Advantages of a People's Utility District

1. Locally elected boards make energy policy decisions with one mandate – to provide reliable energy at "cost";
   
   
2. UDs receive priority access to less expensive Bonneville power administration (BPA) power and services;
   
   
3. Formation and operations of PUDs are a completely open process, offering ratepayers maximum input and accountability;
   
   
4. PUDs can issue attractive tax-free revenue bonds to purchase utilities;
   
   
5. Once formed, PUDs can cooperate under an intergovernmental agreement written to preserve maximum autonomy for each county while facilitating cooperation in the “wheeling” of power between counties, joint purchase of generation assets or shared use of facilities. Local water PUDs already use this model.
   
   
6. The buying of politicians will end;
   
   
7. Publicly owned power companies don't pay income taxes because they don't make a profit off ratepayers.
   
   
8. Ratepayers will stop being ripped-off for federal and state income taxes they pay as part of their bill. PGE/Enron has charged ratepayers over $550 million since 1997 yet it has paid a grand total of $10;
   
   
9. There will be no shareholders to put profits above ratepayer's well being;
   
   
10. There will be no million-dollar salaries for executives or multiple rounds of multi-million dollar executive bonuses;
    
    
11. PGE/Enron stock fraud that caused people to lose their life savings will not occur;
    
    
12. PGE employees won't be cheated out of their hard-earned pensions;
    
    
13. Assets won't be sold out from under ratepayers who've paid for them. Instead, they'll be retained for our benefit;
    
    
14. The PUD will not be banned from federal contracts, wholesale power transactions, and California energy markets, something that occurred to PGE/Enron;
    
    
15. There will be an increased focus on environmentally friendly alternatives if ratepayers decide upon it;
    
    
16. A dedication to renewable energy and weatherization may take place;
    
    
17. There will be adequate subsidies for low-income ratepayers;
    
    
18. The manipulation of energy markets that caused huge electric rate increases, the closing of businesses and industries, and Oregon having the highest unemployment rate in the nation will no longer occur;
    
    
19. Clackamas County residents will benefit from lower electric rates due to lower costs.

Clackamas Public Power
www.cheappower.org