Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
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Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
March 28th, 2022 – 3pm
OCEC Monthly Board Meeting
Location: The Barn - Henhouse & Virtual
AGENDA
A. PRELIMINARY
1. Meeting Called to Order
2. Determination of Quorum
3. Approval of Agenda
B. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approval of Consent Agenda
a. Minutes from February 28th, 2022, New Members, Form 7, Statement of Operations,
Power & Service Data, Capital Expenditures by Project, Cash Flow
C. GENERAL MANAGERS REPORT
D. ITEMS OF BUSINESS
For Discussion
1. Auditor and Legal Bid Update – Dale S.
For Action
2. Banking Resolutions Approval
3. Board Meeting Mask Policy Update
4. 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Plan
E. OPEN FLOOR FOR MEMBERS
F. OPEN FLOOR FOR BOARD MEMBERS
G. EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Strategic Plan Discussion
2. Legal, Personnel, Competitive, Other
OCEC Meeting is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: OCEC Board Meeting - March 2022
Time: Mar 28, 2022 03:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
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BOARD MEETING
February 28, 2022
The Barn Hen House & Virtual
Present: President Dale Sekijima, Vice President Michael Murray, Secretary/Treasurer Alan
Watson, Sara Carlberg, Travis Thornton, John Kirner and Cara Godwin.
Attending: Greg Mendonca General Manager, Lynn Northcott CFO, Tracy McCabe Finance &
Administration Manager, Jessica Dewbrey staff.
Members: John Rogers, Rick Johnson, Steve Ralph & Gay Northrup
1. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
President Dale Sekijima called the meeting of the Board of Directors of Okanogan County
Electric Cooperative, Inc. (OCEC) to order at 3:00 pm.
2. DETERMINATION OF QUORUM
A quorum was present.
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The agenda was approved as presented.
4. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA
It was asked why the kWh sales and billing in January was up but the cost of power was
down. Greg noted that January wholesale rates are generally lower than December. Also
there was a question asked about the capital expenditures and where the monthly
allocated overhead carrying forward line item went, it was noted that it was missed for
January and will be on the next month’s report. It was also asked about the amount of CIAC
funds that have already been received for new construction projects, it was noted that
staff feels that there is adequate stock on hand to complete new construction projects.
It was noted that John Kirner was omitted from the list of board members present at the
January 2022 board meeting, the minutes were updated to reflect that.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative – PO Box 69 Winthrop, WA 98862 – P: (509) 996-2228 – F: (509) 996-2241 – info@ocec.coop
The consent agenda was approved as amended.
5. GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
• Greg gave an update on Mazama circuit outages that began on Sunday February
27th. January 2022 set another monthly energy sales record.
• Operations capital planning process is continuing to move forward, Operations &
Engineering has had two meeting so far to discuss the revised 5-year capital plan
and are aiming for a draft to be completed this summer.
• An agreement has been signed with the engineering firm Morrison-Maierle for
engineering evaluations.
• It was noted that the shift to the 4 day / 10 hours schedule will happen on or before
April 4, 2022. The staff is also looking into having adjusted office hours that would
be shorter than the staff working hours to allow for time for projects, training and
department meetings.
• An update was given on the Washington state mask mandate, which is now
scheduled to be lifted on March 11th at 11:59pm. OCEC will be following the state
guidelines and will be setting a final policy for specific employee/customer
interactions.
• Greg noted that an offer has been extended and accepted for a new journeyman
lineman to start May 1, 2022.
• As a result of the WA Commerce communication on Okanogan County getting
broadband grant funds, Greg reached out to the local Commerce liaison for the
Okanogan County broadband funding and confirmed that the funds are spoken for
by Ziply fiber.
Sara moved to change the board of directors meeting mask policy to follow Washington
state mask mandates. Alan Watson seconded.
Dale called for a vote. Cara Godwin abstained. Motion passed.
ITEMS OF BUSINESS
1. Audit Report Review – Mike DeCoria of DeCoria, Blaire, & Teague, PS
Mike DeCoria gave a summary presentation of the 2021 Report of Independent
Auditor.
Alan Watson moved to accept the 2021 Audit Results. Sara Carlberg seconded.
Dale called for a vote. Motion passed unanimously.
2. For Discussion – BPA Winthrop Substation Analysis
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative – PO Box 69 Winthrop, WA 98862 – P: (509) 996-2228 – F: (509) 996-2241 – info@ocec.coop
Greg presented a BPA review of the Winthrop substation transformer usage analysis.
BPA was requested to provide a 10-year review of the ability for the Winthrop
substation to support OCEC’s growing needs and Greg reviewed the key points from
that report.
Questions were asked about peak loading and the forecasted peak load growth
evaluation. It was noted that this analysis is important because this aging substation
transformer carries up to 80% of our system load. Staff will continue evaluation,
working towards having good contingency plans with BPA to ensure our system will be
delivered reliable power. Staff will take the questions and comments back to BPA for
further discussion.
