CEA Candidate Questions: Susanne Fleek-Green

Voting in Chugach Electric Association’s board election opened 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 Susanne Fleek-Green. Fleek-Green works for the National Park Service as the Superintendent of the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. She also serves on the Board of the Anchorage Library Foundation. Her full candidate profile can be found here. She also has a campaign website.

Susanne Fleek-Green from her CEA candidate profile

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

I have been a Chugach member for over 18 years and grew up in its service area. Chugach has improved reliability, affordability and adoption of energy efficiency strategies at the utility scale and for individual members. These successes are due to a strong workforce that brings professionalism and dedication to Chugach every day. If elected, I want to work with this workforce and Chugach members to more quickly transition to clean energy sources to reduce dependence on natural gas, create new jobs, and secure long term cost savings to Chugach and its members. We are at a critical time to ensure Chugach members don’t face a steep increase in their electricity bills when the natural gas contracts expire in 2028. Chugach’s success is critical to the economy of Southcentral Alaska, whether it’s helping to attract new businesses, make living here affordable for families or expanding existing industries.

I have 25 years working in energy policy at the federal, state and local level. I have fought for federal funding to help families adopt energy efficiency technologies, install residential renewable energy, and invest in renewable energy technology research. Working for Mayor Mark Begich, I organized the first-ever mayor’s climate change conference in Alaska that brought mayors from across the country to see first-hand the impacts of climate change and local solutions to reduce climate emissions. As Chief-of-Staff to Mayor Berkowitz, I worked with AEDC and other Anchorage organizations to lay the groundwork for the eventual sale of Municipal Light and Power to Chugach. This sale has made Chugach a leader in the Railbelt utilities and in a position to accelerate its transition to clean energy sources.

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?

Chugach is facing significant challenges and opportunities right now with the end of Cook Inlet natural gas contracts looming and the federal funding available from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) respectively. In order to ensure Chugach member-owners, our communities and the Southcentral economy is not jolted by steep power price increases, we must take steps now to:

·       ●  Accelerate our transition to clean energy sources by engaging transparently with independent power producers to identify near-term opportunities that can be easily integrated into the Railbelt grid

·       ●  Partner with local governments, commercial building owners, and homeowners to promote the installation of solar panels and battery storage and take advantage of federal incentives from the IRA

·       ●  Invest in the Chugach workforce to ensure we maintain and expand the highly-skilled and knowledgeable staff needed to make this energy transition

·       ●  Work with other Railbelt utilities to secure federal funding from the IRA and invest in strategic grid improvements and battery storage to increase reliability and integration of renewable energy sources

·       ●  Launch a series of community town halls to engage member-owners across the service area in a conversation of how to address the looming gas shortages.

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?

There are several challenges but all can be overcome with commitment and coordination across the Railbelt. First, we need Railbelt utilities to integrate power across the grid. This would allow utilities to dispatch - or use - the cheapest and most reliable renewable power at any given time. Second, we need a state Renewable Portfolio Standard that sets a high benchmark for utilities to meet and for the Regulatory Commission to recognize. Third, Chugach needs funding to invest in renewable sources, but also in the battery storage and transmission line upgrades needed to integrate renewable sources. Fourth, we need to help Southcentral businesses and families invest in onsite renewable generation on their buildings and homes. Luckily, Chugach has a great opportunity to secure funding through new federal programs. The Inflation Reduction Act passed last year, offers historic funding to support the adoption of renewable energy by utilities, businesses, and homes.

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?

Yes, Chugach should lead on engagement and transparency with its member-owners and the public. If elected, I will strive to minimize executive sessions and work with the Member Advisory Committee to reach out to a diverse spectrum of member-owners and listen to their ideas for Chugach’s future. As a board member, I believe it would be my responsibility to reach out to member-owners directly and not just expect participation at the board meetings. I have a strong background in community - building, public engagement, and neighborhood outreach. I will plan to use this experience to learn and listen from Chugach members and the public at large. Chugach is facing challenges that will shape the future of Southcentral Alaska and we need to make sure decisions are based on robust member engagement.

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?

To ensure Chugach members don’t face steep power bill increases, the priority should be to secure new clean energy sources, expand energy conservation, and work with Railbelt utilities on affordable in-state gas options that do not lock Chugach into long-term and more costly gas contracts. Chugach should also rapidly adopt measures at the Beluga River Field to extend and efficiently use its reservoirs.

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?

Yes, I do believe board members have a role in fostering collaboration. While I am pleased the new Railbelt Reliability Council was created, I would like to see Railbelt utilities go further to improve reliability and affordability for utility members by coordinating dispatching across the grid. We have five operators on a small grid right now. This is inefficient and a barrier to adopting more affordable and sustainable power for the future. Coordination within the Railbelt should also focus on a regional transmission plan, investment priorities, and interconnection standards for the grid to facilitate integration of electricity from independent power producers. The utilities can also coordinate right now to take advantage of federal funding opportunities to move all of the electricity sector forward in adopting affordable, clean energy sources.

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 Renewable Portfolio Standard legislation. A NREL study completed for the Governor recently shows several different scenarios where the Railbelt could achieve 80% renewable generation by 2040. A RPS will create achievable benchmarks for all utilities to move to clean energy sources, which will save Alaskans money for generations. To help meet the RPS benchmarks, Chugach should pursue new federal funding and advocate for an extension of the Alaska Renewable Energy Fund.

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)?

There is over $100 billion available in federal funding from these two bills and it is an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. Chugach can and should partner with other Railbelt utilities to secure funding to improve the grid resiliency and work with independent power providers to identify projects that can be tied into the transmission grid quickly to help Chugach transition away from declining natural gas. Chugach should also start conversation with Tribal entities that are also eligible for significant IRA funding. To position itself to take advantage of these opportunities, Chugach should ensure it has the technical, grant writing, and government affairs staff in place to work on the federal funding opportunities.