Dear HEA grid members,

Our electric supplier has recently begun a drive to remove itself from regulatory oversight of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, whose job has been to review rates and some other policies of HEA and other utilities in the state.

I don’t know all the issues yet, other than RCA requires a vote, scheduled for next month. I do remember reading a piece in the paper in which Bob Shavelson was quoted with several arguments against the idea.

But my knickers are twisted because I find myself and other involuntary “members” paying for the monthly house organ — the Kilowatt Courier — to exhort us about which way to vote (in favor of the proposal).

In a standard election process, say of new board members, it would be unthinkable, totally inappropriate, for the Kilowatt Courier to come down infavor or against any candidate, even if all of the board thought he or she would be wonderful or terrible. Yet the recent Courier is not hesitant in telling us a lopsided story about the proposed changes. It would seem to me it would be difficult to call this a fair election process.

Steve Gibson