3. For Discussion – Draft Annual Meeting Program
A draft of the annual meeting program was presented to the board for review. There
will not be any guest speakers at this year’s annual meeting plan, the meeting will focus
on OCEC efforts including the Wildfire Mitigation Plan, member services and clean &
renewable energy supply. Sara asked for some of the strategic initiatives from the
board to be shared and confirmed that the candidates who are running for board
positions would have a time slot for introductions.
4. For Discussion – Broadband Survey Analysis
Greg reviewed the summary document of the staff review of the membership
responses. There was a 27% response rate from the membership. With the general
positive response to this survey staff will continue to perform due diligence.
5. For Action – OCEC Reserve Fund Recommendation
Greg reviewed the potential options for OCEC reserve fund changes. The staff
recommends no changes to current practices. The board was in agreement.
6. For Action – Public Power Council Membership
Greg reviewed the Public Power Council’s decision to terminate PNGC’s membership
and OCEC’s options for Public Power Council Membership options in the future.
Alan Watson moved to go with the Option 2A from PNGC which will keep OCEC as a
PPC member and have PNGC manage the dues for participating PNGC members. Sara
Carlberg seconded.
Dale called for a vote. Motion passed unanimously.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative – PO Box 69 Winthrop, WA 98862 – P: (509) 996-2228 – F: (509) 996-2241 – info@ocec.coop
OPEN FLOOR FOR MEMBERS – 2022 board candidates Steve Ralph, John Rogers and Rick Johnson
briefly introduced themselves.
OPEN FLOOR FOR BOARD MEMBERS
John and Cara were thanked for their time and commitment to the board as they look to complete
their time on the board at the next board election.
The board voiced their appreciation to retiring staff member Lynn Northcott for her 31+ years of
dedication and instrumental work to keep OCEC going through the many transitions during her
tenure.
Meeting adjourned to Executive Session at 4:47pm.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Wildfire Mitigation Plan Update
2. Legal, Personnel, Competitive, Other
_________________________________________
Alan Watson, Secretary
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative – PO Box 69 Winthrop, WA 98862 – P: (509) 996-2228 – F: (509) 996-2241 – info@ocec.coop
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative 3/9/2022 New Members OCEC March 28, 2022 REINSTATE KING MELANIE 198002 NEW MEMBERS SPENCER MCKENNA 122013 GILMAN SARAH 122014 KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC 122015 HEINBERG ERIC 122016
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative Inc
Capital Expenditures by Project
Feb-22
Current Month Year to Date Annual Annual
Actual Budget Variance Actual Budget Variance Budget Balance
Member Requested Facilities 7,078.36 41,630.00 (34,551.64) 7,078.36 54,582.00 (47,503.64) 519,352.00 512,273.64
Replacements (Poles & Transformers) 31,280.36 11,226.00 20,054.36 56,521.06 16,839.00 39,682.06 119,411.00 62,889.94
System Improvements 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 108,818.00 108,818.00
Replace 2500' of urd at Edelweiss 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 82,788.00 82,788.00
Major Storm/Fire Damage 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6,446.00 (6,446.00) 26,093.00 26,093.00
Pole Inspections 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10,000.00 10,000.00
Fire Retardant/Treatment on Poles 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 19,093.00 19,093.00
Meter Projects 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 14,007.00 14,007.00
subtotal 38,358.72 52,856.00 (14,497.28) 63,599.42 77,867.00 (14,267.58) 899,562.00 835,962.58
Un Allocated Overhead 551.29 0.00 0.00 0.00
Member CIAC
CIAC (20,193.42) (20,000.00) (54,039.92) (40,000.00) (14,039.92) (571,287.00) (517,247.08)
Total less CIAC 18,716.59 32,856.00 (14,139.41) 9,559.50 37,867.00 (28,307.50) 328,275.00
* $142,941.53 holding in CIAC 02/28/22
Misc Items 8,317.32 10,000.00 (1,682.68) 8,317.32 28,000.00 (19,682.68) 36,000.00 27,682.68
Meters 28,654.94 0.00 28,654.94 28,654.94 0.00 28,654.94 50,000.00 21,345.06
Tools 2,142.20 3,000.00 (857.80) 12,998.88 2,500.00 10,498.88 12,500.00 (498.88)
Computer/IT Replacements 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 6,000.00 6,000.00
Computers and Software Upgrades 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Transformer Purchases 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 256,000.00 256,000.00
Vehicle Replacements 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 220,000.00 220,000.00
Total 39,114.46 13,000.00 26,114.46 49,971.14 30,500.00 19,471.14 580,500.00 54,528.86
Total Capital Budget less CIAC 57,831.05 45,856.00 11,975.05 59,530.64 68,367.00 (8,836.36) 908,775.00 373,244.36
* Note
Line Crew 107.25 Consultants
Direct Labor Materials Labor Contractors Transportation Benefits Total
January 4,904.04 5,067.69 5,000.00 0.00 4,486.74 5,782.23 25,240.70
February 7,213.86 0.00 18,123.37 0.00 7,477.44 5,544.05 38,358.72
March 0.00
April 0.00
May 0.00
June 0.00
July 0.00
August 0.00
September 0.00
October 0.00
November 0.00
December 0.00
12,117.90 5,067.69 23,123.37 0.00 11,964.18 11,326.28 63,599.42
