MEA Candidate Questions: Gregory Hunt, Sr.

Voting in the Matanuska Electric Association’s 2023 board election begins on March 30. Election information and paper ballots will be mailed to members at the end of March. MEA will be accepting paper ballots until 5 p.m. on April 24. Members may also vote electronically via their SmartHub accounts by the same deadline. Members who have not voted by mail or on-line will also have a chance to vote at the MEA Annual Meeting on April 25

Here are the answers from Gregory Hunt, Sr., one of nine candidates running for two At-Large Seats on the MEA Board. Hunt has lived in Glacier View since 2013 and currently owns his own consulting firm, GH Management and Consulting. He served in the US Navy for 20 years as an Electronics Technician/Inspector. According to his campaign biography, his volunteer experience includes serving on numerous boards, including of the United Way of Kitsap County (WA) and the Kitsap Regional Library Foundation, as well as serving as Executive Director of the Leadership Kitsap Foundation. His full candidate profile can be seen on the MEA Election page.

His MEA candidate video can be seen at https://youtu.be/xpYMpnzYECg

Gregory Hunt, Sr., from his MEA candidate profile.

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

As your elected board member I would consider myself your voice at the table. I have enjoyed using power from MEA for the past decade and like most of us, the majority of my experiences have centered around paying my utility bill every month. What I bring to the MEA board is a willingness to listen to member needs and bring those needs forward. For me, it’s about collective representation, not partisanship or agendas. MEA needs good decision-makers on the board who are concerned not only about its member-owners, but this beautiful state and its families.  I will work hard to focus on Four Main Priorities (ACTS): 

Affordability. Lower service rates/usage through creative cost reducing measures by: 

• delaying capital projects, if/when necessary
• investing more in local solar/wind energy.
• increasing system efficiencies. 

• hedging power purchases.
• promoting “Beat the Peak” programs. 

Consistency. Maintain focus on safe, reliable energy by:
• protecting power lines via a robust and aggressive “right-of-way” maintenance program. 

• using the “power” of technology for remote monitoring/switching/troubleshooting. 

Transparency. Improve outage communications by:
• alerting to multiple platforms (Facebook/Instagram/Twitter).
• enabling service notifications feature on SmartHub (text alerts).
• including photos of problem areas to provide clarity.
• providing regular, non-emergent communications (education/FAQs). 

Sustainability. Deliver clean electricity over a grid that is more efficient, resilient and capable by: 

• increasing renewable energy sources.
• continuing to reduce carbon emissions.
• coordinating energy resources through advanced grid operations.

I will always keep the MEA membership “front and center” and be the voice in the room that calls out what is most important to each member, their family and their future. 

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?

Being a potential new director, without history on MEA policy, it would be difficult to address that question. What I CAN say is that my most important priority is to represent our member-owners. I would not bring any personal interest or agenda to the table. I value transparency as a quality of any board and believe it garners trust and confidence from the community.

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

MEA has some big issues to consider:

1. Natural gas, the chief fuel for our power plant, is predicted to become less available in future years. 

2. Changing power management technology and efficiencies are affecting how power is managed and potentially, generated.

3. Renewable resources continue to be more viable, available and affordable.

4. Mass production of electric vehicles will affect power demand needs.

Here’s the question: How does MEA meet those challenges while preserving this beautiful state that we all know and enjoy?

I believe MEA, its members, its partners, and the community, will need to work closely and transparently together to find creative solutions for our future power needs. We will need a board that is transparent with its members and are good decision-makers; free from partisanship or special interest. 

What I often hear from our MEA members is: We want affordable power that is reliable and renewable. We want it in our homes, our cabins, and our businesses. Not just for tomorrow but for generations to come.

That is a message and vision I will carry forward.

4. In 2022 MEA’s Board spent 47% 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 MEA’s Board minimize its use of Executive Session? What could be done to achieve this goal?

The primary responsibility of any board is to serve the organization; its vision, mission, goals and members. I believe in a servant leadership approach to governance. In other words, “What can I do for you, the member, so this organization better serves you?” Board decisions should rarely be made in a vacuum, behind closed doors. This only breeds distrust. Transparency is a fundamental quality every board should possess and practice regularly through its communications. Given that, the board often needs to make important decisions to keep the business of power production moving. It might be helpful to conduct separate “listening sessions” to gather ideas and thoughts that can be discussed at board meetings. 

5. Hilcorp has said that it cannot guarantee natural gas supplies from Cook Inlet beyond its current contracts (MEA’s contract with Hilcorp ends in 2028). What strategies should MEA use to address potential future shortfalls in Cook Inlet natural gas?

My first question would be: What exactly does Hilcorp mean by that statement? Will MEA shut down its Eklutna facility in five years and call it a day? I doubt it. It may mean MEA transitions to other natural gas suppliers. It could also mean focusing on viable and affordable renewable energy sources. Maybe it means nothing and Hilcorp continues to be a partner. This is precisely why we need good decision-makers on the board and also why we need to be collaborative and communicative during the discussion and decision process.

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 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? 

I believe the board, its members, its power partners and the community will need to work closely and transparently together to create the best outcomes for our future power needs.

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?

Personally, I believe ALL Alaskans would give a thumbs to a never-ending supply of clean, safe, renewable power that is affordable to all. I believe that’s what we should all strive for. How we get there is where it gets complex. We have to begin with an open, transparent and collaborative approach where everyone is at the table. I believe MEA and its board could potentially champion that discussion. Until I carefully studied both the RPS and CES, I wouldn’t necessarily endorse or oppose either. For me, it is about keeping the goal front in front and not jumping to a side.

8. How do you think MEA 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)? 

I believe it is important to establish clear priorities first, then leverage incentives that fit with the goals. If the MEA board and staff have a clear vision, combined with achievable goals and objectives, then ANY opportunities for funding will be checked for fit. Too often it is the other way around meaning, “Let’s build that road because we can get funding for it without asking the question, why do we want to build the road?” These decisions need to be made collectively by MEA, the members, utility partners and the community.

I believe MEA faces some challenges in the next 5-10 years and the decisions made will have a lasting effect for generations to come. I believe I am the right person at the right time for this very important time in MEA’s history. I understand what our members and the community are saying and I am ready to carry that message forward. I appreciate your vote and rest assured, if I’m elected, your voice will always be front and center.