P e n i n s u l a L i g h t C o m p a n y N e w s l e t t e r

HOLIDAY CLOSURES:

Supervising Editor: Jonathan White 253.857.1514 newsletter@penlight.org | Produced by Peninsula Light Company

is published monthly by

www.penlight.org

253.857.5950

DON’T FORGET THOSE HIDDEN NUMBERS!

Every month, 5 randomly chosen account numbers are hidden in Lights. If

you spot yours, call Cathy at 253.857.1525 and receive

a $50 credit on your next bill.

I N S I D E :

November 11 - Veterans DayNovember 26 & 27 - ThanksgivingDecember 25 - Christmas Day

El Niño Projected to Bring Warmer Winter

Ambassadors Solidify Voice For Olympia

Apply to Become a Board Candidate

Report Outages With Text Messages

Help Your Neighbors - Donate to Project HELP

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OUTAGES BY CAUSE

UPCOMING EVENTS:Community CALENDARE V E N T S

PENLIGHT OFFICE: 13315 GOOdNOuGH dr NW | GIG HarbOr, Wa 98332

WOmEN OF THE WEsTErN FrONT – NOv. 17, 5PmTames Alan enacts during the Cornerstones dinner meeting at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, 7700 Skansie Ave. Reservations required by Nov. 11 - chpccornerstones@gmail.com.

Our TOWN: mExICO – NOv. 21, 2-3PmArtist Ernesto Ybarra will share how his Mexican culture and the Pacific Northwest influence his art. Harbor History Museum, 4121 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor. Free.

HarbOr WILdWaTCH saLmON TOurs – NOv. 21, 9am, 10amJoin at either 9am or 10am. Free salmon tour from Austin Estuary Park to Donkey Creek park. Learn about the salmon lifecycle and their cultural and ecological significance. All ages.

amErICaN as aPPLE PIE CONCErT – NOv. 24, 7PmAnnual Gig Harbor High School bands concert. Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, 7700 Skansie Ave. Free, donations are welcome. For more info: www.ghhsbandboosters.com.

TurkEy TrOT – NOv. 26, 8amAnnual 5K/10K. Begins near the Peninsula Shopping Center, Judson Street, downtown Gig Harbor. Proceeds benefit the FISH Food Bank, Backpacks 4 Kids, Bischoff Food Bank and local high school scholarships. For more info: www.holmeschiropractic.net/turkey-trot.

WINTErFEsT arTs & CraFTs FaIr – NOv. 28, 9am-5Pm & NOv. 29, 11am-4PmAnnual two-day arts and crafts fair at Peninsula High School, 14105 Purdy Drive NW. 200 vendors, handcrafted items and gourmet foods. Student groups sell food to benefit their individual clubs. $3 admission fee.

burLEy HOLIday bazaar – dEC. 5, 9am–4PmFood and gifts. Burley Community Hall, 14853 Burley Ave. SE. South Sound artisans, including Burley Swirly Fudge. Santa and Mrs. Claus, live caroling at 10 am and exhibits, crafts from youth group vendors. Free shuttle from the Purdy Park & Ride. For more info: www.burleybazaar.org.

brEakFasT WITH saNTa & mrs. CLaus – dEC. 5, 8:30am-11:30amKey Center fire station, 8911 Key Peninsula Highway N. Firefighters, commissioners and Key Pen Parks staff work as elves. $5 fee includes pancake breakfast, holiday crafts and photos.

THE CITy OF GIG HarbOr TrEE LIGHTING – dEC. 5, 5PmAnnual festival at Skansie Brothers Park, 3207 Harborview Drive. Special visit from “Rhubarb,” the Tacoma Rainiers’ mascot. Santa will arrive on a fire engine at 5:30pm.

HarbOr WILdWaTCH PIEr INTO THE NIGHT – dEC. 5, 5Pm, 6PmTouch tanks, underwater lights and live video stream from SCUBA divers under Jerisich Dock at Skansie Park, 3207 Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor. Dives at 5PM and 6PM. $2 suggested donation. Flashlights/lifejackets recommended. For more info: www.harborwildwatch.org.

TIdEFEsT arTs & CraFTs FaIr – dEC. 5, 10am-5Pm & dEC. 6, 11am-4PmGig Harbor High School, 5101 Rosedale St. NW. Well-known Northwest exhibitors. $5 admission. For more info: www.tidefest.org.

GIG HarbOr PENINsuLa CIvIC OrCHEsTra CONCErT – dEC. 5, 7PmAnnual holiday concert. Peninsula High School, 14105 Purdy Drive NW. Free, donations accepted.

JOyFuL NOIsE HOLIday CONCErT – dEC. 5, 3PmFree holiday concert with Community choir. Agnus Dei Lutheran church, 10511 Peacock Hill Ave., Gig Harbor. Directed by Jean Kopta, pianist Joyce Fischlin, guest flautist Pat Constantino.