* Note: 107.25 is Capitalized Labor that includes: cost estimates, line staking, development & research for construction projects that no work order has been established, along with stores acct #163 material stocking.Okanogan County Electric Cooperative Inc STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN CASH FLOW
Budget Year: 2022 Current year Budget year Actual/Forecasted
Nov - Dec Jan - Dec
2021 2022 January February March April May June July August September October November December
Patronage Capital or Margins 234,781 302,150 92,231 55,257 (18,320) (37,521) (28,412) (48,267) 10,893 26,559 (15,151) 67,502 140,196 65,304
Plus Depreciation Expense 34,993 445,237 34,879 37,964 34,929 34,929 37,513 37,513 37,513 38,596 38,596 38,596 38,596 38,596
Less Capital Credit Allocations (366,021) (330,000) 1,851 (12) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (330,000)
Plus FAS 158 Amortization 0 0 0 ` 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total (Funds From Operations) (96,247) 417,387 128,961 93,209 16,609 (2,592) 9,101 (10,754) 48,406 65,155 23,445 106,099 178,792 (226,100)
Cash Construction Funds - Trustee 0 0
Special Deposit (5,656) (75,001) (58,323) (5,615) (6,683) (6,683) (6,683) (6,683) (6,512) (5,679) (5,679) (5,679) (5,679) (5,679)
Temporary Investment 0 0 0
Accounts Receivable - Sale of Energy (Net) (316,094) 34,769 (51,503) 70,729 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897
Accounts Receivable - Other (Net) 165,165 75,001 57,943 5,995 6,683 6,683 6,683 6,683 6,512 5,679 5,679 5,679 5,679 5,679
Regulatory Assets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Deferred Debits (668) 0 1,508 (551) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Prepayments 6,749 0 (78,396) 7,127 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other Current & Accrued Asset 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
(Increase)/Decrease in Operating Assets (150,505) 34,769 (128,771) 77,685 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897 2,897
Notes Payable 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Accounts Payable 471,684 24,785 (200,051) 74,945 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065
Accumulated Operating Provisions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Regulatory Liabilities 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other Deferred Credits 47,856 0 (47,823) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other Current and Accrued Liabilities (47,823) 0 48,817 32,854 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Increase/(Decrease) in Operating Liabilities 471,717 24,785 (199,057) 107,799 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065 2,065
CASH FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 224,965 476,941 (198,867) 278,692 21,572 2,371 14,064 (5,791) 53,369 70,118 28,408 111,062 183,755 (221,137)
INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES
Total Utility Plant (259,852) ($1,399,020) 26,442 (36,972) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585) (116,585)
Cost to Retire Utility Plant (16,316) 0 4,162 8,309 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Construction Work-in-Progress 136,855 288,015 (25,981) (30,019) 24,001 24,001 24,001 24,001 24,001 24,001 24,001 24,001 24,001 24,001
Contributions in aid of construction (CIAC) 13,259 571,287 33,847 20,193 47,607 47,607 47,607 47,607 47,607 47,607 47,607 47,607 47,607 47,607
Total Other Property and Investments (144,936) 0 (34,537) 1,381 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Materials & Supplies - Electric and Other (34,585) 0 2,344 (18,412) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Notes Receivable (Net) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CASH FROM INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES (305,575) (539,718) 6,277 (55,521) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977) (44,977)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Margins & Equities 0 $0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LT Debt - Additional Debt 0 $220,000 220,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LT Debt - Debt Service Payment (47,526) ($215,243) 0 0 (52,772) 0 0 (53,458) 0 0 (54,154) 0 0 (54,859)
LT Debt - Other 0 0 0 0
Total LT Debt (47,526) 4,757 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LT Debt - Payments Unapplied 0 0 0 0
LT Debt - Current maturities 0 0 0 0
Consumer Membership (10) 0 (15) 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consumers Deposits 1,250 0 50 (500) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CASH FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES (46,286) 4,757 220,035 (495) (52,772) 0 0 (53,458) 0 0 (54,154) 0 0 (54,859)
CASH FROM ALL ACTIVITIES (126,896) (58,020) 27,445 222,677 (76,176) (42,606) (30,912) (104,225) 8,393 25,142 (70,722) 66,085 138,779 (320,973)
TOTAL CASH BEGINNING OF PERIOD 494,854 367,958 367,958 395,403 618,079 541,902 499,296 468,384 364,158 372,551 397,693 326,970 393,055 531,834
TOTAL CASH END OF PERIOD 367,958 309,938 395,403 618,079 541,902 499,296 468,384 364,158 372,551 397,693 326,970 393,055 531,834 210,861Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
General Manager’s Report to the Board – March 2022
Financial Updates:
Equity Management Workshop Scheduled
I have scheduled Rob Carr from our lender, CFC, to come and give a presentation to the board
on equity management at our May 2022 board meeting. The presentation plus questions
should run about 45 minutes and we will attempt to schedule it prior to the formal meeting so
plan on having a slightly early afternoon on Monday May 23rd.
