Member of Great Falls' utility resigns
GREAT FALLS, MONTANA - A board member for Great Falls' electric utility, which was involved in a proposed coal-fired power plant near the city, has resigned because of health reasons.
John Gilbert, a board member of Electric City Power, said he resigned because doctors found a tumor in his bladder. He said he underwent surgery two weeks ago for what he called a treatable and non-life-threatening condition, but given his state, he would not have time to continue serving on the advisory board.
Board meetings for Electric City Power have drawn criticism, in part, because of the city's involvement in a proposed coal-fired power plant east of Great Falls. Power plant developers now may build a natural gas-fired power plant instead after environmental groups protested.
The city's efforts to sell public power also prompted some criticism from residents.
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Attacks on power substations are growing. Why is the electric grid so hard to protect?
WASHINGTON - Even before Christmas Day attacks on power substations in five states in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast, similar incidents of attacks, vandalism and suspicious activity were on the rise.
Federal energy reports through August – the most recent available – show an increase in physical attacks at electrical facilities across the nation this year, continuing a trend seen since 2017.
At least 108 human-related events were reported during the first eight months of 2022, compared with 99 in all of 2021 and 97 in 2020. More than a dozen cases of vandalism have been reported since September.
The attacks have prompted…
