Nov. 5 General Election: Skamania County Public Utility District

Our three member PUD board, consisting of Liz Green, Dave McKenzie, and myself have worked together for eight years. By law, we may only talk business during public meetings, which means roughly 26 times per year, we bring to each other our thoughts and understanding of the many issues the PUD faces as well as information gleaned from fellow ratepayers. At least two of us must agree on a coarse of action before the PUD can move forward. I am often the dissenting voice at these meetings. I have earned the trust of Liz and Dave, and they’ve earned mine. I am running because I am certain the PUD’s customers are best served by my voice on the current board, and would be harmed by my opponent’s presence on the board. I am proud of the current state of the PUD and its trajectory and want to be a part of its continued success.

What are your qualifications for this position?

I have done the job for eight years. I have attended hundreds of commissioner training sessions and attended hundreds of meetings geared to inform PUD commissioners regarding energy and water. I have built good relationships with resources around the region so I can get sound answers and opinions and compare conflicting paths so I can bring every viewpoint to our planning discussions. I’ve paid a Skamania PUD bill for 32 years. I know generations of Skamania’s families and have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by everyone paying a PUD bill.

What are the top three issues facing the PUD?

1) Paying our bills. The PUD has a very large geographic footprint compared to its customer count. Unlike neighboring PUDs in Clark and Klickitat, we have very few large electric loads. That’s why our residential customers shoulder a larger base rate. The PUD is a not-for-profit business. It must gather sufficient revenue to pay for trucks, mechanics, office personnel, buildings, power poles, transformers, wires, linemen, contractors, consultants, engineers, permits, taxes, and unfortunately, debt service.

2) Replacing failing infrastructure. Our Carson water treatment plant is a good example of old equipment that has served us well and our people have squeezed every last drop of function out of it, but due to changes in regulations and myriad issues related to a very old system, we cannot use it certain months of the year due to turbid source water. It will require debt funding to replace it. Our major infrastructure can’t be overnighted by Amazon or picked up at a local hardware store. Long term planning is required to ensure our systems work reliably now and into the future. We must fix or replace things before they’re completely broken. Delivery of an ordered line truck or transformer can be a year or more in the future.

3) Resource adequacy. Due to decisions made by legislators near and far, reliable, adequate energy infrastructure is being replaced by intermittent sources. At the same time, transportation is being electrified, guaranteeing ever larger demands on our grid. Our PUD is and energy and water provider. I will continue to be a voice against intermittent sources and a voice for the choosing the least expensive, most reliable sources of energy.

What's an innovation you'd recommend trying?

I am a student of history and am leery of shiny new things. Research W.P.P.S.S and ENRON to understand my trepidation. That said, I have worked in high tech for 40 years, starting at Micron in Boise in 1984. Innovation has changed us, often for better, sometimes for worse. Luckily, we have others around us to study and learn best practices. I’ll support proven, economical changes after we’ve seen them work at other, similar utilities and their “lessons learned” can guide us to best case implementation. I’ll be a voice for caution and delay until that point. The PUD has no need to risk being on the leading edge of technology, no matter how attractive it may be. For example, electric vehicles are probably in the PUD’s future, but not until a consistent model proves itself to be a better choice than a current gas or diesel vehicle. There are several PUDs in Washington and Oregon that are learning lessons for us. We can wait until it’s no longer “innovation” but instead “best practice.” Many PUDs statewide have taken on tens of millions of dollars in debt to build fiber optic broadband while still failing to serve the last mile customer or balance their budgets. I’ll continue to be a stern voice against PUD broadband here while it fails to pencil out and the free market brings solutions like low orbit satellite internet.

Finish this statement: In five years, my vision for the Skamania PUD is …

Much the same as it is today — a well run business that prides itself on keeping the lights on and the water running. That is no small feat. The utility has weathered a lot in the last decade including an ice storm that cost 10% of an annual budget, many key people retiring, most of our ancient BPA substations being replaced, the COVID mandates and their resultant supply chain chaos, and ,of course, huge unexpected inflation that will continue to directly impact our costs. I have a very vested interest in Skamania PUD. I raised my kids here and have 10 grandkids living here, 5 more across the border in Clark County. I want this PUD to be reliable, affordable, sustainable and ready to support a thriving Skamania County so that all of them, and you and I can prosper here.

Maria Mel Steele

Why are you running?

The rates and fee appear to be unfair and unjust. Ratepayers and businesses have issues in common and they need to be resolved. Current management is allowing outside sources to perform cost of service Studies and it is being mis-used. Ratepayers are not made aware with proper effective disclosures. I have a plan with a great success potential for oversight of PUD and better represent PUD ratepayers.

What are your qualifications for this position?

The Skamania County Public Utility District commissioner position is the most important position on the ballot — best of knowledge. I say this because my life has prepared me for regulating the local PUD. Being born into a PUD family and retiring from a lifetime of being a United States public civil servant of natural resources, and my last six years of supporting Skamania County ratepayer’s homes and businesses, has fully qualified me to hit the ground running. With more than 3,000 hours of document requests from Skamania PUD, calculating successfully means reducing utility bills consistent with PUD’s original mission while reducing debt, overseeing each and every PUD meeting in last six years, presenting dozens of power points for public, newspaper articles, collaborating with PUD, Skamania residents, Washington State departments, United States departments of energy, etc., has all contributed to my experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. 

What are the top three issues facing the Skamania County Public Utility District?

1. Need to increase public disclosures:  Educate the public and provide options in Skamania County about PUD services. Major capital projects and other important information is not effectively disclosed.

2. Need to manage by original PUD mission: Revert definitions of BaseRate pre-2019 and therefore lower currently unfair and unjust fix fees and reduce debt by utilizing long-standing standards of tiering, thus paying more for non-conservation of power and water uses.

3. Reduce PUD debt trajectory: Circa 2019 management changed from “fix it if it is broke” to “replace everything because it’s old” without documentation to justify such. There is need to reduce spending by insisting on cost/benefit analysis. This did not happen with 2019-2024 rate hearing/cost of service, which assumed numerous capital project expenditures. Also need to have fair and competitive cost/benefit wise for contract awards while recognizing union workers capabilities first with union contracts.

What is an innovation you would recommend?

Add incentives: Convert penalties into incentives for bill paying and solar-wind net metering. Reduce permits for power and water new installs for development for alternative homes for low cost homes. This is a way to add on more union jobs and increase sustainable customers.

Finish this statement: In six years, my vision for the The Skamania County Public Utility District is ...

Compliant with all laws on state and federal level.

Debt is significantly reduced. I do support by all measures BPA and Bonneville Dam hydro and consider it the best energy source. It makes use of nature’s power of the river. They balance both federal and private markets and wholesale for only 3.5 cents/kilowatt with BPA produced portions with minimal environmental impacts. Our rate of delivery for retail goal to revert to twice wholesale, i.e., 3.5 cents x 2  = 7 cents, and base rates are at $8 for essential living. Tiering rates are to be implemented fairly and justly.

Ratepayers are pleased with PUD.

I do support fossil fuels, natural gas, and other essential needs for the people and essential businesses with proper cost/benefits. Proper environmental analysis is necessary for new extractions. Allow home to be as versed as practical. Existing production of energy continues efficiencies. International exports limited so to have for domestic use.

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Dan Boyes, also running for Skamania County PUD, did not respond by press deadline. Any responses received before the Nov. 5 election will be included in upcoming editions.