February Budget Variances
• Gross margins were higher than budgeted due to actual revenues and cost of power
exceeding budget, but not on a 1-for-1 basis. We can run upon this issue when the
marginal cost of power from BPA (energy and demand) is “cheaper” than our margins
built into the sale of that power.
• Distribution Maintenance and Operations Expense – both came in higher than budget
but we are still analyzing some included expenses that may need to be capitalized, such
as the delivery and rent on our new bucket truck, tools purchased, and other potential
capital-related items included in expense. If we end up capitalizing these items I would
expect our total margins for the month to increase ~$15k.
Operations Updates:
Mazama Circuit Outage
On Sunday February 27th and Monday February 28th the Mazama circuit experienced two
outages, with the outage on Monday exceeding 12 hours. Winter decided to make a small
comeback and dumped abundant wet snow across the valley, a known historical cause for
outages on our system. As opposed to the outages we experienced on the Mazama circuit
back in December due to load levels exceeding equipment programming (fixed), this outage
was caused by a single arrestor failure between the Weeman bridge and the substation. These
arrestor failures are notably difficult to find unless someone happens to be in the right place at
the right time and witnesses a flash, a fire, or a combination of the two. In this case we
received a major assist from the membership as a member driving by was in the right place at
the right time and saw the flash, called into the office, and the crew was on the scene with a
fix within an hour.Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
While we cannot guarantee equipment will not fail in the field, here is what we have done to
address the issue this month:
• Held a post-mortem with the operations team to discuss the cause and potential fixes
the next day
• Reviewed the locations and equipment of previous failures of this type
• Reached out to both our new contract engineers and the Okanogan PUD engineers to
discuss the issue and potential fixes
In the end Glenn and his team found a relationship between the recent failures and the
arrestors on that specific stretch of the Mazama circuit. The result of their good work will be a
new project (feeding into our new capital planning process) to better protect from this event
happening in the future. Kudos to Glenn and his team for the thoughtful approach and
solutions-driven process.
Wholesale Power & Transmission Updates:
Momentum is gaining fast as the Public Power Council (PPC) will be putting their final Post-
2028 Concept paper in front of their Executive Committee this week for approval, and then it
is off to BPA. After being approved I will send the final document to the board and likely hold
some time in April to discuss the contents. While I have not seen a final document, our power
supplier PNGC has been at the table for all discussions in the PPC group representing our
interests. Through PNGC I can pass along some of the major themes that we will see in the PPC
concept paper:
• Basis for the new contract will be the same as our current contract (Tiered Rates
Methodology and associated products) meaning BPA will be allocating their Federal
Base System (FBS), or Tier 1, to its preference customers and any needs above that
allocation of FBS will be considered Tier 2
• PNGC fought for language insisting on additional cost controls, locking of financial
policies, and flexibility to ensure we do not sign another “blank check” agreement with
BPA and are captive to their ratemaking whims
• The PPC group did not find consensus on all the critical points necessary to create a
comprehensive proposal to BPA, which was the goal, so there is still uncertainty on
major topics such as allocation methodology, system size, BPA augmentation, and any
high-level rate design (besides the known TRM)Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc.
• Strong emphasis on carbon content of the power product, the ability to ensure a 100%
clean product, and other carbon-related topics as some large utilities identified that as
their #1 issue
PNGC plans to continue development of additional concepts to propose solutions for
discussion with other public power entities and BPA. I have invited the new VP of Power
Supply, Erin Erben, to an OCEC board meeting hopefully in early summer to discuss PNGC’s
early results from their post-2028 RFP they released and also any updates on a PNGC contract
term sheet they are also developing for memberships post-2028.
General Updates:
Summer Hours
On Monday March 21st the office transitioned to the summer hours for employees of 7am-
530pm, and the office is open 730am-5pm. As discussed in the previous board meeting, we are
holding the office closed for one half hour at the start and end of the day to enable the front
office to complete projects, hold meetings, and perform cross training.
New Positions – Summer and Beyond
We are currently planning to bring onboard three new positions in the coming months (four if
you count getting back up to full strength on the line crew):
• Member Service Representative – Budgeted full-time position coming on ASAP in order
to backfill when one of our current front office staff is on planned leave beginning at the
end of May. We have performed analysis on the front office duties and barring new
information plan to propose this position be retained next calendar year to increase our
employee numbers by 1.
• Causal Lineman – We will be bringing a “Casual Lineman” on for the construction
months, beginning in May, to perform primarily capital-related construction work with
our crew in order to mitigate any potential budget impacts as this position was not
budgeted. This position is a short-term contract, through the union, with the flexibility
to adjust hours as needed and end the contract if it is not working how we anticipate.
This is not a full-time position and will not receive benefits.
