Article in the Marble Falls Newspaper (05.27.08)

Meters, not people to determine PEC board

By Bobbi Gage
Highland Lakes Newspapers

One person, one vote is not the way it works in The Pedernales Electric Cooperative.

In the midst of its first wide-open board election ever, the PEC has acknowledged that its 222,524 "members" are actually meters - with 47 entities controlling 99 or more meters, each with a vote.

The sprawling electric co-op's customers consist of 203,592 individuals and 18,932 meters on commercial property, causing some candidates to court those who have the largest number of meters.

Anne Harvey, spokesperson for the PEC, said the members with the largest amount of votes (meters) include developers/home builders, schools, government entities, multi-family housing and utilities.

The most votes one member has is 566 votes; however, it is believed Time Warner Cable is one of the largest PEC customers and may have as many as 1,700 votes. The PEC would not identify the various groups and the number of their 'meters.'

Harvey explains that some businesses may have separate accounts because their companies are spread over a wide area. Time Warner Cable, for instance, could have 566 meters in Williamson County and hundreds more in Blanco, Burnet, Llano or other counties.

This was my response to the Editor at the Highlander.

Dear Editor,
Is this how we as PEC members should be measured? As a meter? PEC continues to take one step forward and two steps back. How can PEC ever re-establish the missing and/or damaged trust that has occurred due to the years of board neglect if we continue to see these types of examples of inadequate and maybe even illegal policies? The time is now to make a difference. Please speak out with your vote and elect candidates with relevant experience and qualifications to set PEC back on the right path. With energy prices sky-rocketing we cannot afford three more years of this type of oversight.

James E. Williams, PEC District 2 Candidate.