Community Cafe Bainbridge

Long-time local residents Steve Johnson and Jane Lindley explain in this 28-minute podcast what their nonprofit "Island Power" considers to be four key advantages of replacing PSE with a local public electric utility for Bainbridge: cleaner power; community economic benefit; local control over decisions and rates; and potential broadband internet service. Jane Lindley, a retired software company manager, explains that she discovered the problem of dirty coal-fueled electric power when she considered purchasing an electric car to take a stand against climate change. She points out that a local public utility could replace PSE's coal-fired power for Bainbridge and obtain clean power, mostly from hydroelectric and other renewable sources. Steve Johnson recently retired from more than 20 years as executive director of an association of public utilities throughout Washington State. He explains that his knowledge of the advantages of public utilities, compared to private corporate utilities like PSE, came from year