• Energy Efficiency Intern – Through Western Washington University we created a
project-based job description for a student-intern. WWU brings students to the MethowOkanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc. Valley annually in the summer months for these positions and many non-profits utilize them for various project work. Our job description was specifically targeted to assist us in creating an energy efficiency program, with our resources at PNGC and BPA, that we can execute on in late 2022 and 2023. The cost of the position is eligible to be covered by grant funding and we are working directly with WWU to secure that funding. The last report we got from WWU was that the grant funding had been approved and our position was popular, they are interviewing potential candidates and will get back with us in April.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative (OCEC) Board Meeting COVID-19 Guidelines
Due to the change in guidance from both the Centers for Disease Control and Washington
Department of Health, the OCEC Board of Directors will follow these guidelines for in-person
meetings effective March 28th, 2022:
• Masks are not required during OCEC Board of Directors meetings
• OCEC will strive to ensure meeting will continue to have a “virtual” option and post connection
instructions with the meeting materials
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative – PO Box 69 Winthrop, WA 98862
P: (509) 996-2228 – F: (509) 996-2241 – info@ocec.coopOkanogan County Electric Cooperative
Wildfire Mitigation Plan
March 2022
Version 2
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan - 5/24/2021 1TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 3
A. COOPERATIVE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 3
B. PURPOSE DECLARATION .................................................................................................................. 3
C. PURPOSE OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN .............................................................................. 3
D. ORGANIZATION OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN ................................................................... 4
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN .............................................................................. 4
A. MINIMIZING SOURCES OF IGNITION ............................................................................................... 4
B. RESILIENCY OF THE ELECTRIC GRID .................................................................................................. 5
III. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................. 5
A. OCEC WFMP ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.................................................................................... 5
B. COORDINATION WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS .................... 6
IV. WILDFIRE PREVENTION STRATEGIES ................................................................................................... 6
A. WEATHER MONITORING .................................................................................................................. 6
B. ENHANCED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, CLEARANCE PROGRAM, AND INSPECTIONS............... 7
C. REVISED METHODS OF LINE DESIGN ............................................................................................... 8
D. RECLOSER OPERATIONAL PRACTICE ................................................................................................ 8
E. FIRE SAFETY SHUTOFFS (FSS) ........................................................................................................... 8
F. RESTORATION OF SERVICE AFTER FSS ............................................................................................. 9
V. WORKFORCE TRAINING ....................................................................................................................... 9
VI. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE PLAN .................................................................................... 10
VII. COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC AWARENESS ........................................................................ 10
A. COMMUNICATIONS WITH MEMBERS ON THE WFMP .................................................................. 10
B. OUTREACH TIMELINE ..................................................................................................................... 11
C. POSSIBLE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FSS ............................................................................................. 12
D. ASSISTING VULNERABLE MEMBERS DURING FSS EVENTS ............................................................ 13
E. MEMBERSHIP HELP DURING FSS EVENTS ...................................................................................... 13
F. WHAT MEMBERS CAN DO TO PREPARE ........................................................................................ 13
VIII. REVIEW BY INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY .......................................................................................... 14
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 2I. OVERVIEW
A. COOPERATIVE OVERVIEW
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative serves the beautiful Methow (pronounced Met-How)
Valley, the towns of Winthrop, Mazama, and areas surrounding the town of Twisp. Located
in the North Cascade Mountains, the deep winter snows add to the challenge of serving this
rural area.
Okanogan County Electric Facts (2021)
• 4,018 meters
• 452 miles of line
• 14 employees
• Plant investment: $16,327,953
• 2021 kWh sales: 65,828,280
• 2021 sales in $: $6,335,460
B. PURPOSE DECLARATION
The purpose of Okanogan County Electric Cooperative (OCEC or the Cooperative) is to
provide utility services with a high level of reliability for fair and reasonable costs. We are
dedicated to operating safe and dependable electric services while striving to improve the
quality of life for our member-owners and our local communities.
The Cooperative works proactively to manage and mitigate the risk of wildfire while
operating and maintaining its system. The outcome of this approach is diligent stewardship
of member-owner investment in the Cooperative as it continues to construct, maintain, and
operate its electric distribution system in a manner that minimizes the risk of wildfire posed
by its electrical lines and equipment. The Cooperative has applied careful consideration in
the development of broad strategies to mitigate utility-posed wildfire risks. This Plan is a
“living document” and will be reviewed and modified on an ongoing basis as regulations are
updated, advances in technology occur and operational circumstances change.
C. PURPOSE OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN
This Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WFMP or Plan) describes the measures the Cooperative takes
to mitigate the threat of Cooperative equipment ignited wildfires.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 3The goals and activities included in the WFMP focus on a comprehensive and integrated
assessment of the risks posed by OCEC’s distribution system. This involves an assessment of
OCEC’s equipment and facilities, weather conditions, the density and condition of potential
fuels such as vegetation, and the potential threat to public safety. OCEC’s commitment to
fire safety, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery is a crucial element of our
mission.
This Plan is subject to approval by the Cooperative’s Board of Directors and is implemented
by the General Manager.
