Q: Cost pressures on business – small business in particular – make utility costs a significant expense. What specific policy area are you planning to address if elected that will aid businesses in managing their utility costs?
Anderson: Clark Public Utilities has a good track-record in helping small business customers improve their energy efficiency and cut power costs. As commissioner I would support more conservation programs and incentives for small businesses. In addition, the utility can help improve the general economy by bringing family-wage jobs here. Job growth boosts all small businesses – local restaurant owners, accountants, retail store owners and homebuilders. Conservation offers costs savings while economic development supports business revenue growth.
Malinowski: The PUD needs to do everything in its power to keep rates stable, predictable and affordable. That objective can be achieved by maintaining an adequate Rate Stabilization Fund (RSF) and hedging our natural gas purchases for River Road fuel. The appropriate level of the RSF can be established by probabilistic analysis considering load, water year, natural gas and electric energy market forecast variability. Obtaining and using state of the art forecasting tools will support that effort. The PUD has assembled a very capable staff section that is managing this complex process.
The PUD has hedged most of its 2013 natural gas supply at about $5 per MMBTU (Million Metric British Thermal Units), which is below the 2012 cost of about $6 per MMBTU. That decrease in gas prices should offset expected increases in BPA rates for 2013. BPA energy will continue to be far less expensive than River Road energy or the average cost of purchases from electric energy short term markets.
Check out www.vbjusa.com and next week’s print edition for more Q&As with candidates on the November 6 ballot in business-related races.
