Washington’s public power’s anniversary is worth celebrating
Published 1:30 am Friday, June 5, 2026
Last month, I joined dozens of representatives from Washington’s public utility district community at the annual meeting of the Washington PUD Association. Along with presentations on the Bonneville Power Administration, discussions on artificial intelligence, and the election of new association officers and committee chairs, the gathering also served as a chance to celebrate the value and impact of public utilities.
When you consider that this summer our country will celebrate its 250th birthday, the 96 years that Washington PUDs have been around makes us relatively young. In Grays Harbor, the idea of publicly run utilities is even younger as 2026 marks our 86th year of service. Throughout that time, a lot has changed in the way we do things, from the tools our crews use to the buildings we work out of. However, there are some things that have stood the test of time.
Our mission of “high value utility services at the lowest practical cost” embodies one of the most important components of PUDs. Our utilities don’t need to turn a massive profit to benefit shareholders or fund bonuses for executives. The budget our board passed in November pays for the services our excellent staff provides. External factors such as rising power and material costs can affect our budget, but the fact that we were able to manage expenses in a way that avoided a rate increase this year tells me the utility is staying true to its mission and delivering on one of the core benefits of public power.
Our board meetings have always been and will always be open to the public. This is actually my favorite part of representing a PUD. Meeting with our customers and being available to answer their questions, either at a board meeting or at a public event like May’s Home and Garden Show and next month’s Grays Harbor County Fair is a great opportunity. It puts the “public” in public utility districts and I love it. Customers should always feel free to reach out.
My last point of pride in public power isn’t necessarily a requirement, but it’s a tradition that goes back nearly as long as Washington’s PUDs: how we get our energy. The hydroelectric systems on the Columbia and Snake rivers have been powering Grays Harbor PUD since the 1940s. Our partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy will mark its 86th anniversary this fall.
Last year we finalized a new contract that will keep that power coming through 2044. Relationships like that have kept the lights on for decades and I am so proud that our staff was able to continue it.
In spite of all those benefits, there are a number of challenges before us that could change the way utilities do business. Working within state and federal regulations, the draining of our power resources by emerging technologies, an aging infrastructure that will need to grow to meet customer demands; these are just some of the hurdles we’ll have to clear in order to fulfill our mission.
But PUDs have been faced with challenges for decades and managed to come through and as public power marches toward its centennial celebration, I’m certain we can do it again.