LIGHTEd bOaT ParadE – dEC. 12, 5PmSponsored by the Gig Harbor Yacht Club, held on Gig Harbor Bay. Great family fun, good viewing from Skansie Brothers Park. For more info: www.gigharboryc.com.

bLuEGrass mINsTrELs FuNdraIsEr FOr rEd barN – dEC. 12, 6PmHoliday fundraising concert for Red Barn Youth Center in Key Center. Lakebay Community Church, 11 Cornwall Road KPS. Suggested $5 donation. For more info: www.thebluegrassminstrels.com.

We don ’ t jus t sell you poWer . We Work W i th you to use i t W i sely.

Peninsula Light Co. well surpassed its conservation target with programs designed to take full advantage of energy-efficient appliances and other measures. Our goal is to cut your energy consumption by encouraging residential and commercial members alike to upgrade to newer technology. And it’s been very successful.

As required by the state’s Energy Independence Act (I-937), utilities that serve 25,000 meters or more must establish a 10-year conservation potential that can be broken down into two-year segments. Our potential is assessed by an expert consultant. We regularly evaluate our potential and update our goals, and then we work with our members to achieve them. Just this year, our conservation programs saved enough to power about 750 average homes on the greater Gig Harbor peninsula.

hoW i t Work s PenLight programs are designed to provide long-lasting energy savings through a number of techniques:

• New high-efficiency heat pump heating and cooling systems, which replace inefficient furnaces, baseboards and wall heaters.

• High-efficiency electric water heaters.

• Refrigerator and freezer recycling to remove old ones from garages and basements.

• New lighting technology for commercial buildings and schools.

• Upgrades for commercial refrigeration systems for stores and food service applications.

• Partnerships with local retail stores to stock efficient lighting and hot water-saving devices, such as showerheads.

• Distribution of “smart” power strips to reduce parasitic energy losses from equipment such as computers and home entertainment systems.

Continued

Conservation savings enough to power hundreds of homes

some t ime s there ’ s not enough to make ends mee t During the winter, many living expenses go up and make it difficult for families who are struggling to make it to their next paycheck, let alone stay warm. Peninsula Light Co. can help.

Our Project Help program is designed to help income-qualifying families with up to $200 of support each year. The program provides funds through a partnership with Key Peninsula Community Services to offset those who need assistance with their electric bill.

The economy is still hurting, and the need continues to rise. We’re looking for additional support from the community. The best part is, we will match your donations dollar for dollar.

three Ways to contr ibut e PenLight members can donate to help their neighbors in one of three ways:• A one-time gift • A recurring monthly donation • By rounding up your bill each month to the nearest whole dollar

The round-up campaign is the newest way members can contribute. On average, those who enroll will only add about $6 to their annual bill. Those donations can go a long way to help neighbors who sometimes have to choose between food and heat.

Our goal is to encourage 10,000 of our members – one-third of our service area – to sign up for the Project Help Round-Up campaign. You can help by visiting www.penlight.org/project-help, or by calling our Member Services department at 253.857.5950.

progr am benef i t s About 550 Gig Harbor-area families have benefitted from an average of $110,000 through Project Help annually since 2009. No administrative costs are deducted, and all contributions are tax-deductible, so every dollar goes to help your neighbors in need.

Help your neighbors with a donation to

Project HELP

S A V E M O N E Y

GOGREEN

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P e n i n s u l a L i g h t C o m p a n y N e w s l e t t e r NOV / DEC 2015

The National Weather Service expects El Niño conditions in the Pacific Northwest this winter, giving a significantly greater chance of warmer-than-average temperatures and near or below-average rainfall. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updated a coalition of Pierce County first responders during a meeting in October.

NOAA says one of the warmest El Niños in recorded history has developed in the eastern Pacific Ocean’s equatorial waters. Sea surface temperatures

in that region have risen to more than 2 degrees Celsius above average. El Niño is expected to continue through the winter and likely well into next spring, NOAA says.

So, what does that mean? NOAA says the chances are good that this will be another year with a below-average snowpack. And when El Niño is compared to

neutral conditions and La Niña events, it typically means fewer storm events. But that doesn’t mean significant storms won’t occur.

For the latest projections, visit www.weather.gov/seattle.

El Niño projected to bring

warmer winter

Conservation savings enough to power hundreds of homes

(Continued from page 1)

by the number s In the past year, nearly 800 residences have upgraded to more energy-efficient means. In addition, we have been able to document 97,700 items such as LED bulbs, showerheads and power strips in our “retail products” category. With our commercial members, more than 60 projects have been completed in the past year, mostly through lighting, HVAC and refrigeration updates.

At the same time, we have been working to establish a new conservation target for the next two years. A public meeting will be held on the topic at 5:30pm on Dec.

10 in the second floor conference room at our headquarters building, 13315 Goodnough Drive NW, Gig Harbor.

