Wasilla set to hear MEA line proposal

WASILLA — The power struggle between Matanuska Electric Association and the city of Wasilla could come to a head this week when the electricity cooperative is scheduled to meet with the city council and planning commission.

MEA and city administration have been at odds for months over an MEA proposal to upgrade its power lines from its new Eklutna power plant to the Herning Substation. That plan includes replacing 45-foot power poles along part of the Parks Highway through the city with 80-foot towers.

Opposing those towers as ugly eyesores that would destroy the viewshed along that section of the highway is Wasilla Mayor Verne Rupright.

MEA has argued the towers would not be that intrusive and are necessary to carry the additional power load needed not only for the core Wasilla area, but also for Eagle River and Talkeetna as well. Upgrading its existing lines is by far the least expensive, co-op officials have said.

After months of public meetings and proposals of alternative routes for the power lines, Rupright said he’s frustrated that MEA is coming back to the city planning commission with essentially the same proposal it made last year.

“We had our discussions with them back in November and thought they were OK (with an alternative route),” Rupright said. “Now, it’s coming up to the wire and they’re asking us to sit down (again). If you can find a little less imposing alternative, I’m willing to work with that.”

For his part, MEA general manager Joe Griffith said he’s tried to work with the city, but he said it appears to him that Rupright and some in his administration are not being reasonable. The mayor wants an alternative route, but balks when it’s suggested that Wasilla subscribers pay the extra costs associated with the plan, he said.

“What we want is what we believe is in the best interest of MEA ratepayers,” Griffith said, adding upgrading those lines is essential for maintaining a stable power grid throughout the Valley. “Also, the safety aspect is huge. If something were to go wrong after our plant’s online in Wasilla, it would cause the plant to trip offline to protect itself. Then the power would go off in Eagle River and Talkeetna, too. It could take the whole Railbelt down if the other utilities couldn’t react in time.”

MEA has examined multiple alternatives, Griffith said. The least expensive is the preferred plan, which would cost about $9.75 million. Rerouting to behind some of the Parks Highway properties would cost about $13.4 million, while routes that use Bogard Road and Cottle/Fairview Loop respectively are estimated at $14.9 million and $13.9 million. Another option, to bury the lines, would cost nearly $40 million, according to MEA estimates.

Rupright said he’s skeptical about some of those cost estimates, especially the large amount to bury the lines.

“Show me the numbers,” he said. “Show me the studies, show me the evidence of that. … When somebody tells me there’s only one alternative, for some reason I have a little bit of doubt.”

MEA is scheduled to meet with the planning commission on Tuesday, and while the commission holds all the cards and can vote however its members want, the fact that Rupright appoints the commission (with council approval) makes him tentative about how his proposal will be received. Another factor in his trepidation are a series of altered photographs city administration submitted that shows how the lines could affect the viewshed.

“They look like they did them with a grease pencil, it was truly laughable,” Griffith said, adding the mock-ups bear no resemblance whatsoever to what MEA is proposing. “They made them look as horrible as they can possibly be. It’s the city government working against us, and it’s supposed to help facilitate things, not leverage.”

Rupright said he’s never had anything against MEA, but that his duty is to look out for the best interest of city residents.

“I’ve always been willing to talk to them. I don’t have it out for those guys,” he said. “We have a city that’s building and have people along that corridor out there that have put a lot of money into putting their lines underground.”

What’s next?

Should the planning commission reject MEA’s preferred alternative, the cooperative is prepared to pursue a more expensive alternative, Griffith said. That could include taking the city to court and/or applying to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska for a rate increase for ratepayers in Wasilla to cover the extra costs associated with an alternative. How much that could affect rates is unknown, he said, anywhere from $1 to $10 a month or more.

“Nobody really has a good handle on that,” he said.

Rupright said he doesn’t believe a rate increase would fly and argues it’s unfair to ask Wasilla residents to pay more for power used throughout the grid.

“That to me sounds like, it almost sounds like if you don’t do it the way we want it done, here’s the alternatives,” he said. “Really? Is that the way it ends? It’s almost like a veiled threat, isn’t it? Can you cull out just the Wasilla ratepayers? This power that comes through here doesn’t just serve the city, it’s the greater Wasilla area.”

Council conundrum

Along with taking its plan to the Wasilla Planning Commission on Tuesday, MEA is on the agenda to give an agency report to Wasilla City Council on Monday. According to the agenda, councilwoman Dianne Woodruff invited MEA. Whether MEA will actually allowed to speak at the council is debatable, Rupright said.

He said MEA was added to the agenda improperly and argues that having that interaction a day before the planning commission meeting could give the impression of unduly trying to influence the process.

“It should never have been on the agenda and it’s not appropriate,” he said.

What: Wasilla City Council

Where: Wasilla City Hall, 290 E. Herning Ave.

Time: 6 p.m.

Topic: MEA may or may not address city council

What: Wasilla Planning Commission

Where: Wasilla City Hall, 290 Herning Ave.

Time: 7 p.m.

Topic: MEA proposal to upgrade power lines along the Parks Highway