D. ORGANIZATION OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN
This Wildfire Mitigation Plan includes the following elements:
• Objectives of the Plan
• Roles and responsibilities for executing the Plan
• Description of wildfire prevention strategies
o Enhanced Vegetation Management
o Inspections by both Crews and Certified Forester
o Revised methods of line design
o Changing Operational Practices during fire season
• Employee Training
• Situational Awareness and Weather Monitoring
• Continuous improvement of the Plan
• Community outreach and public awareness
• Review by independent 3rd party
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN
A. MINIMIZING SOURCES OF IGNITION
The primary goal of this Plan is to minimize the possibility the Cooperative’s facilities may
be an original or contributing, however unlikely, source of ignition. The Cooperative has
evaluated the system improvements, operational procedures, and training that can help to
meet this objective. Further, the Cooperative is updating best operations management
practices to reflect its commitment to sensible system operations management and will
explore new opportunities each year for improving the efficacy of the Plan.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 4B. RESILIENCY OF THE ELECTRIC GRID
Along with creating a WFMP, the Cooperative acknowledges the opportunity to improve
resiliency by hardening the system. System resiliency is defined by the National
Infrastructure Advisory Council as the ability to reduce the magnitude and/or duration of
disruptive events. As part of the development of this Plan, the Cooperative assesses new
industry practices and technologies that may reduce the likelihood of a disruption in service
or improve the timeline for restoration of service.
III. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. OCEC WFMP ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Cooperative utilizes a Board/General Manager governance and reporting hierarchy.
Board members are elected by Cooperative member-owners to rotating three-year terms.
The Board President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer are appointed by the Board
annually. The Board is responsible for adoption of all policy and delegates the operational
implementation of policy to the General Manager.
The General Manager has full operational authority of the Cooperative and reports directly
to the Board. The General Manager provides direction and management to all Cooperative
staff while implementing Board adopted policy.
The Operations Manager, the Manager of Finance and Administration and the supporting
communications staff serve as the Cooperative’s public liaisons to outside agencies as well
as responding to requests for information, including proactively providing public awareness
outreach and emergency information.
The Operations Manager will assume the WFMP operational authority of the General
Manager in the absence of the General Manager. The Operations Manager oversees the
daily electric utility operations, including construction, maintenance, energy control, fleet,
vegetation management, and other ancillary daily duties.
Cooperative staff have the following responsibilities regarding fire prevention, response,
and investigation:
• Conduct work in a manner that will minimize potential fire dangers
• Take all reasonable and practicable actions to prevent fires resulting from the
Cooperative’s electric facilities
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 5• Coordinate with Federal, State, and Local fire management personnel to ensure that
appropriate preventative measures are in place
• Immediately report fires, pursuant to specified procedures
• Take corrective action when observing or having been notified that fire protection
measures have not been properly installed or maintained
• Ensure that data related to the WFMP is appropriately collected
• Maintain adequate training programs for all relevant employees
B. COORDINATION WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS
The Cooperative will support the Okanogan County Emergency Management Center (EMC)
operations, when requested by an emergency manager.
Some of the other local entities that OCEC will work with are:
• Aero Methow Rescue Service
• Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation
• Methow Conservancy
• The Towns of Winthrop and Twisp
• Okanogan County Sherriff’s Department
• Okanogan County Fire District #6
In addition, OCEC has an Emergency Management Plan that can be implemented if needed.
OCEC also follows the FEMA Incident Command System when working with local
organizations during crisis situations.
IV. WILDFIRE PREVENTION STRATEGIES
A. WEATHER MONITORING
The Cooperative monitors current and forecasted weather data from a variety of sources
including but not limited to:
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• United States National Weather Service (NWS) Spokane Office
• OCEC staff knowledge of local conditions
• Member reports of current weather observations
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 6The Cooperative will evaluate the cost and benefit of employing other technologies where
practicable.
Based on the relevant weather data and knowledge of local conditions, the daily conditions
could fall into one of these categories.
1) Normal: During normal conditions, no changes are made to operations or work
procedures.
2) Elevated: During elevated fire-risk conditions, Cooperative staff will perform normal
work with an elevated level of observation for environmental factors that could lead to
an ignition.
3) Red Flag Warning: If the National Weather Service declares a Red Flag Warning (RFW)
for any portion of the Cooperative’s service territory, the Cooperative may delay all
routine work on overhead energized primary lines. The Cooperative may perform
necessary work to preserve facilities or property.
B. ENHANCED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, CLEARANCE PROGRAM, AND
INSPECTIONS
OCEC employs a multi-faceted approach to vegetation management that when combined
with its inspection program, attempts to minimize the risk that OCEC facilities would be
involved in a fire start.
OCEC has a rotating, three-year cycle of tree trimming. Tree trimming is typically performed
by OCEC line crews in the winter when normal line construction is not able to be performed.
OCEC currently employs two independent approaches to line inspections and may add or
remove approaches as needed. These approaches include but are not limited to:
• OCEC’s line crews patrol the overhead lines formally once every three years. The
crews may also patrol certain forested areas in the spring outside of the formal
inspection cycle.
• The Cooperative also contracts with a certified forester to examine each overhead
line and the surrounding forest around the lines. This is done every other year. The
result is a Hazard Tree Inspection Report that drives safety-driven maintenance
decisions and helps direct the normal vegetation management program. The
certified forester looks at the conditions of the forest near the overhead lines to
assess the potential fuels or hazards.
