Podcast: Community Cafe:
Island Power group offers green and reliable public power for Bainbridge

Long-time local residents Steve Johnson and Jane Lindley explain in this 28-minute podcast what their nonprofit “Island Power” considers to be four key advantages of replacing PSE with a local public electric utility for Bainbridge: cleaner power; community economic benefit; local control over decisions and rates; and potential broadband internet service.

Jane Lindley, a retired software company manager, explains that she discovered the problem of dirty coal-fueled electric power when she considered purchasing an electric car to take a stand against climate change. She points out that a local public utility could replace PSE’s coal-fired power for Bainbridge and obtain clean power, mostly from hydroelectric and other renewable sources.

Steve Johnson recently retired from more than 20 years as executive director of an association of public utilities throughout Washington State. He explains that his knowledge of the advantages of public utilities, compared to private corporate utilities like PSE, came from years of experiencing the public utilities’ reliability, high customer service scores, favorable rates, and accountability to their local voters.

This podcast also announced an open public information event on public power and broadband that took place on Saturday April 2nd at 10am at Waterfront Park Community Center. That day, the open public meeting focused on ways that a public electric utility on Bainbridge might help to get public high-speed broadband internet service for our neighborhoods, in place of Comcast or CenturyLink. Guest speakers from around the state provided their expertise and experience offering public broadband internet.

BCB interview questioner Barry Peters discloses on this podcast that he is a steering committee member of the Island Power nonprofit that is urging the City to submit the public power question to island voters this November, and that he will be a moderator of the April 2nd information meeting.

Credits: BCB host, editor and publisher: Barry Peters. Note: The recording has been edited for clarity, brevity and ease of listening.