FOLLOW PENLIGHT FOR THE LATEST NEWS:

www.facebook.com/PenLightCowww.twitter.com/penlightco

Winter Seasonal Outlook 2015-16Jeff Johnson’s

Temperature

Mild temperatures prevalent

A few brief cold shots mixed in

Much warmer than last 2 winters

Precipitation

Near average precipitation

Lower seasonal snow totals

More mixed precipitation/ice events

Temperature

Continued warmth

Greatest warmth in the north

A few colder periods south

Precipitation

More active coastal rainfall, but still a deficit for season

Drier for the Northern Rockies

Long-term drought conditions will remain

Temperature

Cooler for the season

Chilly into spring

Colder max temperatures

Precipitation

Enhanced rain/snow for CA, especially mid-late winter

Above normal precipitation AZ/NM

Higher snowfall in the mountains

Temperature Frequently mild

Cold risks latter season

Warmer than last year

Precipitation

Heavier precipitation east of Appalachians into

New England

Strong coastal storms will be more active

Increased ice risks far north

Rain/snow transitions along the coast

Less snow Ohio Valley/Great Lakes

Temperature Colder most areas

Chill will increase through winter

Cold penetrates well south

Precipitation Abundant rainfall over the winter

Lower totals in TN/KY region

Colder air will increase snow/ice threats

Severe weather enhanced for mid-late winter

Temperature

Below average readings common

Coldness on max temperatures

Chilly late winter

Precipitation

Above normal precipitation most areas

Cold air will increase snow/ice risks

More frequent days with precipitation

©2015 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.

For detailed information, view our free, on-demand winter outlook webinar replay at: tvt.schneider-electric.com/go/WinterWeather2015.

Very strong El Niño will

continue through the winter

Relative mildness most

concentrated over Canada

and the Northern U.S.

Chilly to cold temperatures

will be common across the

South

A more active storm track

will set up for the southern

U.S. and East Coast

Highlights

South central

Southeast

Northeast

Southwest

Northwest

North central

Jeff Johnson is Schneider Electric’s chief science officer, focusing on long-range and seasonal weather. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been an American Meteorological Society Certified Consulting Meteorologist since 1993, and has over 37 years of weather forecasting experience for various industries.

/SchneiderElectricWeather @SEweatherIntel

Sign up to report outages with text messagesOur investments to improve power reliability during the past several years have made great strides in our ability to keep your lights on. But there will still be times when you have an interruption with your service, especially during widespread storm events.

When those incidents occur, you no longer have to tie up a phone line to let us know you’ve lost your power. You can opt in to our Outage Texting program, and send us a one-word response if your house goes dark.

here ’ s hoW i t Work s :

• From any text-enabled phone, send the word “penlight” to 85700.

• You will get a response that asks you to confirm your service address.

• Once your address is confirmed, you will be enrolled for Outage Texting, if eligible.

• Save 85700 in your phone’s address book as PenLight’s outage texting number.

Once you’ve enrolled, you will be able to report an outage with the following steps:

• If your power goes out, text the word “out” to 85700.

• You will receive a response that asks to confirm your service location, either by replying with “A” for “yes” or “other” for a different address.

• Once you respond, your outage will be reported, and you should receive a confirmation reply.

You can opt out of the Outage Texting program at any time by sending the word “stop” to 85700.

This program is the easiest way you can verify your outage has been reported, and you won’t have to call and potentially get a busy signal when others are making similar reports.

If you need additional assistance, call our Member Services department at 253.857.5950.

ambassadors solidify voice for olympiaPenLight’s Electric Ambassadors have come together to keep power affordable and reliable since 1999. The Ambassadors organized their grassroots efforts when members of rural electric cooperatives from Washington State strongly opposed a federal government proposal to deregulate public power in the Northwest. Washington voters witnessed what happened to ratepayers in California following deregulation and did not want that here. Ambassadors statewide wrote and called their elected officials, and deregulation efforts were halted.

In the past 15 years, Ambassadors have tackled a number of diverse issues that would affect operations at Peninsula Light Company. Many of you already are members of the Ambassador program, and we thank you for your support. If you’re not a member, please consider joining today. Ambassadors are under no obligation to participate, and zero costs are involved. The industry issues are complex and changing, and we’re continuing to look for solutions to supply future demand for energy and how to deliver it.

Staying informed through the Ambassador program is easy. Ambassadors are provided with the information they need to understand an issue and, on occasion, they’re asked to write, call or email elected officials. Your legislators want to hear from you, because they represent you.

To sign up, visit www.penlight.org/ambassador-program, call 253.857.1531 or email brianm@penlight.org.

apply to become a c andidat e for the board

The Peninsula Light Co. nominating committee is now accepting applications for upcoming Board positions, which will be up for election in March 2016. Application forms are available at www.penlight.org/become-a-board-member.

All applicants must be members in good standing who are permanent residents in PenLight’s service area. When they’re submitted, applications should be marked “Attention: Nominating Committee.” They must be received no later than noon on Dec. 31, 2015.

Another way to run for the PenLight board is by petition, which requires about 1,000 signatures from members in good standing (3 percent of our approximately 32,000 members). Petition information is available by calling Britni Wickins at 253.857.1504 or via email at Britni@penlight.org.

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