PORT ANGELES — Will Purser is running for a fourth six-year term in the Clallam County Utility District.

“I am running for re-election to ensure that PUD customers continue to receive affordable and reliable electricity in an environmentally responsible manner,” he said in a press release.

Purser, chairman of the PUD board, was appointed to the District 1 headquarters in 2001 and elected every term thereafter, beginning in 2004.

He filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission on May 2.

Former Sequim mayor Ken Hays is challenging him in the Nov. 8 election.

Application week begins on Monday.

A primary of the top two is scheduled for August 2.

If three or more candidates run for a position, the primary will eliminate one before the general election.

“Throughout my tenure, PUD has maintained a positive trajectory of improvement with numerous nationally recognized awards, including three consecutive awards from the American Public Power Association Reliable Public Power as well as a designation in as a smart energy provider,” Purser said in a press release. Release.

The rates are among the lowest in the country, he said.

“The North West has the lowest rates in the country. We pay 8 cents per kilowatt hour. Californians pay 25 cents per kilowatt hour,” Purser said.

Nearly 20 years ago, the PUD began building a broadband link between substations, Purser said, adding that this link is also used to provide wholesale communications to any internet service provider (ISP ) applicant.

Much of the broadband service on the northern Olympic peninsula includes some PUD fiber or RF (radio frequency) broadband, he said.

“With the recent availability of state and federal grants, PUD has partnered with regional efforts, local interagency committees, ISPs, municipal entities, tribes, and even the BPA to collaborate on how to deliver broadband to underserved areas in an affordable and sustainable way,” said the Commissioner.

PUD works closely with Clallam County and Wave Cable in support of the State Route 112 broadband initiative, and is currently working with an ISP on a project to bring broadband to the area of Lake Dawn, Purser said.

“Clallam is also leading a broadband project to connect Port Angeles to Sappho and beyond to the existing fiber network in the Forks area,” Purser said.

Purser said that during his tenure, the district rebuilt and upgraded 19 of 21 substations that allowed the district to monitor them from a maintenance center.

Future challenges include removing carbon from the regional power supply as well as electrifying the transport sector and reducing the energy load or cost for low-income customers.

Clallam PUD “is ​​one of the few national electric utilities that has already achieved carbon neutral power supply, as well as the state mandate to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030,” Purser said.

Most of PUD’s power comes from hydroelectric sources, he said.

“We are fortunate to receive over 98% of our electricity under contract with BPA, consisting of an almost entirely carbon-free supply from the Northwest Federal Hydro system at a cost well below current market rates or other renewable options. available,” Purser said.

“PUD also has a robust program in place in support of customer-owned solar, wind and hydroelectric net meters, which currently includes over 400 interconnectors providing carbon-free local supply,” he added.

PUD continuously collaborates with national laboratories, the American Public Power Association, and Energy Northwest to support research and development associated with the potential of cost-effective distribution batteries, demand response, solar and tidal generation, and power generation. ‘a developing green hydrogen economy,’ Purser said.

“A current collaboration between Energy Northwest and PUD, supported by state grants, aims to ensure that US Highway 101 has enough high-capacity charging stations to support vehicle electrification,” it said. -he declares.

“One of the most significant near-term challenges for the PUD Board of Directors is to ensure PUD’s success in entering into a 2028 contract with BPA to ensure a continuous supply of low-cost energy and carbon free,” he said.

“PUD and its board of directors work and collaborate with nearly 130 other electric utilities through various associations to secure a contract in the best interest of ratepayers,” Purser added, saying BPA’s contract won’t be seen until next year.

Purser is Chairman of the Governance Council of Energy Northwest, a joint operating agency of more than 25 PUDs.

He previously served on the Executive Committee of the Public Energy Council and the Energy Committee of the WA PUD Association.

“All of these provide leverage for Clallam PUD’s influence on North West power issues that benefit customers with reliable and affordable power,” Purser said.

“The electrical industry is currently undergoing rapid transformation and needs competent and experienced governance to successfully address the many challenges and ensure that the PUD continues to provide affordable and reliable power in an environmentally responsible manner. ”

Purser’s campaign website is at https://willpurserforpud.com/.

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Managing Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or [email protected].