The Skagit Public Utility District is expected to decide today on a resolution asking voters for permission to pursue ownership of the local electric power system.
If approved, the resolution will appear on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. A draft of the resolution can be viewed at http://www.skagitpud.org. The meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. today at the PUD main office at 1415 Freeway Drive, beginning with a presentation and public comments.
The move comes amid dueling opinions over a merger between Bellevue-based Puget Sound Energy and the Macquarie Consortium, an international investment group. The proposed $7.4 billion deal spurred local residents and the PUD to question who should own the local electric infrastructure.
PSE and the PUD both offered consultant studies claiming that a public utility would raise or lower rates for customers. PSE’s study, conducted by UtiliPoint of Albuquerque, N.M., asserted that the high cost of acquiring the property and the complicated process of overseeing an electric utility would raise customer rates 20 percent. PUD’s study, conducted by D. Hittle and Associates of Lynnwood, asserted that local acquisition would maintain and lower customer rates over several years.
District Manager David Johnson said the vote itself does not mean the PUD will necessarily take over electricity in the county. Johnson said the district would not appraise the value of the infrastructure until after a vote, because the process is expensive.
