s HomeWise Weatherization program!

City of Seattle’s HomeWise improves your home and provides a healthier indoor environment while staying more comfortable year-round, not to mention reducing your energy bills. This program provides weatherization services for limited-income residents of Seattle and electrically heated homes throughout City Light’s service territory.

HomeWise includes a complete energy audit by a HomeWise property rehabilitation specialist that will:

  • identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of your home to save you money;
  • explore methods to improve the health, safety and comfort of your home;
  • evaluate opportunities for improving your home’s heating and cooling systems;
  • develop an itemized list of work to be done.

After the audit, a HomeWise professional will facilitate contracting and be there to guide you as work is done on your home.

HomeWise works with private contractors, and their work is inspected by a HomeWise specialist. This service is free for income-qualified customers. If home repairs are needed, no-interest loans are available. Click here to find out if you might qualify for the HomeWise Weatherization Program. To learn more, visit seattle.gov/housing/homeowners/weatherization.

Y2K 20 Years Later: An oral history of the final moments of the 20th century at Seattle City Light

by

It’s hard to believe that this time 20 years ago, the world was preparing for the new millennium. From the infamous “Y2K Bug” to stocking up on canned goods, the months leading up to Y2K was a time of bracing for the unknown. For Seattle City Light, preparing for Y2K took on many forms. While there were minimal issues, some employees did incur a few tense minutes leading up to and following midnight, Jan. 1, 2000.  

This is an oral history told from the perspective of five City Light employees of how the utility prepared for the event and where they were the night of Dec. 31, 1999.  

1999: A Year of Preparation 

Steve O’Kelley (Communications, now retired): The way it was portrayed on the national scene was that planes could fall out of the sky and power would go out everywhere. There was a lot of hype to it. I say the average person I worked with didn’t believe that any of that could happen…probably.

Peter DiTuri (Sr. Management Systems Analyst): Up until that time, a lot of computer systems didn’t have the memory or disk space like the smartphone you have in your pocket today. When programs were written, they took up as little space as possible. Memory and disk space were expensive, so to get around this problem, programmers made applications that only used two-digit years like ‘89, ‘67, ‘04, etc. That works fine until you had to include something starting on Jan. 1, 2000 or later. Then, you had to store the full date and even calculate differences between dates, and not making 2-digit years into 4-digit years resulted in wrong or insensible values. Although Y2K was anticipated for many, many years, procrastination turned Y2K into a crisis.

“There is a lot of information available on Y2K, some of it accurate and well-reasoned; some that is misleading and unduly frightening. The City of Seattle is determined to clearly communicate the City’s progress towards readiness and to provide you with the resources you need.”

– City of Seattle’s Y2K website

Bill Davis (Telecommunications Supervisor, now retired): We didn’t have computers the last time we went into a new century. So no one really knew for sure what was going to happen. 

Peter DiTuri: The City of Seattle was on top of this. The Executive Services Division took the lead for Y2K remediation efforts. Each department had to identify each individual application or system hardware or software that had a danger of failing if not remediated or replaced by Jan. 1, 2000. They could be small databases on someone’s work computer, giant enterprise applications or major pieces of equipment. Y2K was a 100% human-caused problem but with a 100% known solution.

Back then, we had an IBM mainframe. The problem with it was that IBM no longer produced the parts for that machine, and the operating system wasn’t being updated, so it had to go away. City Light had its Transformer and Network Load Management applications on the mainframe and we had to figure out what the lost source code was for the applications, then we (this is really cool) disassembled the application, wrote flowcharts of pseudo-code, rewrote the application code in Fortran, correcting for Y2K (of course) and imported it over to the Sun Solaris server where it ran for many, many years after. So getting a program off the mainframe was a necessary solution for Y2K as well as updating lots of source code and changing programs to handle four-digit years.

