Letter to Editor | Questions every OPALCO member should ask

||| FROM AMY LOVELESS-WHITNEY ||| 

Whether we live on Shaw, Orcas, Lopez, San Juan, or an outer island, we share an interest in OPALCO’s spending, reliable electricity, and accountable decisions.

The proposed Decatur solar expansion raises questions that belong to every cooperative member.

What will members pay over the project’s life, and what purchased-power costs will it actually avoid?

OPALCO should publish an independent financial review, including financing, maintenance, equipment replacement, grants, and downside scenarios. Subscriber credits and savings for the cooperative should be explained separately.

What will the project deliver when electricity is most needed? Additional solar can reduce daytime power purchases. But annual production is different from dependable winter supply. OPALCO says no additional battery is planned. Members deserve measured performance from the existing array and a clear explanation of the expansion’s winter contribution, outage capability, and which islands could receive backup.

How does this investment fit alongside maintenance and replacement of the mainland cables we depend on?

We need a coordinated infrastructure plan, with priorities, costs, and schedules.

Finally, are sites being selected on their merits? OPALCO has documented efforts to preserve grant funding following Bailer Hill’s permitting delay. It should disclose current grant terms and explain why the chosen project is preferable to alternatives, independently of previously purchased equipment or deadlines. Every island also benefits when energy projects undergo credible environmental and emergency-response review, with meaningful public participation.

I ask the Board to pause further discretionary commitments to the Decatur expansion while independent review addresses these questions. Supporting renewable energy and demanding careful stewardship of cooperative funds go together. Members deserve public answers before further commitments.