Snohomish PUD

Snohomish PUD
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-king-vaughn-for-snohomish-pud-posts/ 
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/pud-board-candidates-question-secrecy-in-ceo-hiring-process/

It seems the current board of the PUD are pushing forward with hiring a new CEO before the November election in which 2 of the 3 commission positions are up for election. Sorry, I’m not able to read the article because I don’t subscribe to the Herald, but the comments on Mary Rollins’ Facebook page indicate that she and others object to this course of action. She describes it as “business as usual – backroom negotiation.”
350 Everett held a public meeting last month to introduce their preferred candidates and to discuss the issues.
District 1

Mary Rollins  https://www.facebook.com/Rollins4PUD
– Everett social services provider & former business owner. Represents herself as well-studied re PUD & the role of the board. Says PUD should be doing more to prioritize assistance for ratepayers on fixed incomes or with medical needs. From her Facebook page: “What a great turnout today for Climate Justice! So nice to meet so many folks who care about the planet !!”

Sid Logan, incumbent   http://sidlogan.com/
– appointed 3-17 to replace resigning predecessor. Worked in the oil & gas industry. Became Arlington School District bus driver & operations manager. Retired 2016.  Logan agrees there’s a need for rural broadband service, but says costs have to be considered. He says the PUD would consider allowing internet providers to use PUD utility poles & other infrastructure to extend that service. Logan supported the PUD’s tidal energy project (full disclosure: WEAN fought the proposal & organized the opposition) and points to PUD’s MESA battery work, which will be key to development of its pilot micro-grid project in Arlington. “Logan has demonstrated thoughtful consideration of issues before the board and a commitment to the concerns of ratepayers.”
– From the website: Our electricity is 98% carbon free and I am proud to support and participate in our new voluntary program, Carbon Solutions, that allows customers to reduce their carbon footprint even further by purchasing green energy blocks. I support customers who invest in renewable energy by installing solar panels, or by investing in our upcoming Community Solar project in Arlington.”


District 2

Rebecca Wolfe   https://www.wolfeforgoodenergypud.com/
– offers a long list of community service, including on the Edmonds EDC, the committee on climate protection, and other environmental and conservation efforts. She has earned a Masters in environmental law and policy, and holds a PhD in leadership studies.  She has done extensive research on NW power policy, which shows that energy efficiency has slowed growth in demand for new electricity, which she says should guide PUD decisions.
– from website: an environmental and fiscal champion. Has worked many years for good energy, and to create new jobs in renewables.
– “good energy = clean, reliable, renewable.
– “good jobs = living wage jobs that treat employees with respect & equity.
– “good governance = open, ethical, fiscally responsible & responsive to constituents who own the PUD.


David Chan    http://nwasianweekly.com/2018/07/chan-eyes-snohomish-pud-board/
    http://seattlechinesetimes.com/2018/07/25/david-chan/
    Votechan03@gmail.com     425-453-5133
    I found no campaign website or Facebook page, just stories in the Asian press.

– He offers a background in financial management (he’s a CPA). He would retain his Fire District 1 position, which takes a great deal of time. Chan was caught in a “hot mic” incident with a fellow fire commissioner, joking about hiring Mexican immigrants because it would be cheaper. Chan and the other commissioner apologized, but refused demands that they resign.
– “It is time for an outsider to have a fresh pair of eyes with new ideas to exercise more cost control and keep PUD rates low.”
– He wrote a blog about becoming a Bernie delegate in 2016.
– “ He is very disturbed by the current scandals and mismanagement of projects resulting in millions of dollars wasted. He has talked to engineers and found out that PUD does not have a good monitoring system for projects.”

Sno-PUD has 348k electric customers in SnoCo and Camano. It is managed by a 3 member board.
District 2 represents the southwest corner of Snohomish County, including Mukilteo, Lynnwood, and Edmonds.

District 1 represents the northern half of Snohomish County – Everett, Marysville, Granite Falls, Arlington, Darrington, Stanwood – and Camano.

I don’t live within the Snohomish PUD territory so don’t know the daily dealings there. I have had experience with SnoPUD trying to build tidal turbines near the Keystone Ferry dock and refusing to accept really basic environmental information about the potential impacts of their proposal. I found the recently retired CEO high-handed and arrogant.

I would be most interested in more information in support of the claim that SnoPUD is 98% carbon neutral. That just sounds a little bit too good to be true.

After research and evaluation, if I were to vote on Camano, I would be voting for:

Mary Rollins
Rebecca Wolfe