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PALMER – In response to the Mat-Su Borough’s proposed ordinance regulating power plants, MEA is moving forward with a second member advisory vote, by sending out 41,812 ballots.
“I don’t think MEA members are going to be happy that the Borough is trying to model our area after California.” stated Lorali Carter, MEA Manager of Government and Corporate Communications.
The 71 page ordinance is based on a statewide policy by the California Energy Commission.
“It is difficult to understand why the Mat-Su Borough didn’t
look at existing regulations for power plants in other Alaskan
boroughs. Modeling the Mat-Su Borough after California shows how out of touch the Borough is from local residents,” Carter stated.
“At a minimum, this new ordinance will add significant costs to the project and cause considerable time delays,” Carter stated. “At worse, it could stop the project entirely.” The Borough announced its intention to fast-track the ordinance - it will be heard by the Planning Commission on July 12 and before the Borough Assembly on July 17.
“MEA’s new generation project has been moving forward for two years now, in a very deliberate process with numerous public meetings and hearings to gather public input. We’ve even given all electric ratepayers in the Mat-Su Borough the chance to vote on site selection for MEA’s new generation facilities. In contrast, the Borough is trying to rush through an ordinance in the middle of summer with little chance for public input. If passed, this ordinance will give unelected bureaucrats with zero experience in electric power generation the ability to tie up in knots the plans for building local power to serve local needs,” Carter said.
MEA General Manager Wayne Carmony noted that the Borough’s proposed ordinance would establish a process that could overturn the results of the recent advisory vote on site selection for MEA’s proposed generation facilities. “The Borough is completely disregarding the nearly 4,300 voters who recently participated in the site selection vote,” said Carmony.
MEA’s new generation facilities will face extensive permitting and regulation requirements from the state and federal governments. “There will be significant public involvement opportunities throughout the permitting process,” Carter explained. “Why the Mat-Su Borough wants to increase unnecessary government red-tape is perplexing,” she said. “What does the Borough know about providing reliable and affordable power? This is what MEA has been doing since 1941,” Carter stated.
If the Mat-Su Borough’s California-based ordinance passes, MEA may be forced to continue purchasing high-priced power from Chugach Electric. An independent consultant’s report estimated that MEA members would save at least $191 million over 30 years by generating local power instead of importing high-priced energy from Chugach.
“If opponents of local power succeed in their aim, they will essentially be imposing a tax of $191 million on all of their neighbors, because that is the estimated cost to our community of not having our own generation resources,” said Carter.
Carter said that advisory ballots should arrive in members’ mailboxes by the end of the first week of July, and must be returned by July 31st.