The Cooperative also employs mechanical treatment of ground vegetation in certain areas
with thick ground cover.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 7C. REVISED METHODS OF LINE DESIGN
The Cooperative has changed certain aspects of its line design to help mitigate the potential
of its facilities being involved in wildfire starts. These are:
• Requiring new facilities to be built underground when in the best interest of the
cooperative
• Changing out expulsion fuses to alternative technology and/or equipment in certain
areas
D. RECLOSER OPERATIONAL PRACTICE
For a matrix showing the relationship between OCEC’s recloser operational practice and the
weather monitoring we have created a table attached to the Plan in the appendix.
Elevated Operations
During elevated fire risk times or at the beginning of the fire season (which has historically
extended from early summer through late fall), OCEC will alter the operation of the line
reclosers that feed OCEC’s distribution system by setting them to “non-reclose”.
Red-Flag Warning Operations
When a red-flag warning is issued, OCEC will incrementally alter the operations of the
substation reclosers that feed OCEC’s distribution system by setting them to “non-reclose”.
Any outages during this time will require a visual inspection before re-energization.
Effects of Altering the Operation of Reclosers to “Non-Reclose”
Altering the operation of reclosers, either in elevated fire risk or red-flag conditions, has the
effect of both lengthening the duration and possibly increasing the number of members
affected by outages. An outage that might have been successfully re-energized with a
recloser action under normal conditions would now require crews to go out and visually
inspect the line before re-energization.
E. FIRE SAFETY SHUTOFFS (FSS)
OCEC has the authority to preemptively shut off power due to fire-threat conditions,
however, this option will only be used in extraordinary circumstances. Generally, all planned
FSS will go through chain of command decision-making process. However, during an
emergency or quickly developing situations, any trained employee can trigger an FSS with
Management follow-up.
OCEC will make a case-by-case decision to shut off power based on any one or more of the
following considerations:
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 8• Red-Flag Warnings issued by the National Weather Service for fire weather zones
that contain OCEC circuits
• OCEC staff assessments of local conditions, including forecasted wind speed
(sustained and gust), forecasted humidity, forecasted temperature, and data from
weather stations
• Real-time information from staff located in areas identified as at risk of being subject
to extreme weather conditions
• Awareness of mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders in place
• Expected impact of de-energizing circuits on essential services
• Other operational considerations to minimize potential wildfire ignitions, including
altering the operation of reclosers on the identified circuit(s)
• On-going fire activity throughout the area
• Ability to notify members
• Notifications to local governments and public officials
• Potential impacts to communities and members
• Direct request from Incident Command
F. RESTORATION OF SERVICE AFTER FSS
Conditions during an FSS event are monitored and when thresholds are no longer exceeded,
lines are patrolled and re-energized.
Length of an outage depends on several factors and cannot be determined before a specific
FSS event occurs.
As experience with FSS is gained, OCEC expects the Plan to evolve incorporating lessons
learned to improve the process.
V. WORKFORCE TRAINING
OCEC believes that an important line of defense against the ignition of fires is a well-trained
and alert workforce. Internally, OCEC has created a culture of fire prevention. To that end,
OCEC is developing training programs designed to minimize the likelihood that OCEC
facilities or field work would be the source of ignition for a fire.
The Cooperative is developing training programs for its workforce to become familiar with
the WFMP. All field staff will be:
• Trained in the content of the WFMP
• Trained in proper use and storage of fire extinguishers
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 9• Trained to be aware of high-risk environmental conditions
• Trained in the community outreach components included in this Plan
Workforce training additionally will include obtaining feedback from employees for possible
incorporation into the Plan.
VI. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE PLAN
Achieving a robust, effective plan to mitigate wildfire risk is the primary objective of this
document. Staff has the role of vetting current procedures and recommending changes or
enhancements to build upon non-optimized strategies in the Plan. Either due to unforeseen
circumstances, regulatory changes, emerging technologies, or other rationales, deficiencies
within the Plan will be sought out and reported to the Board in the form of an updated Plan
on an annual basis.
The Operations Manager, or their designee, will be responsible for spearheading discussions
to address deficiencies when updating the Plan for its annual presentation to the Board. All
stakeholders are empowered to suggest improvement opportunities. These stakeholders
may include but are not limited to:
• Employees
• Management
• Auditors
• Fire safety professionals
• Emergency Management personnel
• Members of the public
VII. COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
A. COMMUNICATIONS WITH MEMBERS ON THE WFMP
OCEC employs various methods of communicating with its members and the public. These
forms of communications each have their use in terms of differing levels of immediacy and
the amount of information one can supply. These forms of communications to the members
include:
• Newsletter articles
• Methow Valley News articles
• OCEC Website
• E-Mail
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 10• Text messages
• OCEC sponsored Member Forums
• Community meetings
• Okanogan County Emergency Management System
Each of these may be used in some part depending on the urgency of the communications
needed and the amount of information that needs to be conveyed.
B. OUTREACH TIMELINE
Below is a matrix of the content, media employed and recipients of the different potential
communications during fire season.
