Recent articles in the newspapers have disclosed a new direction that the present Flathead Electric Board is taking the ratepayers of the cooperative. Its willingness to assign our BPA allocation to a West Coast conglomerate should be of great concern to all of us. We must remember that the ‘pool’ of cooperatives in a venture like this contain many more votes than Flathead Electric would have.
The board must come up with more power in the future but have all the local avenues been explored? Have we worked with our legislative delegation to offer tax incentives and direct our time and energy into local generation projects such as a biomass plant at Stoltze? This could be a win-win for all of us, especially the jobless workers right here in the Flathead and the forests that need a good cleaning.
When I read MCA 70-1-101 (Montana laws) our ownership of a power allocation is our property since we “use it to the exclusion of others.” Other laws state (MCA 35-18-317) that a cooperative may not sell, mortgage, lease or otherwise dispose of or encumber all or any substantial portion of its property without an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the cooperative.
The trustees should, therefore, allow a vote of the ratepayers on the decision to “assign their BPA power supply contracts” to another entity. If this is a great idea the ratepayer should have a chance to support this concept.
Since the $8-14 million price tag was discounted as “not true,” according to an article last week, what is the real cost? How much do we have to borrow to buy into the agreement? Will PNGC return the ratepayers’ money if a future Board opts out of it?
I believe that hard work on part of the Board and local businesses could set a good long-term power option for the ratepayers. We must do that by thinking critically about the renewable energy resources we have right here.
If you believe in openness in your cooperative, examining our own budget to cut excesses not needed before rate hikes are put in place, and working with local companies first, I ask for your vote when you get your ballot in the mail from Flathead Electric. Together we can come up with a solution and keep our rates in check.
Rep. Dee Brown
Hungry Horse