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News and Currents

Survey finds support for Skagit PUD electrical service

April 22, 2008 - 08:00 PM
by Josh Lintereur | Skagit Valley Herald

An overwhelming majority of Skagit County voters would rather get their electricity from a community-owned utility than from an internationally owned power provider, according to phone survey results released Tuesday by the Skagit County Public Utilities District.

The poll of 300 registered Skagit County voters, conducted in March by EMC Research of Seattle, found that 79 percent favored public ownership of their electrical utility. PUD officials commissioned the poll to aid in their deliberations on whether to launch an electricity venture that would supplant the county’s current power provider, Puget Sound Energy.

The PUD — which provides water to about 60 percent of Skagit County’s residents — began considering the venture earlier this year at the urging of residents and business owners who are concerned about PSE’s impending sale to the Macquarie Consortium, a privately held international investment group.

The $7.4 billion acquisition was approved last week by shareholders and received a preliminary OK from federal regulators. The deal still requires state approval.

Based on the survey results, it appears that the PSE sale hasn’t been widely followed by voters, but most would prefer their local PUD as their electricity provider over PSE’s new owners.

Results showed that 69 percent of voters don’t know that PSE is being acquired, and 67 percent were indifferent to the matter once they’d learned of it.

But after being told that PSE’s sale means that the utility would be owned by international investors, 79 percent said they’d rather see PSE replaced by a community-owned utility.

In addition, 67 percent said they’d prefer local ownership to Bellevue-based PSE’s current corporate structure.

The PUD commissioners learned of the survey results during their meeting Tuesday and said the information will be an important factor in determining what to do next.

“In order for use to make an informed decision going forward it was important to get this information,” Commissioner Robbie Robertson said. “I don’t know if it means we can make a determination yet.”

The residents and business owners who’ve asked the PUD to consider becoming an electricity provider worry that PSE’s proposed sale will bring less transparency and accountability to PSE, which had been publicly-traded. They’d also like to see local control over Skagit County’s power resources.

If the PUD decided to offer electricity, it could negotiate a purchase of PSE’s Skagit County properties. Even if PSE was unwilling to sell, the PUD could force the issue as state law allows public utilities to use eminent domain to condemn, buy or acquire privately-owned properties and facilities.

The PUD’s next move should come after it completes a feasibility study, which should wrap up by late May.

So far, PUD officials are frustrated by what they consider a lack of cooperation on PSE’s part in providing data for the study. In March, the PUD requested information on things like infrastructure location, building values, customer demand and maintenance costs.

PSE declined to provide any information, saying in a letter dated April 14 that some of the information is proprietary or confidential, and it’s not in their customers’ best interest to provide detailed records to the PUD.

PUD officials hope that study will help them determine whether to bring the matter before voters, who could decide as early as November on whether to give the PUD authority to provide electricity.