EWEB Commissioner Wards 6 and 7
EWEB is owned by its customers and governed by a Board of Commissioners. Four of the Commissioners represent wards, and the fifth is elected at large. During their terms, their job is to establish policies and values about how they serve their customers and to set EWEB’s long-term direction.Term: 4 years. This position is nonpartisan.
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Sonya Carlson
(N)
EWEB has advanced some ideas for managing energy costs in the future, including possible adjustments in the mix of energy generation sources (hydro, wind, solar, nuclear), as well as conservation efforts such as rebates for energy-efficient appliances or managing peak energy loads. Do you support or oppose these approaches, and why?
How would you rate EWEB’s response to the recent ice storm? Please explain.
EWEB recently explained the need for a rate increase as a result of decommissioning the Leaburg facility as well as other aging infrastructure and increased costs from Bonneville. How can EWEB minimize rate increases in the future?
County
Lane
Term
4 years
Term Expires
2029
I support the process of reviewing all options to analyze the costs, benefits, and risks and then using that information coupled with customer feedback to decide on power contracts and generation investments. Generally, conservation and carbon free resources should be prioritized, however, this hierarchy becomes more challenging when you add in need for the resource to be dispatchable, cost, impact on environment, ability to transmit, demand profile, etc. Once some of these other factors are weighed I can foresee a scenario where a less desirable energy source may come into play. We are working to set up the utility to be able to respond to the energy needs of a more dynamic and carbon constrained future.
Throughout my 7 years of service on the board, I have continually seen EWEB improve storm response. There were lessons learned from previous storms that were executed well. There were more extreme conditions with this storm that we have not experienced in decades, if at all. As predicted, climate change is creating more extreme weather conditions. We will have to store more reserves. Unfortunately, storing more reserves creates pressure on rates which are already under pressure. Given the severity of the storm and damage, I think EWEB did many things well. Should we learn from this storm and respond to become more resilient for future storms? Yes.
One of the reasons I chose to run for office again is that I believe the board members are committed to making good policy and investment decisions that carefully weigh the need, operating (long-term) cost, and impact on customers. During the first 5 years I was on the board, we kept rates stable and even decreased the water rate. Aging infrastructure leaves us few choices at times, but the board and EWEB staff have a culture of caring for the most vulnerable and finding ways to reduce costs while not risking safety or investing in an inferior product that could cost more money in the long-term.
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