Sunday, Sep. 28, 2008

Paterson farmer takes on Benton PUD commissioner

By Chris Mulick, Herald staff writer

Paterson farmer Pat Tucker is waging an upstart campaign to unseat Benton PUD Commissioner Jeff Hall in a tussle filled with specific criticisms of the utility.

Tucker had reported raising more than $30,000 through early September. He's received four checks totaling $27,017 from Easterday Farms in Pasco, Watts Brothers Farms in Kennewick, Mercer Canyon Farms in Prosser and Sunheaven Farms in Prosser.

The activity underscores Tucker's fervor in seeking the seat. A former Paterson School Board member, Tucker calls Hall a friend but "I don't think he's very well suited for the job. He pretty much goes along with what staff recommends."

Tucker wants to push for adding seats to the commission because "with three there's hardly any room for disagreement. ... I don't think that's particularly healthy."

He chastised the utility for missteps dating back to its involvement in the three-decades-old Washington Public Power Supply System. More recently, Tucker believes Benton PUD should have sold the small-scale power plant it commissioned during the West Coast energy crisis sooner to get a better price

He argues it should sell its interest in a gas-fired power plant near Tacoma. And Tucker argues the utility should sell its wholesale broadband network to private industry.

Further, Tucker says the PUD is carrying too much cash in reserve.

"That's not their money. That belongs to the ratepayers," Tucker said.

As of early September the utility was carrying a $41 million reserve and a $5.1 million rate stabilization fund to help it weather the ups and downs of the wholesale power market. But planned wind power purchases and an automatic meter reading system are expected to take reserves down to $23 million to $25 million by year's end and $5 million lower a year later, according to utility staff.

Hall, 52, brushes off the criticisms. Appointed to his seat in 2002 and then elected later that year, Hall is seeking his second term.

He took office just as the effects of the energy crisis were setting in and after many of the decisions Tucker criticizes had been made.

Hall cites a string of electric rate cuts, strong bond ratings and a commission that gets along to bolster his argument that the PUD isn't broken and doesn't need fixing.

Hall says his experience gives him and edge "being a known quantity with the outside organizations, not having to get up to speed."

He wasn't on the commission when it agreed to build the Finley power plant, and that "I'd probably criticize that, too. We sold it and cut our losses and moved on."

Hall argues the utility would be better served by holding on to the Tacoma plant. "That's only going to get more valuable."

And he supports the utility broadband mission and its efforts to draw new customers, which will spread costs and lower rates.