Clark Public Utilities
| Company type | Public utility district |
|---|---|
| Industry | Utilities |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver , United States |
Area served | Clark County, Washington |
Key people | Nancy Barnes (Commissioner), Jim Malinowski (Commissioner), Jane Van Dyke (Commissioner) |
| Products | Electric power distribution, Water services |
Number of employees | 380 |
Public Utility District No. 1 of Clark County, commonly known as Clark Public Utilities or Clark PUD, is a public utility district serving Clark County, Washington. It delivers electric power throughout the county except for the Georgia-Pacific Camas Paper Mill located in Camas, Washington. Additionally, it provides water services to the majority of the county, excluding cities such as Battle Ground, Camas, Ridgefield, Washougal, and Vancouver, each of which operates independent water systems.
Organization
Clark PUD was established through a referendum in 1938 following unsuccessful attempts in 1934 and 1936. The district was formed as a municipal nonprofit entity under Washington state legislation with the purpose of delivering electric service across the entire county. Prior to its creation, electric utilities were provided by two private firms: Portland General Electric (PGE), which served Vancouver, and the Northwest Electric Company (NEC), covering rural regions. Both companies opposed the establishment of Clark PUD and initially resisted exiting the local market.
Management is overseen by a three-person Board of Commissioners who set policies, approve budgets, determine rates, and authorize significant expenditures. This Board appoints a General Manager responsible for daily operations. The inaugural commissioners elected were Heye H. Meyer, L. M. Jones, and Adolf Ast.
Current members of the Board of Commissioners
- Nancy Barnes
- Jim Malinowski
- Jane Van Dyke
History timeline
- 1938: Formation of Public Utility District No. 1 of Clark County was approved by voters.
- 1939: Clark PUD entered negotiations with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to obtain electric power supply agreements.
- 1940: Clark PUD proposed purchasing Clark County assets from both PGE and NEC; however, both companies declined.
- 1941: Expansion requests for water service north of Vancouver were halted due to the outbreak of World War II.
- 1942: The wartime boom caused by the Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver increased demand; Clark PUD successfully outbid competitors to provide electricity to new war housing projects, starting service with its first customer—the Air Reduction Company (now part of The Linde Group)—along with adjacent residential areas.
- 1944: After unsuccessful negotiations, Clark PUD decided to acquire electric transmission and distribution facilities from PGE and NEC through legal proceedings.
- 1945: The Washington Court of Appeals established a purchase price of $801,000 for PGE’s assets in Clark County; Clark PUD financed this acquisition by issuing revenue bonds. Meanwhile, residents petitioned for water services in Hazel Dell.
- 1948: The Superior Court set NEC’s asset price at $4,837,500; Clark PUD acquired nearly all remaining private electric delivery infrastructure within Clark County except for the Crown Columbia paper mill in Camas, which continues to be served by NEC’s successor PacifiCorp. This expansion also included some customers located in neighboring Cowlitz and Skamania Counties.
- 1951: Water services commenced with 357 customers in Hazel Dell under Clark PUD’s management.
- 1989: Voters in La Center approved creation of a municipal wastewater system operated by Clark PUD.
- 1997: Clark PUD inaugurated its own 230MW natural gas combined-cycle River Road Generating Plant situated in southwest Vancouver to complement BPA energy acquisitions.
- 2006: Wastewater treatment responsibilities were transferred back to the City of La Center; Clark PUD discontinued wastewater operations.
- 2007: Cowlitz PUD acquired Clark PUD’s assets within Cowlitz County and expanded its distribution network, assuming service for approximately 50 customers by early 2010; Clark PUD continues to serve two customers in Skamania County pending expansion by Skamania PUD.
Operations
Clark PUD provides electrical service across roughly 657 square miles, covering nearly the entire Clark County except for about 500 acres in Camas occupied by the Georgia-Pacific Camas Paper Mill. The electric infrastructure consists of 55 substations and switching stations, one power generation facility, and close to 6,600 miles of transmission and distribution lines. Although BPA and PacifiCorp own additional equipment within the county, these assets do not supply Clark PUD’s customers.
The water utility serves an area of approximately 220 square miles, primarily encompassing unincorporated central and northern parts of Clark County, excluding regions served by Battle Ground and Ridgefield. This water network includes 35 wells, 51 booster pump stations, and nearly 788 miles of mains and distribution pipelines.
Clark PUD employs about 380 personnel to support its customer base of approximately 194,000. Administrative and business functions are conducted at the Vancouver Service Center, while the Orchards Service Center oversees core operational activities.
Nearly 30% of the electricity provided by Clark PUD originates from the River Road Generating Plant; the remainder is largely procured from BPA. The utility also holds ownership interests in renewable energy sources such as the Combine Hills II Wind Farm in Oregon and the Packwood Lake hydroelectric project in Washington.
Clark PUD maintains transmission connections with BPA and PacifiCorp, along with emergency distribution interties linking it to Cowlitz PUD and Skamania PUD. The system is monitored around the clock by seven NERC-certified System Operators who coordinate field crews to address maintenance and repairs as needed.