Ballots are in for the Homer Electric Association Board of Directors. In District 1, Kenai, Nikiski and part of Soldotna, Wayne Ogle won over Daniel Hyman and Summer Lazenby. Ogle is retired from the U.S. Coast Guard and as a municipal public works director. He served on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, representing Nikiski.
050622 Ogle 1 00:34: “I believe I have experience, practical experience, to be on the board of directors for HEA to provide some guidance, as far as what can be done as far as HEA. I think it’s a great organization. I think the board of directors’ job is not to run HEA but to advise them and be the people’s check on what they’re doing, are they going in the right direction.”
Ogle says he supports moving toward renewables but cautiously.
050622 Ogle 2 00:37: “There is an interest by utilities around the country to get on board with renewables. I think that’s a good thing in the long run but we need to be very careful. I’m dead set against setting a date, by 2025 or whatever, we’re going to have what percentage of our energy production is going to be in a certain energy source. I think we need to be a little bit more cautious about that. We have a responsibility to our shareholders — our owners, basically — to be more responsible.”
Daniel Furlong ran unopposed for the District 2 seat, representing Soldotna, Sterling and Kasilof. He has previously been an HEA board member. He campaigned on wanting to see fair and consistent costs to co-op members, as well as improvement to line extension and new service costs.
In District 3, serving Kasilof south to Kachemak Bay, incumbent Erin McKittrick, of Seldovia, retained her seat over Troy Jones of, Homer, Lonnie Lambert, of Ninilchik, and Dr. Douglas Stark, of Homer.
And HEA announced May 5 that it is distributing just over $3.5 million in capital credits to about 8,800 people who were HEA members between 1984 and 1987. For current HEA members, the credit will show up on their May billing statement. Former members will receive a check in the mail.
The credit amount is determined by how much electricity was purchased during those years. Capital credits represent members’ share of equity in the utility. They’re based on the difference between total expenses and total revenues of the cooperative. HEA allocates those margins to its members in proportion to the amount they paid for electric service.
Returning those margins to members is up to the discretion of the HEA Board, based on the financial health of the co-op. In the past, HEA used the margins to maintain equity and fund long-term capital projects. From 1960 to 2021, HEA says it has returned over $37 million in capital credits to its members.