An article on preparing for Y2K in the August 1999 issue of Network,
City Light’s internal publication

Bill Greif (Sr. Data Processing Systems Analyst): The team came up with a plan for how to check everything that was running and test it out. We went through a lot of tests. We checked the equipment in a test environment to see what would happen when the clock inside the equipment went over into 2000.

Peter DiTuri: Other programs we had to update so they would accepted dates past Y2K up to 9999, we won’t be here for that occurrence. But we did have to test for other dates, too. We had to make sure that Feb. 29, 2000 was also valid since 2000 was indeed a Leap Year. 1900 was not and neither was 2100. Y2K was a continuous process to make sure dates like that still worked. 

Steve O’Kelley: One of the things we did as a group was to identify the equipment that could be susceptible to a problem from Y2K. A contractor inventoried our equipment. I worked on telephone switching equipment and some communications gear that switched out to the substations. The feeling in the group was that nothing much was really going to happen.

“Four years of hard work and preparation will be put to the test Friday evening, through the following Monday, the first business morning of the new millennium. I am confident we’ll ace that test.”

-Gary Zarker,
City Light Superintendent, in a memo on Dec. 27, 1999

5…4…3…2…1…Darkness 

Peter DiTuri: We had the plan for staffing for the night of in case something went wrong. There were dedicated workstations and PCs in our Trouble Center (Seattle Municipal Tower room 3613) in case there were any major outages or any problems major to our system. We did have one workstation fail after zero hour, but we isolated the issue to a machine configuration issue and I was able to fix it fairly quickly.

On that particular day, (Dec. 31, 1999) I was working in City Light IT, our “war room” was in SMT 2921, and we had a pizza party. We also had mandatory overtime. Management and the unions had agreed that this was an odd situation, so we in IT staff assigned to staff Y2K were set to work up to 24 hours – but we never worked that long. I worked from 6 p.m. to about 3:30 a.m. New Year’s morning.

As we came closer to zero hour, we watched the Space Needle on the TV and we knew it was close to time. I had my CD player so I took it out and I popped in a CD and it started playing REM’s ‘It’s the End of the World (As We Know It)’ [laughter] I could not take Y2K seriously. At that point, we had reports from across the world and nothing was going wrong! It was like…why are we even here now? But you never know what could have happened if something crucial didn’t get fixed as it should have.

Steve O’Kelley: I was at the System Control Center (SCC) at midnight. I didn’t pick up any great worries. We turned the conference rooms into media centers so that the TV stations could plug in if they showed up. We had TVs set up so they could pick up KING and KOMO. 

Bill Davis: Everything went fine until around midnight when the lights went out at Queen Anne. Everybody thought at the time ‘well oh shoot, something went wrong.’

“SEATTLE – Just a few moments after midnight there were a few power outages in Seattle. But at this point it’s unclear of this was Y2K computer problems or something else. Seattle City Light reports about 1,500 customers were without power momentarily. All power was restored.” 

-KOMO

Bill Davis: It turned out to be mylar balloons caught up in transmission lines around midnight. Everybody breathed a sigh of relief. We had all the media down at the SCC. The City Light superintendent was down there so everyone was there watching. I went to each station to hand out cookies and non-alcoholic champagne and tried to stay out of the way of the dignitaries and the press. Then they let us go home around 2 a.m.  

Bill Greif: NYE was actually a pretty fun night. We had the news media here [at the SCC] and we were all hanging out in the control room waiting for something to break. One of our employees had a yellow ergonomic ball chair and put a smiley face on it and put it on the ladder we use to get up to the pinboard here. He tried to set it up for it to roll down at midnight but it started early and made the news for that. 

Alone on Y2K 

While City Light employees prepared to welcome in the new millennium across Seattle, Rusty Welshon anxiously waited with some concern at City Light’s remote Tolt Powerhouse.  

