PUD hires
consultant to explore feasibility of electrical service
Report expected by the end of May
Franny White can be reached at 360-416-2148 or
fwhite@skagit valleyherald.com.
By FRANNY WHITE
Staff Writer
A consultant has been hired to explore the
feasibility of the Skagit County Public Utility District becoming an electric
utility.
The unanimous decision to hire D Hittle
& Associates of Lynnwood to do the study for no more than $20,000 was made
Tuesday at the weekly PUD Board of Commissioners meeting.
The study, to be released by the end of May,
will explore whether the PUD should provide electricity to part of or all of the
county; estimate the cost of owning, operating and maintaining an electric
system here; investigate how the PUD could finance such expenses; and estimate
how much the venture could cost customers, said D Hittle President Bob
Schneider.
It was the first time the PUD
commissioners had jointly and formally discussed a possible electric venture, though they have held meetings individually
with other local government leaders on the subject since January.
All three commissioners said many residents have
expressed support for the PUD, which currently only offers water service,
exploring the possible expansion of its operations. Much of that support stemmed
from concerns over the pending sale of the county’s current electric provider,
the private company Puget Sound Energy, to an international investment company,
the commissioners said.
Commissioner Jim Cook
said Bellevue-based PSE has “been a good neighbor.”
“They’ve taken care of us, and I like that, but
(residents are) concerned about the decision” to sell, Cook said.
Before the commissioners approved the D Hittle
services agreement, PSE Community Relations Manager Ray Trzynka said PSE looked
forward to a continued dialogue between his company and the PUD.
Puget Sound Energy and PUD officials met Monday
for the first time on the issue. Trzynka also said PSE would help with the
feasibility study by providing information about the company’s current electric
service in Skagit.
“Candidly, it’ll give us an
opportunity to show the value of our services to the community,” Trzynka said.
Cook also said the feasibility study would help
the PUD determine whether it should bring the matter to the voters, who could
decide as early as November whether the PUD should have the authority to provide
electricity.
Commissioner Al Littlefield noted
that even if the PUD received the authority to be an electric utility, the
agency would not automatically become one. Voters gave the PUD the right to
provide sewer service in 2000, but the PUD later found that providing the
service to Similk Bay on Fidalgo Island was too expensive.
The PUD commissioners have through Aug. 12 to
file a resolution with the Skagit County Auditor’s Office that would include the
issue on the Nov. 4 ballot.