PUD support of dam advocates a contradiction

Published 1:30 am Friday, September 8, 2023

I was concerned reading a recent letter regarding Snohomish PUD’s funding for Northwest RiverPartners

First, praise for the PUD for sponsoring the 2023 NW Tribal Clean Energy Summit, where the Nez Perce presented their goal of developing renewable energy sources to replace the output of the Lower Snake River dams.

Second, I am concerned about the Snohomish PUD using taxpayer dollars (a lot of it, approximately $153,000 in 2022), to pay Northwest RiverPartners for ads that do not promote alternative renewable energy efforts. I think the PUD should join Whatcom PUD in dropping its membership in this organization because it seems hypocritical to sponsor a summit that is promoting renewable energy alternatives and then support a company that promotes the opposite. It is also using our tax dollars in a way that is not supported by many consumers.

Kathleen Hesseltine

Everett