By Pepper Fisher

CLALLAM COUNTY – Long-time PUD Commissioner Will Purser will be facing at least one opponent in the coming election, as we reported on May 2.

Purser is a Vietnam-era veteran, has spent 34 years in the oil and gas industry. An engineer with graduate studies in nuclear engineering, he retired with professional engineering licenses in numerous states. He was appointed to the Energy Northwest Board of Directors in 2008, elected to the executive board 2 years later, re-elected in 2014 and 2018, and elected executive board chair last year, where he will serve for 4 years.

Purser says he didn’t move to the area with any intention of running for PUD Commissioner.

“I got involved in this when I was building my house here 23, 24 years ago, and the PUD crew came up to set the transformer. So, I know a lot about the power industry, and so I went out and I was talking to them. And they said, ‘Well, you know, there’s a vacancy on the PUD Commission. You need to apply.’ And I came back and told my wife, and she kind of laughed and said, ‘Well, you can’t move into an area and get on something like that.’ But I did. And I think I’ve made a good contribution over the years. And I hope the public feels that way.”

Since that time though, Purser has not been shy about touting the PUD’s accomplishments. He says they are one of very few national electric utilities to have already achieved a carbon neutral power supply, and he points out that they have received national recognition along the way, with 3 consecutive APPA Reliable Public Power awards.

“The American Public Power Association, that’s not trivial. It’s over 2,000 members. It’s national organization, so to be singled out for recognition, you know, among the 100 or so utilities throughout the country, that’s great. And we’ve won that a number times and, in fact, we’re on track to do it again this year. We also have received letters of commendation from the state auditor’s office for over 20 years of clean audits. So, anyway, we’re constantly getting recognized for our performance.”

Looking ahead at the future of our utility goals and needs, Purser says challenges include continuing to remove carbon from the power supply, keeping up with the electrification of the transportation sector, reducing energy costs to low income customers, and working closely with Clallam County and Astound Broadband in support of expanding access to high speed internet service.

“You know, I would ask people to vote for me because we are entering a time of change. We’re experiencing polar vortexes and heat domes, and all that impacts electricity to people in Clallam County. It impacts their quality of life. I think most people feel that the PUD has done a good job. We’ve got a good management team with a really good governance board, and we’re planning for the future for all of these things that are coming up. So anyway, that would be my pitch.”

Learn more about Commissioner Purser at willpurserforpud.com.