The annual election of directors for our member-owned electric utility opens March 5th. Terms for each of the seven Board seats are staggered, so that no island has all of its Board seats open at once. However, all members from all islands vote for all candidates, not just for those of their home district. This year, there are no open Orcas seats (that’ll occur next year). But, there are three incumbent directors from other districts who are seeking re-election. OPALCO needs 10% of the members to vote for the election to be valid. Please let YOUR voice be heard by your vote.

Every electric utility has costly and complex business and technical issues, such as the siting and upgrade of facilities and equipment. Most large, new commitments follow periods of in-depth planning and Board-level discussion. Some issues, like the possibility of local tidal power generation, take years to prudently explore and develop.

Cooperative Boards choose and fund major investments with debt (and grants, when available), serviced over long periods through power rates. For co-ops like ours, the Board itself sets rates, versus public regulatory agencies for for-profit mainland utilities.

Today, upstream mainland events are shaping the cost and availability of power, especially the balance between “as needed” firm power and “as available” energy. Recent state laws addressing climate issues include carbon-free mandates that we must follow. For the future, supply arrangements we have long-relied upon, especially for firm, green, wholesale power, are becoming less certain, capped, or conditional … and more costly.

Fortunately, all of the incumbents up for re-election are seasoned, senior professionals with decades of appropriate career experience and years of service to our Board. Please read the short summaries of their biographies on the OPALCO website at https://www.opalco.com/about-community/elections-hub/#meet, and tune-in to the candidate’s forum on March 5th to hear them talk about issues, and to answer YOUR questions.

Jeff Struthers, Orcas OPALCO director from 2018 to 2024

Orcas Island