Chelan County PUD Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Central And Eastern Washington Have A Lot Of Dams. How Will They Fare In An Earthquake?

By Courtney Flatt October 16, 2019

Grand Coulee Dam File Photo - CREDIT Bureau of Reclamation

If you live at the foot of a dam – or downriver – you may wonder what could happen if an earthquake rumbled nearby. Dam managers say it’s something they’re constantly watching, but major shaking east of the Cascades shouldn’t cause too much damage. Read More

Apple Capital And Jewel Of Columbia? Hydropower Deal Clears Way For Wenatchee Diamond Making

By Tom Banse June 6, 2019

Lab-created diamonds produced by Diamond Foundry

When you think of made-in-the-Northwest products, diamonds are probably not on your list. But soon, they could be. A contract signed Thursday for Columbia River hydropower clears the way for a foundry to make lab-created diamonds in Wenatchee.Read More

China-Based Cryptocurrency Firm Establishes Foothold In Central Washington

By Tom Banse November 19, 2018

Dignitaries cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Bitmain's new East Wenatchee bitcoin mine -- in other words, a data center that earns cryptocurrency. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

One of the biggest players in the global cryptocurrency space has established a foothold in the Pacific Northwest. China-based Bitmain Technologies held a ribbon cutting for a $20 million data center near the Wenatchee airport on Friday. A celebratory mood ran through the grand opening despite headwinds besetting the virtual currency sector.Read More

Central Washington Jurisdictions Call ‘Time Out’ On Bitcoin Boom

By Tom Banse April 9, 2018

Bitcoin mines -- or data centers -- are popping up near the Wenatchee airport among other places. Some are installed inside used cargo containers, which local councils increasingly are banning for this use. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

When the price of one bitcoin soared to almost $20,000 late last year, an influx of entrepreneurs and developers came to the Pacific Northwest in search of cheap hydropower to do bitcoin "mining." But now cities, counties and utilities at the epicenter in Central Washington are hitting the pause button.Read More

Central Washington Utility In Pursuit Of ‘Rogue’ Bitcoin Miners

By Tom Banse April 3, 2018

File photo. Chelan County Public Utility District managers want to shut down unauthorized bitcoin operations. CREDIT: XIANGFU/WIKIMEDIA

Chelan County PUD in north central Washington's Wenatchee Valley wants to root out a new kind of outlaw: the rogue bitcoin miner. They're attracted to the cheap electricity from the region's hydroelectric dams.Read More