HEA Candidate Questions: Ed Schmitt
With the HEA board of directors election underway until May 5, the Alaska Energy Transparency Project is asking each candidate how they see the cooperative’s future and what part they intend to play in it.
Here are answers from District Two Candidate Ed Schmitt, running to represent Soldotna, Sterling, and Kasilof (find HEA’s district map here).
Schmitt, a former cattle rancher and surgeon living in Soldotna, is also treasurer of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance. He ran unsuccessfully for the HEA board in 2019. His candidate profile can be found here.
Ed Schmitt — from his HEA candidate profile.
Questionnaire
Q: Why do you want to be an HEA board member?
I want to continue the innovative thinking the board has begun in recent years.
Q: Are there any particular projects or ideas you would champion as a board member? Are there any you would oppose?
It will depend on viable opportunities that are available to us. I support anything that moves us toward relatively free electric generation at a reasonable cost. I will look at any promising idea from an unbiased perspective.
Q: If elected you will serve a three year term. If re-elected in the future, you could serve on the board for up to 9 years. What challenges and opportunities will HEA face in the next three years, and in the next nine?
The biggest will involve picking the right renewable projects that fit into our Alaskan climate.
Ideally, what do you want HEA to be like three years from now? Moving toward renewable energy generation.
Nine years from now?
Being completely renewable in our generation.
Q: The price of natural gas fuel typically makes up about a third of an HEA member’s bill, production and transmission costs are usually another third, and distribution costs about a quarter. Of the factors that drive HEA’s rates, which are under the board’s control? What are your plans for managing them?
They are all to some degree under the board control. We need another supplier of natural gas to the extent we are dependent on it. Only having one supplier with a shaky safety record in the Inlet is worrisome.
Transmission is a big issue and probably one that is most difficult to change right now. Distribution in an area as big as the peninsula is also tricky. In general reducing waste and increasing efficiency are the best ways to deal with these problems.
Q: HEA is currently meeting its power generation needs. What reasons, if any, justify the construction of new generation or the premature retirement of existing generation?
We need to anticipate future needs. If we are to become mainly a renewable coop, we need to move to renewable generation. Picking the right renewable projects will take a great deal of analysis to make sure the costs are not too great and that the generation will be long lived.
Q: What approach should HEA take to Railbelt-wide cooperation?
It will depend on the options available to us. We are an isolated peninsula at the end of a very long extension cord. Obviously cooperating is in the best interest of co-ops. We need to see what direction that takes us.
What potential problems or opportunities exist for HEA in the ongoing process of forming an Electrical Reliability Organization?
The political thinking of our state and local government right now. There seems to be an anti- government movement in which everybody is to fend for themselves without any rules or protections. It is difficult to coordinate such a cooperative effort under these conditions.
What would you see as an ideal outcome for HEA’s participation in an ERO? What is an undesirable outcome?
(no answer)
Q: How would you have voted on these recent HEA board decisions? Why?
Contracting with Tesla for a Battery Energy Storage System
Definitely for!
Participating in the Battle Creek expansion of Bradley Lake hydro project
I agree with the concept but would have put much more emphasis on the fish habitat consequences of the project. We can never forget we are in the middle of one of the last places on earth with a healthy but threatened salmon population.
Selling the Soldotna-to-Quartz Creek transmission line to the Alaska Energy Authority
I don't know enough about the details of that decision to have an intelligent answer.
Setting the goal of meeting 50% of HEA’s energy needs with renewables by 2025
I am in favor as long as the shift makes good sense. I would love to see 100% by 2025 if the right projects are available.
