October 2, 2025 Seward Folly Staff

The City of Seward’s electric department held a town hall at the Rae Building on Monday, September 29. Residents filled the main lobby to hear an overview of recent system upgrades and discuss the utility’s future management. Representatives from Cordova, Copper River Valley, and Kodiak joined the conversation. The department’s stated goal was to give all ratepayers a voice and to improve transparency, following feedback from a recent community survey. Officials indicated plans for two or three more town halls.

After brief introductions from Utility Director Brian Hickey and City Manager Kat Sorensen, Operations Supervisor Taylor Crocker summarized recent infrastructure improvements. These included 115 kV system upgrades, preparations for a shore power installation, vegetation clearing, pole and line replacements, and substation work. Crocker also highlighted the department’s use of GIS technology and metering upgrades, which will eventually allow customers to access real-time account data and help the utility operate more efficiently.

Hickey told attendees that the current management model—relying on contracted services from Matanuska Electric Association—is not sustainable. He outlined three possible paths forward: maintaining Seward’s municipal utility, selling to another Railbelt utility such as Homer or Chugach Electric, or forming a cooperative, an option not previously considered in Seward.

Leaders from three electric cooperatives then presented their experiences. Clay Koplin, CEO of Cordova Electric Cooperative, described Cordova’s transition to a cooperative in 1978 after years of blackouts. Today, Cordova’s 1,600 customers are served by hydropower and diesel plants, with most of the town’s transmission lines buried. Hydropower provides most of the energy in summer, with diesel used in winter. Koplin said the cooperative offers competitive rates, including 6 cents per kilowatt-hour to seafood processors in summer.

Kodiak Electric Association, represented by Linda Freed, serves 6,000 customers and draws 80% of its power from a large hydro facility, supplemented by wind, batteries, and diesel backup. Freed said Kodiak’s rates are lower than those of Railbelt utilities.

Jamie Matthews, CEO of Copper River Basin, said the cooperative serves about 2,700 members from Valdez to near Palmer. A 12-megawatt hydro plant supplies summer power; a diesel plant covers most of the winter demand. Matthews reported a 99.9% reliability rate.

During public comments, local resident Lori Landstrom asked about department’s survey results. Respondents’ top priorities were transparency, stability, reliability, and equitable representation. Bruce Jaffa questioned why change was needed. Crocker said the utility needs direction from the community, given concerns about the current structure. Jaffa also asked about representation for ratepayers outside city limits; all of the visiting cooperative leaders said members have equal representation.

City Council candidate Lori Draper asked about local renewable energy potential. Hickey said six possible sites exist nearby, but development could take 20 years. He said Seward might eventually be able to sell power to other utilities with this model.

Bob Linville compared bills from Seward and Cordova, noting Cordova’s rates used to be higher but have dropped and may fall further as hydropower investments are paid off.

Mayoral candidate Tim McDonald advocated for forming a cooperative and transferring city utility assets.

Landstrom also asked about the downsides of a cooperative. Hickey said costs would be higher for six or seven years but would decline over time. Freed noted the challenge of recruiting effective board members.

Hickey closed the meeting by saying the utility hopes to decide on a path forward by next summer. He encouraged residents to stay engaged in the process.