By John Haarlow / For The Herald
When the wind and rain pummel our region and the lights go out across Snohomish County, Snohomish PUD crews know what to do. They grab their gear, head into the storm and work through the night — often times for multiple days — to restore power to homes, hospitals and businesses.
Our lineworkers move quickly because they know how much our community depends on them. Unfortunately, the federal disaster recovery system has not always kept pace. Even after the last pole is replaced, the last line is reconnected, transformer repaired and customer restored, utilities often wait months or even years to receive the federal funding that helps cover the significant cost of restoration after a disaster. Those delays can strain local budgets and, in the end, affect customers.
That is why I am grateful to U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., for his leadership, along with his colleagues on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in pushing for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reform. On Wednesday, the committee will take up a bipartisan bill that would make long-overdue improvements to how FEMA responds to disasters. The PUD strongly supports this bill because it delivers what our community needs most: faster relief, fairer treatment and a stronger foundation for the future.
Imagine a winter storm causing catastrophic damage to miles of power lines and poles; much like the bomb cyclone that hit our region a year ago. Our crews work around the clock during storm restoration, but every new pole, transformer and wire comes with a price tag. Without timely federal support, utilities either carry that cost alone or pass it on to customers. FEMA reform ensures that aid arrives more predictably, so families and businesses are not hit with higher bills after already enduring the hardship of an outage.
Importantly, the benefits of this bill will extend beyond utilities. State, county and city governments will also be able to respond more effectively to disasters, strengthen their emergency preparedness and invest in resilience ahead of the next storm or wildfire. That means faster recovery for schools, fire departments and local agencies that are on the frontlines of serving people when disaster strikes.
The bill also rewards preparation. The PUD has invested heavily in hardening infrastructure and advancing grid technology to reduce the risk of outages before they happen. Our SnoSMART program will allow us to make a generational leap in smart grid technology and infrastructure over the next five years. FEMA reform recognizes that resilience matters and makes it easier for utilities like ours to access resources that support this kind of work.
This legislation reflects a rare bipartisan consensus. Lawmakers across the political spectrum agree that FEMA is essential and that reform is needed to make it stronger. At a time when disasters are becoming more frequent and severe that unity is both timely and necessary. And it reflects the way FEMA itself operates: locally executed, state managed and federally supported.
We all know disasters are hitting harder and more often. Summers bring wildfire risk, winters bring windstorms, and flooding can happen in a flash. FEMA reform will not stop the storms, but it will make sure communities like ours can recover more quickly and fairly.
On behalf of the PUD, I want to thank the congressman for his leadership. Congress should move quickly to pass this bill. Because when the lights go out, our community should not have to wait for D.C. to catch up.
John Haarlow has been the chief executive officer and general manager of Snohomish County Public Utility District since 2018. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the electric utility industry and is currently serving as the board chair of the American Public Power Association.
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