Final push for MEA hopefuls

BIG LAKE — It wasn’t the questions about major dams and working with other utilities that seemed to stump candidates for Matanuska Electric Association board of directors Monday.

Instead, it was something much more specific to the Big Lake area — what do the candidates feel about underwater power lines?

Some lakefront properties in the Big Lake area get power through lines running along the bottom of the lake. Some in Big Lake are concerned that costs to do those sorts of hook-ups are going up.

MEA general manager Joe Griffith said price quotes for those hook-ups are done on a case-by-case basis and represent MEA’s attempts to avoid passing its costs onto other customers.

Incumbent Kit Jones said she wanted to hear the concerns and hopefully connect residents with MEA staff who can address them.

“There’s rumors out there that the board is against underwater power. I can assure you that that is not the case,” Jones told the crowd at a Monday Big Lake Chamber of Commerce forum for board candidates.

Marvin Yoder, a challenger in this election, said he didn’t know enough about the issue to express an opinion.

Bryan Scoresby, another challenger, said he’d have to see the numbers, but “I have no qualms about setting a line under the water if that’s the most cost-effective way to get power out to your place.”

Current board president Lois Lester, who also is seeking re-election, said something similar.

“I can’t stand here and say I know all of the answers,” Lester said. “If it can be done safely and if it can be done at a cost that does not impact MEA, then fine.”

As for issues that didn’t stump the candidates, all four voiced strong, positive opinions about the proposed Susitna River hydroelectric dam.

Yoder said he grew up in an area served by a hydroelectric dam. He said the dam is a good idea, but people should be aware just how heavily subsidized the Susitna project is.

“I’m in favor of us looking at all different possibilities to bring power to the Valley at affordable rates,” he said.

Lester said she thought Alaska’s Railbelt communities would see dividends from the dam.

“I’m sure the amount of money that we would pay to get that going would be recouped further down the road,” she said.

Jones pointed out that some of the cheapest power currently in the system is produced from hydroelectric plants at Bradley Lake and Eklutna.

Scoresby also said he grew up near a hydro plant in Idaho.

“I can’t think of one negative thing that came out of that one on Snake River, and I can’t think of one negative thing that will come out of Watana,” he said, referring the spot along the Susitna for which the dam is planned.

There was also universal approval at the candidates’ table for cooperating with other electric utilities in Alaska. Scoresby said his negotiating experience during his career in finance would be useful.

“MEA is going to have some goals that we’ll need to keep a hold of,” he said, but the best way to negotiate is to “look for the common ground first. What are we all together on?”

Jones pointed out that in her time on the board, MEA has started working with other utilities, forming a cooperative to take care of the large transmission power lines and power generation.

Yoder said he was encouraged to see MEA return to the Alaska Power Association after a long absence.

“It’s going to be a collaboration for quite some time,” he said. “We are going to work together from here to Homer to Fairbanks.”

Lester said she has been encouraged by the early success of the Alaska Railbelt Cooperative Transmission and Electric Co., or ARCTEC, the same cooperative Jones mentioned. A former attempt at forming a similar organization didn’t gel.

But, “ARCTEC is really moving,” she said.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.