Dive Summary:
- Studies regarding the takeover financials have been conducted by both the Thurston Public Utility District (TPUD) and Puget Sound Energy (PSE); the impetus for the studies was the Thurston Public Power Initiative (TPPI), which has successfully petitioned for a November vote on whether power control should be made local or stay in the hands of PSE.
- PSE’s study indicates that TPUD would have to pay at least $650 million to take over electric facilities and related real estate, with additional fees bringing the total to as much as $1 billion.
- TPPI Chairman John Pearce called PSE’s figures highly inflated and cited data that showed the assessed value of PSE’s electrical assets in the county to be $131.2 million.
From the article:
The Thurston Public Utility District would have to pay at least $650 million to take over Puget Sound Energy’s electric facilities and related real estate in Thurston County, and the total cost could approach $1 billion, according to a new study released by Puget Sound Energy.
The utility’s study was released shortly before the Thurston Public Utility District is set to release the next stage of its own public power feasibility study. That release is expected Friday, PUD General Manager John Weidenfeller said. ...
