AGENDA

 

2025 TECHNICAL SCHEDULE

NWHA Technical Workshop and Hydro Operator Forum April 30-May 2

Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick, WA

Wednesday, April 30th Morning - Owners Forum
(Utility Owners Only) 

8:00-8:30 Welcome Coffee & Scones
8:30-8:40 Introductions, Ram Veeraraghavan, Tacoma Power
8:40-9:00 Welcoming Remarks, Jeff Grizzel, Grant County PUD
9:00 – 12:00 Owners Forum Round Table Discussion
12:00 – 1:00 Owners Forum Working Lunch

Wednesday, April 30th Afternoon
(Content for Owners and All Attendees)

1:00 – 5:00 Priest Rapids Facility Tour Hosted by Grant County PUD (Open to All)
1:00 – 4:00 Special Interest Group Discussions (Utility Owners Only)

Groups include Dam Safety (Great Hall BD), Machine Condition Monitoring (Room G), and Asset Management (Room EF)        
 

5:00 – 7:00 Networking Reception and Dinner (Open to all)

Thursday, May 1st Technical Workshop
(Open to All)

7:30-8:00 Welcome Coffee & Muffins

8:00-8:10 Workshop Kickoff, John Chandler, Puget Sound Energy & Dale Campbell, Grant County PUD

8:10-8:20 Welcoming Remarks Jeff Grizzel, Grant County PUD

8:20-8:30 Transition into Presentations, John Chandler, Puget Sound Energy

8:30-9:00 Lessons Learned: Unit Rebuilds – Dalen Willhite & Janelle Stefanich Eugene Water & Electric Board

9:00-9:30 Grant County PUD Lessoned Learned: Modernizing Station Service   and Substations - James Smith, Grant County PUD & Marty Stoddard, Olsson Electric/Stoddard Electric

9:30-10:00 Living Large: When Your Valves Hit the Big Time – Tom Hickey, PacifiCorp

10:00-10:30 Networking break

10:30-11:00 Case Study: First Rake from Enerquip Installation in the US – Dennis France, Avista

11:00-11:30 Using Drones for Penstock Inspection – Sean Urann and Jerin Tilson, Avista

11:30-12:00 Lake Chelan Power Tunnel Isolation System – Larry Cordes and Ian Hunter, Chelan County PUD

12:00 – 1:30 Lunch

1:30-2:15 Water-Filled Kaplan Hubs – Calvin Carr, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory & Cole Sergi, US, Army Corps of Engineers

2:15-3:00 Diablo Dam Trash Rack Replacement: Underwater Construction at 130 Feet- Eli Wilson, SCL & James Mitalas, KPFF Consulting Engineers & Craig Bartheld, J.F. Brennan

3:00-3:30 Networking Break

3:30-4:00 Cushman 1 Rock Fall Mitigation: Dealing With the Aftermath – Seth Doull, Tacoma Power

4:00-4:30 Wanapum Left Embankment Risk Assessment- Zach Ruby, Grant County PUD

4:30-5:00 Seattle City Light Boundary Thrust Bearing Failure Case Study- Casey Holter, Seattle City Light

5:00 Brief Closing remarks- John Chandler, Puget Sound Energy

Friday, May 2nd Morning- PNNL Tour

8:00-1:00 – Tour of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Open to All)
The Following Labs/Projects Will be Toured:

  • Grid Storage Launch Pad
  • Water-Filled Hubs- Bushings Test Stand
  • Water-Filled Hubs- Corrosion Fatigue
  • Digital Twins