Gwen Kautz, Dawson Public Power District General Manager
By Gwen Kautz, Dawson PPD General Manager
gkautz (at) dawsonpower.com
308-324-2386
Recently, I attended a meeting sponsored by an organization in which I’ve carried a love-hate relationship with for several years. I love their mission, but hate their approach. Their overt mission isn’t all that far from Dawson PPD’s mission – providing a means to improve the quality of life for our customers. Noble, inspiring, valuable and needed! In my younger days, I would have fully embraced their values and their quest. But now, a little older and wiser, I see far more importance in finding a balance.
The crux of the meeting was that Nebraska Public Power District (where Dawson PPD buys power) wasn’t moving fast enough or far enough into renewable generation. Dawson PPD applauds NPPD’s methodical approach to renewable energy. I can see from an outside perspective how NPPD is viewed this way. From an inside perspective, we see it as tackling this type of generation in a cost-effective manner – so it doesn’t raise our electric rates in an approach that cannot be justified. A faster course will mean higher electricity costs and public power does all it can to keep rates low. Here’s where that balance is needed (more on that later).
While I never said I could be completely objective when it comes to public power, I’ve tried hard to see the other side. Then I sat in a meeting and wondered why they don’t try to see my side. All that said, the meeting was a very good one. It shed some light on left-leaning agendas which I’ve tried to prop up with right-leaning application. They’re not wrong, but neither are we.
One attendee was passionate in his discourse on the environment; another one worried about energy prices from a fixed-income perspective. These opinions were fueled by facts of which none know the source. That’s a problem.
Keeping an open mind, I think environmental issues are a big deal – but I won’t walk down the climate change path. What good will it do for the United States to curtail carbon emissions if India, China and other large countries do nothing? This is where my grandmother would say “Why would you cut off your nose to spite your face?” as in, why increase electricity costs due to regulatory compliance that would not make a global dent in carbon emissions? I am not going to get in an argument that starts with “…well, someone has to go first.”
Here’s where the balance comes in. How can Dawson PPD embrace the environmental concerns at a pace fast enough to make one side happy and keep electric rates low so our fixed or low income families can afford to heat or cool their home? That’s a question we ask ourselves all the time. Low-cost power is important, but I guess the question becomes….more important than what?
NPPD’s goal of ten percent renewable energy by 2020 was a financially responsible option – it had balance. With new wholesale power contracts, power districts – including municipal systems – across the state can add their own renewable generation that fits their needs (in cost effective ways). That, in turn, will push all of Nebraska past that ten percent goal by getting everyone involved. Let’s work together!
If you want renewable power NOW, you can buy it from us NOW. We have a rate set up that pulls specifically from green sources in the state of Nebraska. It will cost you $1.90 per 100 kilowatt hours, but you can sign up for however many 100-kWh blocks you want. NPPD has designations in place (a surcharge that represents the cost to generate green energy), so you do have to sign up through us to participate.
August 2016