PORT HADLOCK — Jefferson County Public Utility District officials expect to make a decision by mid-April as to whether or not the public agency should get into the electrical power business.
PUD’s general manager and attorney will resume confidential negotiations with Puget Sound Energy executives in mid-February about possibly acquiring the private power company’s electric service facilities in East Jefferson County.
“We believe that this upcoming meeting will shed considerable light on PSE’s willingness to enter into an agreement with the PUD that reflects the vote of the citizens of Jefferson County,” a PUD statement to its customers said Thursday.
“We do expect that the PUD will be making a decision during a regularly scheduled PUD meeting on this important matter within 60 days of the February meeting with PSE.”
PUD General Manager Jim Parker said the next PUD-PSE meeting will be Feb. 18.
During a November 2008 election, Jefferson County voters granted PUD the authority to get into the electricity business, which could include the option of acquiring PSE’s power system that serves more than 18,000 East County customers.
The PUD commissioners and their Portland, Ore.-based attorney Kirk Gibson — who was hired to legally guide them through the electric-service acquisition process — have entered into a confidentiality agreement that PSE executives wanted because PSE is a private company.
The PUD commissioners will conduct a Feb. 3 workshop to bring newly appointed Commissioner Barney Burke up to speed on the power authority proposal.
Burke, a former journalist, was recently appointed by PUD Commissioners Wayne King and Ken McMillen to fill the seat of District 1 Commissioner Dana Roberts, who died in November.
King said the negotiations were stalled while the PUD commissioners sought Roberts’ replacement so that the commissioners could resume power authority work with a full board.
“It remains our objective to take all of the necessary and prudent steps to make an affordable, community-based electric utility a reality for Jefferson County,” the PUD said in the statement.
After the Nov. 4, 2008 general election votes were tallied, Proposition 1 passed by 10,027, or 53.27 percent, granting the PUD the authority to provide electrical power.
PUD now serves more than 3,200 water customers in East Jefferson County but has never provided power service.
PUD’s attorney Gibson has said that PUD and PSE are exchanging information and discussing a possible sale.
King said he has been involved in only one meeting, with Parker and Gibson involved in most of the negotiations.
By state law, the PUD has 10 years to exercise its authority.
PUD consultant D. Hittle & Associates Inc. estimates a cost of PSE’s facilities ranging from $35 million to $70 million, while PSE representatives have quoted a figure of $100 million or more.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
