We were thankful for the opportunity last week to meet with the candidates for governor here in Washington State. When we say all the candidates, we mean ALL the candidates. Naturally, with a room full of 20 strong personalities, the discussions were interesting, occasionally bizarre, and sometimes concerning. As a small business, we aren’t keen on disclosing how our ownership or employees plan to vote, but we wanted to share our key takeaways:

In our discussions with the candidates, we found two who were acutely aware that our power grid is old and in need of updates; one candidate took this very seriously. However, none seemed fully aware of the projected supply and demand issues, such as our grid potentially being 10% short of needed power on hot days by 2032. We inquired about new supply sources and temporary peak supply solutions, hearing some disdain for battery solutions without recognizing that large-scale batteries can be made from water or sand.

There were mentions of nuclear power, but the candidates seemed unaware that even if a plant is approved, it would take at least eight years before it produces power. What about home-based power solutions? Buying back power from backup batteries in people’s homes instead of paying utilities? This concept wasn’t on anyone’s radar.

When the 2028 election cycle approaches, we will face brownouts and possibly even rolling blackouts. Currently, there is no push from new candidates for individuals to own their own power. While the opportunity to address this may be closing, some utilities are already posting double-digit annual increases for peak time usage on hot days. Do yourself a favor—consider your power options and don’t keep sending payments back to the power monopoly when you might have a choice. Big thanks to the Weatherly Inn for hosting! https://www.weatherlyinn.com/renton_community

For more information on energy policies and projections, visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration, US Energy Information Administration and universalelectricpnw.com