An initiative that would push Snohomish County PUD to use more renewable energy is getting mixed reviews at the utility.
Snohomish County PUD’s governing commission officially took a neutral stance on Initiative 937.
But the commissioners who govern the utility do have strong opinions on a measure that would require the PUD to get 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
“This is an unfunded mandate,” said PUD Commissioner Kathy Vaughn. “I believe that you need to let the utility experts make those decisions, not the initiative process.”
Vaughn said expanding the PUD’s use of renewable energy is a good thing, but decisions on how should be made by the utility.
An analysis by utility number crunchers shows that it will cost the PUD $12 million to $36 million to implement the initiative.
Commissioner Dave Aldrich supports the initiative because it requires utilities to become more efficient in how they use the electricity they already have.
“The thing I like most about the initiative is the conservation element,” he said. Part of the initiative requires utilities to be as energy efficient as possible. “To me that’s the real beauty of the initiative. It actually forces people to do the right thing.”
Statewide, opponents of I-937 say the initiative would raise customer’s rates.
“It’s a feel-good initiative,” said Chris McCabe, spokesman for the Association of Washington Business, which is opposed to the measure.
“Everyone wants a cleaner environment. It’s easy for people to buy into that. It’s one of those things where the devil is in the details.”
After years of failing in the Legislature, supporters of the proposal decided to take the issue to voters.
“This initiative is an opportunity for us to take control of our own energy future,” said Chris McCollough, spokesman for the pro-937 campaign.
“As our state grows, we have a choice: We can burn more polluting fossil fuels like coal or we can choose cheaper, cleaner energy from new renewable sources and conservation,” he said.
Opponents say the measure is unnecessary, pointing to the fact that dams produce as much as three-quarters of the region’s relatively cheap and clean electricity.
Unlike a similar law in California, the initiative would not automatically count hydropower as renewable energy. Efficiency upgrades to existing hydropower plants would qualify.
Under the initiative, utilities with more than 25,000 customers would have to meet 15 percent of their annual load with resources such as wind power, solar energy or sewage gas.
A recent report by the state Office of Financial Management said there are too many variables to be able to determine what will happen to rates if the measure is enacted.
A report by the business-backed Washington Research Council said that initiative could drive up electricity costs from $185 million to $370 million and could cost the state thousands of jobs.
McCollough disputes that report and said that the conservation efforts alone will save money. He acknowledged that there’s been an increase in the price of wind power, “but there’s been a bump in the price of everything.”
If voters approve the initiative, Washington will join 20 other states that have a so-called renewable portfolio standard or goal. Maine has the highest, at 30 percent. In 2004, Colorado was the first state to pass a ballot measure requiring an increase in renewable energy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.
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