PSE or PUD — stay the course
I see that Puget Sound Energy has released a study by a hired consultant that suggests it will cost the people of Skagit County somewhere in the neighborhood of $240 million for Skagit PUD to take over electricity service. Their consultant says the result will be higher rates — 20 percent higher — for electricity than we would otherwise pay PSE.
Presumably the study by the PUD’s consultant will be much more favorable.
Who among us as citizens of this county will be able to look at these dueling studies and determine where the reality sits — on one side, the other or somewhere in the middle?
Even if the cost is only half the initial estimate, or less, at the end of the day what would we have gained? Will we have better service? will we pay for electricity service as an addition to what we already pay for water to the PUD, or will the PUD also need to increase our property taxes?
What if the actual cost due to unforeseen circumstances is much more than we’re told initially? Do we get a guarantee from the PUD that costs won’t go over a certain threshold, since we will no longer have the state regulating our electricity rates?
I am certain there are people who will say they have the answers to these and other questions, and they’ll say everything will be better than it is today. Forgive me if I’m just a bit skeptical. I don’t see a problem with the electricity service we have today and I seriously doubt, based on many years of experience, that anything the government provides is going to be cheaper than what we pay today.
Frank Martin
Sedro-Woolley
