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Your vote on the Chugach Electric Association (CEA) Board of Directors matters. When you pay your electricity bill to CEA, you become a member-owner of the electricity company. Your vote determines board members. The seven-member Board of Directors shall ensure that the public utility is well managed, of solid reliability, and that the fees paid are reasonable and appropriate to maintain the normal functioning of the organization. Responsible. Once a year, you have a say in the management of the CEA and have the opportunity to vote at or before the annual general meeting.
This year's annual meeting will be held at ChangePoint Alaska (6689 Changepoint Drive, Anchorage) on Friday, May 17th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Your participation matters. Vote for two potential Board members online or in person at the Annual Meeting by Friday at 3:00 p.m. Learn more about the voting process and this year's election by watching this CEA video. If you can't find your ballot, please call 866-909-3549.
CEA is organized as a non-profit cooperative organization, commonly referred to as a co-op, and is owned by its members. It's different from other types of business. In contrast, Enstar is a public corporation with a board of directors elected by shareholders. By law, they are regulated by both federal and state agencies. Meanwhile, Hilcorp, which sells natural gas to businesses in South Central, is a private company that benefits only the company's owners.
As a CEA member-owner, you need to pay attention to what is happening at the board level. The board's most important responsibilities are hiring and evaluating the general manager, developing policies, and approving the budget. These are no small responsibilities. Bad things can happen if the board isn't careful. Several years ago, CEA members suffered a 52% rate increase and numerous power outages due to bad decisions by the general manager and board of directors. This rate increase and reliability issues were due to the board's negligence. Utility problems don't happen overnight. These are often caused by decisions (or lack thereof) made three to five years ago.
There are other concerns that affect utilities. The Alaska Regulatory Commission (RCA) has broad authority to regulate Alaska's public utilities. The five commissioners (currently there are only four due to one vacancy) are appointed by the governor and approved by the Alaska Legislature. The commission is currently struggling to keep up with its workload as it is severely underfunded. Clearly, Congress must be concerned not only with the Commission's funding, but also with the qualifications of its appointees to the RCA. Because the RCA oversees the decisions made by the CEA Board, the RCA It is also in the best interest of Alaskans to continue to monitor.
As a CEA member-owner, there are many ways you can stay up to date with your utilities throughout the year. This electric company distributes a monthly newsletter, hosts his website at chugachelectric.com, holds monthly meetings open to members, and of course hosts an annual meeting where voting takes place. As a property owner, it's important to pay attention to what's happening in your public facilities.
CEA will need to collaborate with other railbelt utilities (Matanuska Power, Homer Power, Golden Valley Power) on transmission issues and power sharing. Decisions regarding gas supplies, renewable energy opportunities, and facility management and maintenance are just some of the topics that will be on the board's agenda over the coming year.
If you're a CEA member-owner, speak up and vote now. No matter where you live, keep an eye on your power company over the next year. Decisions made by utility companies directly impact Alaskans. Fortunately, you have the right to speak and vote.
Peg Tileston has lived in Alaska since 1972 and has been involved in public policy issues across the state for many years. She served on the board of the Chugach Electric Association from 1981 to 1991.
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