Rusty Welshon (Electrician Constructor and Operator at Cedar Falls and Tolt powerhouses): I was at Tolt which is all computer-controlled. It uses Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), an industrial process computer. Tolt was the first real computer-controlled powerplant that we had. All the other ones had a hydraulic, mechanical controlled system that was more manual. We had a PLC and an interface between you and the machine called a Human Machine Interface (HMI), which had a series of screens that you could rotate through. Two months prior, we did a trial run by changing the date of the PLC to Dec. 31 at 11 p.m. and let it run to see what would happen. The HMI screen twisted out of shape and the numbers were all distorted.

We suspected that…We didn’t….ummm…(chuckle) we didn’t know what the heck it was what going to do.  

We couldn’t get any information out of it, and we couldn’t get into the program. We were concerned, not overly, but we were concerned because we didn’t know what it was going to do. 

Tolt’s a smaller plant, only 16MW so it wasn’t critical for it to be in operation at midnight on Dec. 31. We turned off the generator because we didn’t know what was going to happen.  

So 11:59 p.m. rolls around, I’m all by myself in the middle of the mountains up above Carnation. I have a flashlight and the PLC ready to be plugged back in and I have my hand on the hydraulic handle so I can shut down and freeze everything in case things went catawampus. If the hydraulics started to move, things could have gotten scary so I was ready to lock it down if needed.  

And sure enough, the PLC distorted almost as if it was a crumpled piece of paper. Then it displayed weird numbers. So what had happened during the trial happened again. So I plugged my computer back in and waited until 12:30 a.m. so whatever would have happened will have happened. I fixed all the numbers and called the dispatcher to see if I was good to get it running again. I started it up after adjusting the numbers and everything was found. It was anticlimactic,  but it was not Y2K compliant so there were wrinkles and we had to adjust. And we didn’t know what was going to happen. To a degree, it was a tense moment because Y2K was a real thing and it came upon everyone faster than we thought.

Surviving Y2K and Moving Forward  

Peter DiTuri: Planning for Y2K was a team effort. It really was. Everyone was on board and knew what and what the City needed to have in place. If anything, Y2K made us define our business processes as a utility and what our points of failure could be. We had to outline our processes and figure out alternatives in case something bad were to happen. It still applies today. We are now more susceptible to failures than in Y2K because of our reliance on the Internet, and many mistakenly assume that disruptions from disasters only result in short-term, minor inconveniences.

Peter DiTuri’s “Y2K Bug” plush toy.

Bill Greif: We were ready to go into manual mode if necessary. We were pretty confident that if something did happen then we would be able to manage it. Other than that, we had done so many exercises prior to make it a non-event. I was on the phone with a friend around midnight who was kind of a prepper who said ‘just wait, Bill’ and then midnight hit and nothing happened. And then he said ‘yeah, it’s still early, Bill. Just wait. Shipping will quit and we won’t be able to get food.’ which never happened.

Bill Davis: It was kind of a good experience, having all of those units working together and help each other out. It was an interesting time. 

Steve O’Kelley’s Y2K gag gift

Steve O’Kelley: It did get kind of hyped. The internet was kind of around but not a lot of people had it. So you believed what was in the paper and talk radio. My biggest regret was not keeping this one cannister of hot cocoa that had an expiration date of 1901, not 2001. That’s where they made a subtraction of the dates. Those are the kinds of things that got most people, using the last two digits. 

When I saw a request for stories about Y2K, I thought to myself ‘wow, I can’t believe it’s been 20 years.’ It seems like yesterday, but it wasn’t. 

A special thank you to those who contributed to this oral history.
If you were a City Light employee during Y2K, we would love to hear your story! Email nathan.macdonald@seattle.gov with the subject line: “Y2K at City Light.”

Seattle City Light Unveils its new site in SODO for Public Electric Vehicle Charging

by

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, City Light held an event to officially unveil its latest public electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers near the utility’s South Service Center. The SODO fast chargers, located southeast of the intersection of 4th Avenue South and South Spokane Street, is the utility’s second location for publicly available EV fast chargers, with more installations planned in 2020.   

