Aug. 3, 2007

Frontiersman Editorial

The people have spoken. More than 9,500 Matanuska Electric Association member-owners returned their ballots and overwhelmingly support the electric cooperative generating its own power. By a vote of 7,115 for local generation, 1,445 to continue purchasing power from Chugach Electric and 991 write-ins offering other alternatives, its crystal clear the MEA has a strong base of support to break from Chugach.

What's not clear through the MEA vote is what support it has from member-owners for what form that electric generation takes. That 74 percent favor local generation does not indicate those same member-owners support a coal-fired plant as part of that generation.

The Mat-Su Borough has also recently completed an opinion poll of residents to gauge that support. According to the Borough poll, the question of local generation isn't as pronounced, with 44.8 percent either mildly or strongly supporting the MEA to continue purchasing power from Chugach, with 39.9 percent mildly or strongly opposed. Another nearly 16 percent were neutral or not sure.

On the hot topic of the season, whether the MEA should include a coal-fired power plant in its plan for local generation, those polled by the Borough were divided. With 36.4 percent mildly or strongly supporting a coal plant and 49.1 percent mildly or strongly against, neither side wins the debate in a runaway.

Natural gas fared better, with 69.5 percent mild or strong support, while renewable sources, like wind power, had 88.1 percent mild or strong support.

What the results of both of these efforts provides is an opportunity - especially for the MEA and the Borough. Our electric co-op released its ballot results with an appeal from general manager Wayne Carmony that the Borough “will recognize that a large portion of their constituents are opposed to the increased government red-tape that could stop our local generation projects.” Although the MEA's question does not specifically address the Borough's continuing process of enacting a power generation ordinance, it is prudent the Borough recognize that a vast majority of the MEA member-owners support local generation.

Conversely, it's equally prudent to reciprocate. Carmony and the MEA should also pay attention to the Borough's opinion poll which, when used to complement the MEA advisory ballot, helps access the middle road both entities have found hard to travel.

We call on the MEA and the Borough to bury whatever hatchets they've been wielding and move forward together to meet common goals. It's clear local residents support power generation and aren't as overwhelmingly opposed or in favor of coal being part of that generation. All options should be pursued, and done so in a professional, transparent manor.

Don't expect the residents of the Mat-Su Valley to trust the MEA or the Borough when it comes to looking out for their power generation interests if they can't first trust each other.