From now through the end of April, Homer Electric Association members get to vote on our energy future. I’ve been proud to serve you on the board of directors for the last six years. I’m running for reelection in District 3, and I hope to represent you for another three years.

In 2019 and 2022, I wrote op-eds warning about our dependence on the declining Cook Inlet natural gas that provides 88% of our power. Now those warnings are coming true. Prices have jumped 30% over the past six years. And recent sales of new gas are 36% higher than today. And that gas is quickly getting scarce. The inlet’s primary supplier doesn’t have enough gas to sign new contracts. For the next year, all our gas is “interruptible,” which means the provider faces no consequences if they need to cut us off.

Within a few years, we’ll need to import gas at even higher prices, sending ratepayer money out of state. There’s a real potential for shortfalls before those imports come online.

What can HEA do about it? Homer Electric is the smallest utility on the Railbelt. We’re too small to have leverage in the gas market or on import plans. We can sit back and pay more, or we can be proactive.

I’m proud of the strides we’ve taken. We built a battery that saves gas by letting our power plants run more efficiently, and will allow us to integrate renewable energy. We voted to upgrade our gas plant, which will make it 20% more efficient. We approved a solar contract that would provide power several cents cheaper than our current power.

Recently, that contract was canceled by the developer. What next? We can say we tried. Or we can take charge of our own energy future. We can build our own project, or seek partnerships with other companies. Renewable power is the cheapest power we have today, and adding more will keep members’ rates down.

Solar is quick to build and saves fuel immediately, while wind can cover a larger portion of our energy needs but likely requires collaborating with other utilities. At the same time we can work on slower-to-build location-dependent resources like geothermal, while the state pursues an expansion at the Bradley Lake hydro plant.

HEA works for our members. I’ve supported expansion of our net metering program which allows members to install their own solar systems. I helped start a heat pump rebate program which saves members money on heating bills.

I’m the data geek on the board, and regularly publish analyses of how our electric system works and where the money goes, on social media and on www.AlaskaEnergy.org. I believe in transparency.

As board members, our job is to make the best strategic decisions for the members’ future. If elected, I will continue working to incorporate more low-cost, reliable, renewable power on our grid. I hope I have your vote.

Vote online through April 30, or request a mail-in ballot from HEA.

Erin McKittrick is an incumbent candidate for the District 3 Homer Electric Association board seat.