The site includes four EV fast chargers and a dual-port Level 2 charger. Depending on the electric vehicle, the fast chargers can dispense upwards of 165 miles of range per hour of charge time, while the Level 2 chargers can dispense up to 30 miles of range per hour. The chargers are located in a publicly accessible parking lot in the SODO neighborhood.   

“The new EV fast chargers are part of a larger transportation electrification strategy. They will allow us to leverage our clean electricity and reach the city of Seattle’s goals of reducing carbon emissions by 2050,” said Debra Smith, General Manager and CEO of Seattle City Light. “This pilot will help us understand the impacts of EV charging on the electrical system as we lay the groundwork to support electrifying all modes of transportation, from passenger vehicles to buses, the Port of Seattle, heavy-duty vehicles and ferries.” 

Electric Vehicle fast chargers near City Light South Service Center
EV fast chargers near City Light South Service Center

City Light also shared a new time-of-day fee structure for the public EV fast chargers. The “Daytime” cost-to-charge is from Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. The “All Other Hours” cost-to-charge is all hours on Sunday and Monday-Saturday from 12:00 a.m.-6:59 a.m. and 7:01 p.m.-11:59 p.m. 

“The new fee structure sets a price point that demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of utilizing electric vehicles,” Victor Couto, public EV pilot program manager, said. “Being stewards of offering affordable electricity, City Light established fees comparative to gasoline that benefit our customers while bringing more electrical load to our system.”

With Seattle boasting one of the larger populations of electric vehicles in the country, City Light is installing 20 publicly accessible EV fast chargers throughout the utility’s service area. EV fast chargers will be distributed across the utility’s service area so that charging is accessible to all customers, especially in areas where the private sector is not installing EV infrastructure. Before breaking ground in a neighborhood, City Light performs extensive research to identify optimal locations that are near major arterial roads and amenities that meet the technical requirements for delivering power to that location.

City Light is committed to delivering equitable outcomes through its future transportation electrification efforts. City Light is conducting outreach and engaging directly with communities, specifically those that have been traditionally underrepresented and disadvantaged. Community Outreach Manager Jenny Levesque believes these sessions are imperative for City Light to be successful.   

“We want to have an open dialogue and keep communities involved in the process,” Jenny explained. “We value and welcome their input to ensure that these transportation electrification solutions align with the needs of the community.”   

City Light is developing a Transportation Electrification Plan that will identify priorities for investment in charging infrastructure City Light will make to increase equitable access to electric transportation, reduce carbon emissions, and bring value to the grid and our customers. We are focused on solutions that align with City Light’s transportation electrification value framework of equity, environment, and the grid. City Light is seeking to understand the transportation needs of the communities we serve.   

“The reduced fees come at a time when City Light is developing a Transportation Electrification Plan that will identify priorities for the utility’s investments in increasing equitable access to electric transportation, reducing carbon emissions, and bringing value to the electric grid and City Light customers,” said Emeka Anyanwu, City Light’s Energy Innovation and Resources Officer. 

City Light will release more information on the plan as it is available.   

City Light plans to install at least four sites across its service area by mid-2020. The locations and expected completion dates include:  

  • Magnuson Park (Q1 2020);   
  • Alaska Junction in West Seattle (Q1 2020);  
  • Madison-Miller located at 22nd Ave and East Olive Street (Q1 2020);  
  • Tukwila (Q2 2020);
  • Additional sites are to be determined.

Each station will host a variety of charger types, bringing at least 20 chargers to its network of stations. Currently, the utility is researching 11 different sites throughout City Light’s service area.  

These chargers, coupled with future pilot programs, including residential EV charging, City Light feels it is in the driver’s seat as electrification becomes more affordable and available.   

“Above all, we want to offer a suite of EV options for our customers,” Victor explained. “We are meeting the current demand.”  

The SODO charging station is available for public use and is on the popular EV charging app PlugShare. For more information on City Light’s electric vehicle programs and initiatives, visit energysolutions.seattle.gov/electric-vehicles/.