Commissioners Discuss PUD Proposal..Push Poll Charged

County Manager Duane Cole told his board of commissioners Wednesday that they may want to consider removing the proposal to form a county Public utility District from the strategic plan.  The comment came as Cole was introducing the concept at a work session to focus discussion on the proposal.  He went on to summarize the findings of some preliminary research that staff conducted to discover the actual feasibility of the proposal. Cole said that the county's involvement would be quite limited and would only involve a resolution to take the formation to voters.  He says it isn't legal for a county government to run a power utility. A separate board would have to be elected to do so and that board would make all the decisions regarding the PUD.

The board then listened to information presented by representatives of public power and the state organization charged with representing ratepayers at Public Utility Commission rate hearings who commented on the large rate increases sought by Pacific Power and the point was made that these increases have accelerated with the aquistion of Pacific Power by Mid America Energy because that company has invested heavily in alternative energy infrastructure and he said future plans call for more of that investment which will ultimately cause additional rate increase for customers of the seven-state utility Pacific Power. He said that forming a local PUD would not necessarily mean rates would be any lower for two reasons. First, condemnation and acquisition of Pacific Power facilities would have to be passed on to ratepayers and, second, Bonneville Power has instituted new rules that place a three year waiting period on a new public utility district before granting access to cheaper public power.  It was also pointed out that since the cost of hydropower is determined by snowpack year to year it would be impossible to say what the rates might be after that waiting period is finished. It is also important to factor in the time it will take to transition from Pacific Power to a public power entity. 

Pacific Power's Vice President Of Customer and Community Affairs Pat Eagan had just a few minutes at the end of an already extended work session to answer questions and was told the commission intends to hold another work session on this topic in the future where Pacific Power will have more time to respond.  

Commissioner Rohne said he was surprised to get a phone call for what he termed a "push poll" in favor of Pacific Power and he asked Eagan if the company had paid for that.  Eagan responded that the company had paid for a survey to determine public opinion regarding the proposal and that included a question about a government take over of a private business. he said he would be happy to provide a copy of the poll questions and answers at a future time. Rohne said he felt sensitive to a poll that would slight Clatsop County.  Eagan said his company is sensitive to the county spending thousands of dollars to take them over the company's territory.