By The Herald Editorial Board
The Snohomish County Public Utility District has been in the news enough in recent years that a shake-up — or at least a new voice — on the board of commissioners might appear necessary.
The PUD is the largest of 27 publicly managed utility districts in the state, the second-largest in the Pacific Northwest, providing electrical service to more than 335,000 customers, mostly residential, in Snohomish County and on Camano Island. It also serves more than 19,000 water customers, purchasing its supply from the city of Everett.
The bulk of its electrical supply (82 percent) is purchased from the Bonneville Power Administration, most of that hydro power. PUD’s own hydro projects generate about 6 percent; wind supplies 6 percent; with 6 percent from market purchases and other renewable resources.
The utility is overseen by a board of three commissioners elected to six-year terms.
The PUD’s commitment to innovation in developing renewable energy sources is commendable and should continue, but it’s hit some rough patches on that road.It was forced to abandon a tidal energy project earlier this year when it lost federal funding for the project.
The administration of a no-bid contract tied to a state grant program for its energy storage project was called into question last year. No wrong-doing was found, but an independent report found the PUD violated its own standards to avoid the “appearance of a conflict of interest” in how the contract was handled.
And, as it moves to a smart-grid system, it upset many customers when it switched to a monthly billing system — in the middle of winter — resulting in higher-than-expected bills for thousands.
Three challengers have filed to run against current board commissioner Tanya “Toni” Olson, who is running for a third term for the board’s District 3 position. Gordon “Gordy” Sibley is a retired PUD employee of 28 years. Dustan Bunt owns a septic business in Snohomish. And Larry Wagner is a former Lake Stevens City Council member and hospital administrator.
Olson, without argument, has brought experience and knowledge to her position beyond her 12 years on the board. She was a management employee at the PUD for 22 years before taking her board position, and she serves on the board of trustees for the Northwest Public Power Association.
And she hasn’t been a rubber-stamp for management. Regarding another controversial PUD project, Olson is questioning the need for a hydropower project at Sunset Falls. Originally the PUD had proposed installation of an inflatable “mini-dam” at the Skykomish River site but has since scaled the project back to a “run of the river” project that would divert water underground to drive an electric turbine.
Olson doesn’t have concerns about the viability of the project or its potential environmental effects, all of which she believes have been addressed, but looking at the PUD’s power requirements for the next 10 years, she doesn’t believe the project is necessary to meet demand.
Olson also has raised alerts regarding the potential consequences and additional costs for the PUD and other public utilities that could result from passage of Initiative 732, which would tax carbon; and for the cyber-security threat that hackers pose to the grid and to the district’s computer systems.
Of her three challengers, Sibley offers the best balance of an outsider’s perspective, guided by a former employee’s knowledge of the PUD. Sibley worked as a maintenance mechanic for the district.
Sibley, like Olson, does not support the Sunset Falls project, and agrees that its not necessary, but does have concerns for its viability, particularly in an area that could be prone to unstable slopes.
Sibley also is critical of the switch made from bi-monthly to monthly billing. While the move to a smart-grid and smart meters that report electrical usage back to the utility are necessary, Sibley believes the billing system change was mishandled.
Sibley wants to see the board refocus its attention toward customer service and cost controls.
Olson pointed out that the PUD negotiates fiercely with the BPA over rates every two years, with customer costs in mind. And she said she doesn’t want to see a recurrence of what happened in the past when maintenance and other improvements were put off to hold down costs, only to have the PUD incur greater costs later.
Looking at recent events at the PUD it’s understandable that many will want a stronger voice to challenge the group think commonly found on boards and councils. But it’s too difficult to look past Olson’s experience and her willingness to push back when necesssary.
A fresh perspective would help on the PUD board, but not at the loss of Olson’s skill set. The Herald Editorial Board endorses Toni Olson.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
