CEA Candidate Questions: Steve Konkel

Voting in Chugach Electric Association’s board election will open on April 19. Electronic ballots are due by 3 p.m. on May 19. Paper ballots must be received by May 18. Members can also vote in person at the CEA Annual Meeting held at Changepoint Alaska on May 19 at 6 p.m. More information on voting and candidates can be found on the CEA Election page.

Here are the answers from Steve Konkel. Konkel works as a consultant in environmental health sciences and public policy. He has worked with the Office of the Governor, the Alaska State Legislature, and two US Department of Energy National Energy Laboratories. His full candidate profile can be found here.

Steve Konkel, from his CEA candidate profile

1. Why do you want to serve on CEA’s Board?

I want to serve on CEA’s Board to ensure:

·       Affordable rates

·       Highly-reliable power

·       Generation of electrical power from diverse sources, including renewables such as hydroelectric power, wind generation, & grid and community-based solar.

·       Reducing dependence of CEA’s generation portfolio on expensive natural gas fuel.

·       Taking a collaborative approach to matters before the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.

2. Are there any particular policies you would champion as a member of the Board? Are there any current or proposed policies you would oppose?

I would champion programs increase energy efficiency, or its financing, such as a new Green Bank program and investments under federal legislation, a once in a generation opportunity provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act & the Inflation Reduction Act. I would oppose signing new contracts for North Slope LNG and construction of micro-nuclear power plants that would have a drastic impact on electricity rates, unless there are major changes in world energy prices or project costs.

3. What are the biggest challenges CEA will face in the next five to ten years? What can be done to prepare to meet them?

The biggest challenge is making progress toward building an integrated grid and making electricity dispatch based on economic dispatch. One way of preparing to meet the challenges ahead is for Chugach to take the lead role in the newly authorized Railbelt Reliability Council (RRC), making integrated resources planning the road to a more sustainable future for the Railbelt. Leading the transition to more effective long-term planning will be a huge challenge for the CEA and sister electrical coops from Homer to Fairbanks.

4. In 2022 CEA’s Board spent over 60% of their regular public board meetings in Executive Session. While Executive Sessions are sometimes necessary, their extensive use excludes member-owners from significant discussions of issues such as strategic planning and sources of power generation. Do you believe that cooperative boards have an obligation to their member- owners to maximize the openness and transparency of their decision making? Should CEA’s Board minimize its use of Executive Session? What could be done to achieve this goal?

Short answer: Yes, they have an obligation. The Board should be judicious in use of Executive sessions. For instance, personnel decisions are not appropriate for open sessions. Greater outreach and time for public comment could help achieve this goal.

5. Hilcorp has said that it cannot guarantee natural gas supplies from Cook Inlet beyond its current contracts (CEA’s contract with Hilcorp ends in 2028). Production for CEA’s Beluga River Unit is currently expected to end in 2033. What strategies should CEA use to address potential future shortfalls in Cook Inlet natural gas?

CEA should make additions to its generation mix, primarily through renewables such as hydroelectric, wind and solar generation. It should conduct negotiations for extending natural gas contracts sooner rather than later. It should invest, without delay, in building an integrated grid. It should make investments in partnerships to develop its workforce needs.

6. In recent years many have argued that there needs to be greater collaboration among the Railbelt utilities, leading to the creation of the Railbelt Reliability Council (RRC) in 2022. Do you believe that utility Board Directors have a role in fostering greater collaboration and integration among Railbelt utilities, or should they defer to staff on these questions? What can board members do to facilitate greater cooperation?

The CEA Board should take on the challenges for greater cooperation among Railbelt utilities; they as a Board should not defer to staff, but lead the efforts themselves. A focused “strategic plan” developed by the Board to accomplish this would be one of my first suggestions upon joining the CEA Board of Directors.

7. The Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) proposal introduced last year by Governor Dunleavy was recently reintroduced in the Alaska Legislature (HB 121 and SB 101). This bill would require utilities to reach 80% renewable power generation by 2040 with intermediate targets along the way. Last year the Railbelt utilities supported amendments that pushed back the milestones and changed the RPS into Clean Energy Standards (CES) that included nuclear power and gas generation technologies (waste heat recovery) that the utilities already have in place. Do you support either the RPS or CES? If so, which do you believe would better serve Alaskans? What role should the Board have in advocacy for either?

I support the RPS, and have demonstrated this support as well as contributed to efforts to craft the standard since 2016. It is priority #1 for me. I do not support modifying the RPS to include waste heat recovery and micro-nuclear power plants. Owner-members of CEA should pay particular attention to electing candidates for the 3 open seats who have technical backgrounds and have the governance skills and experience to get an RPS crafted, passed, and implemented. I believe that I have this resume and dedication among this crowded field of applicants. Philosophy alone will not accomplish the milestones in the RPS.

8. How do you think CEA can best take advantage of the many federal infrastructure incentives and grants created under programs such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)?

CEA has tremendous opportunities to transition its system based on the federal subsidies involved in these two major pieces of federal legislation. Our delegation in Washington, DC has worked incredibly hard to make sure Alaska can benefit. It is a game changing offer; it will not be repeated. One brilliant approach and initiative is to gear up by staffing CEA for the RRC mission, working within its framework and bylaws, and demonstrating real-time progress by truly accomplishing the purposes in this historic legislation, along with Alaska’s Senate Bill 123 passage creating the electric reliability organization opportunity. There is no time for partisan bickering and posturing; it must be driven by vision, purpose and commitment of the Board of Directors and the CEO to the energy and electricity needs of Alaskans throughout the State.