Issues

For decades, Okanogan County’s been relying on others for our energy. We don’t generate any of our own power. This means we are subject to rate increases and power shortages that are outside our control.

Even after spending millions to expand high-speed internet, too many of our PUD customers still can’t get connected. We pay higher rates than others around here but get less in return.

We deserve better.

The Okanogan PUD Commission is a nonpartisan board that makes critical decisions that affect our homes and businesses. As commissioner, I’ll push for solutions that truly benefit our PUD customers, keep our energy reliable and affordable, and get more folks connected to the high-speed internet they need.

Here are my priorities:

Ensure reliable energy: We shouldn’t keep paying more for energy that is less reliable and outside of our control. I will work to secure the energy resources we need for the future on our own terms.
Preserve affordability: As a working mom, I feel how the rising cost of living impacts families. Too many people in our community work hard, but still struggle to pay their bills. I commit to stronger oversight of the PUD’s budget and programs, and will work with community based organizations to help PUD customers save money on their energy bills.
Invest in our communities: If elected, I will work to create energy and construction jobs here in Okanogan County making our grid more efficient and resilient to wildfires, securing the energy resources we need to thrive, and helping customers make energy improvements to their homes and businesses.
Connect people to high-speed internet: We shouldn’t have to choose between outdated technology and unaffordable costs to connect. As commissioner, I will work with internet service providers to connect more people to the PUD’s high-speed network, and access state and federal funds to expand access in unserved and underserved areas.

Ensure Reliable Energy

Our community relies on electricity for everything from irrigation to emergency response to heating our homes. But, our PUD is lagging behind in making the investments that we need to maintain reliability in the future. Okanogan PUD doesn’t own any of its own energy generation. And, the price that we pay to purchase power is increasing due to the effects of drought and wildfires, and rising costs for supplies, labor, and insurance. Our PUD doesn't have a long-term plan for keeping our energy reliable and affordable under these circumstances. If the PUD doesn’t make the investments we need to maintain reliability, we will be stuck paying more for energy that is less reliable. If elected, I will work to make our grid more efficient and resilient to wildfires, secure the energy resources we need to thrive, and create energy and construction jobs here in Okanogan County.

Preserve Affordability

In Okanogan county, we pay higher rates than others in the region, but receive fewer benefits from our PUD. Keeping rates low is important, but it's not all the PUD should be doing to preserve affordability. I will seek out opportunities to access federal and state funding to help customers make energy improvements to their homes and businesses, purchase energy-efficient equipment, and access bill assistance when they need it. As a working mom, I feel how the rising cost of living impacts families. Too many people in our community struggle to pay their utility bills, and can’t access the assistance they need it to avoid power shut-offs. I commit to stronger oversight of the PUD’s budget and programs, and will work with community-based organizations to help PUD customers save money on their energy bills. Reducing energy demand and keeping folks connected to essential services not only helps individual customers save money, but it reduces costs for all customers.

Connect More People to High-speed Internet

As taxpayers, we have invested millions of dollars to expand high-speed internet access in Okanogan county, but too many PUD customers still can’t connect. High-speed internet is increasingly an essential service for many families and businesses - for work, school, and fulfilling daily tasks. Many areas of our county remain unserved or underserved by private internet service providers, and many people face a false choice between outdated technology or unaffordable costs to connect. As commissioner, I would work with internet service providers to connect more people to the PUD’s high-speed network, access state and federal funds to continue to build out the network, and consider providing retail service in areas of the county that remain unserved and underserved.

Transparency & Accountability

In Okanogan County, we are lucky to have local control and public oversight of our electric utilities. As Commissioner, I would be committed to making sure our friends and neighbors are informed about and engaged in the PUD’s decisions, and that the PUD is accountable to the people of Okanogan County. Boards make better decisions when they are based on facts and data, and informed by public input. I would work to make more information available for public review on the PUD's website and create more opportunities for public input in the PUD's decision-making process.

I Support Hydropower

The Columbia River dams are the backbone of our energy system here in the Northwest, and the power they generate has enabled our communities in North Central Washington to grow food, build cities, raise families and support a rural economy. These are the machines that powered the industrialization of the Pacific Northwest and allowed for the irrigation that made fruit, wheat, and potato production possible here.

My opponent's supporters want people to believe that I want to remove these dams and replace them with solar panels and wind turbines. This is ridiculous. We need more energy in our region that can integrate well with our dams and meet our needs when the dams cannot. I've made a point of visiting almost every dam on the Columbia river in Washington, and many other dams on the Skagit and the Spokane Rivers.

Here I am inside the powerhouse at Rocky Reach Dam in Wenatchee in 2018. It's a bit embarrassing that I am still wearing this shirt on the campaign trail in 2024, but what can I say - when I like something, I stick with it. Just like hydropower.