Content Media Recipients
Update of program at the • Newsletter articles • Members
beginning of fire season • Methow Valley News Articles • Local Government Entities
• OCEC Website • Fire District 6
• E-Mail • County Emergency
• OCEC sponsored Member Management
Forums • Local Community Agencies
• Community meetings
Alert that conditions are • OCEC Website • Members
approaching critical levels • Text messages • Local Government Entities
• Okanogan County Emergency • Fire District 6
Management System • County Emergency
Management
• Local Community Agencies
Forecasted FSS Alert (if possible) • OCEC Website • Members
• Text messages • Local Government Entities
• Okanogan County Emergency • Fire District 6
Management System • County Emergency
Management
• Local Community Agencies
Notice to membership that • OCEC Website • Members
Resource Center is set up at the • E-mail • Local Government Entities
Barn • Text messages • Fire District 6
• Okanogan County Emergency • County Emergency
Management System Management
• Local Community Agencies
Imminent De-energization Alert • OCEC Website • Members
• Text messages • Local Government Entities
• Okanogan County Emergency • Fire District 6
Management System
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 11• County Emergency
Management
• Local Community Agencies
Notification of actual de- • OCEC Website • Members
energization • Text messages • Local Government Entities
• Okanogan County Emergency • Fire District 6
Management System • County Emergency
Management
• Local Community Agencies
De-energization Updates • OCEC Website • Members
• Text messages • Local Government Entities
• Okanogan County Emergency • Fire District 6
Management System • County Emergency
Management
• Local Community Agencies
Intent to Restore Alert • OCEC Website • Members
• Text messages • Local Government Entities
• Okanogan County Emergency • Fire District 6
Management System • County Emergency
Management
• Local Community Agencies
Restoration is Complete • OCEC Website • Members
Notification • E-Mail • County Emergency
• Text messages Management
• Okanogan County Emergency • Local Community Agencies
Management System
C. POSSIBLE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FSS
Because of the way the electric circuits are constructed, all power will be out in the area
where the FSS occurs. Loss of power to critical loads cannot be avoided. Some of the effects
of an FSS include:
• Possible loss of power to high-risk fire areas
• Possible loss of power to members who have medical equipment that runs on power
• Unavailability of domestic or irrigation water, due to
o Loss of power to critical equipment such as well pumps and irrigation
o Loss of pressure on pumped water systems
• Loss of power to refrigeration
• Electric garage doors and gates may be inoperable
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 12D. ASSISTING VULNERABLE MEMBERS DURING FSS EVENTS
While all OCEC members affected by an FSS will experience the effects of loss of power,
OCEC is aware of vulnerable groups for whom a loss of power would be a greater hardship
or who live in an area where customary communication channels are lacking. These groups
include:
• Members reliant on medical devices
• Members who lack mobility
• Members in areas that do not have cell phone service
• Members in areas that do not have internet service
OCEC will request access from the Town of Winthrop to the Barn in Winthrop as a resource
center to assist these vulnerable members during a predicted FSS. However, it is critical
that these members establish their own loss of power emergency plan in the case of an FSS
event.
E. MEMBERSHIP HELP DURING FSS EVENTS
As part of our plan to support members during Fire Safety Shutoffs, OCEC may request to
establish a general community resource center at the Barn in Winthrop, in addition to the
assistance of vulnerable members.
This resource center will provide members affected by power shutoffs a place to go for
information. It is intended that members will have access to water, snacks, ice, and cell
phone charging, but these may be unavailable on a case-by-case basis.
These resource centers may not be immediately available if the FSS is an emergency and
there is no lead time to set it up. If an emergency FSS outage looks prolonged, OCEC will
request to establish the resource center. If an FSS is predicted, OCEC will request to open
the resource center and have it ready in case an FSS occurs.
There may be events out of the control of OCEC, such as Covid-19 restrictions or another
entity already utilizing the Barn in Winthrop, that will not allow for a resource center to be
established. It is critical that members establish their own loss of power emergency plan in
the case of an FSS event.
F. WHAT MEMBERS CAN DO TO PREPARE
Members will need to self-supply energy needs, if desired, during an FSS event. Generators
are an excellent way to self-generate power during electrical outages. Please contact an
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 13electrician or OCEC for more information. Among other things, a member can do the
following to prepare:
• Have a back-up source of power. Loss of power to critical equipment such as well
pumps, medical equipment, and irrigation cannot be avoided without self-generation
or battery back-up
• Have a plan for household items/medications that need refrigeration or freezing
• Sign up for OCEC text messages
• Sign up for the Okanogan County Emergency Management Alert System
VIII. REVIEW BY INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY
Brown and Kyser, Inc, an engineering services company with experience in preparing
wildfire mitigation plans, assisted in the initial development of this plan. OCEC plans to have
a third-party review of this document periodically as changes are implemented.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan 14Appendix – Weather Conditions and System Operations Matrix
Communicated “Level” Substation Recloser Changes in OCEC Work
Weather Conditions Field Recloser Status
to Membership Status or Processes?
Normal None Normal Normal None
Increased awareness of
Altered to “non-
fire risk in the field,
Elevated Yellow reclose” or “one-shot” Normal
daily tracking of current
status
and forecast weather
May delay all overhead
equipment work
Altered to “non- Altered to “non-
depending on location
Red Flag Warning Red reclose” or “one-shot” reclose” or “one-shot”
and conditions, daily
status status
tracking of current and
forecast weather
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative - Wildfire Mitigation Plan - 5/24/2021 15You can also read
