This election reporting is provided free to all readers as a public service by your locally owned Cascadia Daily News. Thanks for supporting truly local news by donating to CDN or subscribing here.
The four candidates running to serve on the Whatcom County Public Utility District No. 1 Commission are focused on the future of utilities in the region, not just water and electricity but also broadband.
The Whatcom PUD was founded in 1937 and is supported by revenue from its utility customers. The PUD holds the water rights to 53 million gallons per day and serves only one external electric customer, the Phillips 66 refinery in Cherry Point, in addition to its own water treatment plants. In recent years, the PUD has partnered with the Port of Bellingham and Whatcom County to build infrastructure to enable high-speed internet access in underserved parts of the county.
Jeremiah Goggins and Eddy Ury are competing in a special election to represent District 1, which spans the southeast half of the county, for a two-year term. The District 1 seat is currently held by Todd Lagestee, who was appointed in May 2024 to complete the term of Christine Grant.
Goggins is the captain for Precinct 248 in Bellingham and has worked as a field researcher for Let’s Go Washington, the state political action committee that sponsored three initiatives on the ballot this year: Initiative 2109, Initiative 2117 and Initiative 2124.
A third-generation Whatcom County resident, Goggins said his grandfather’s 34-year career at Intalco and his family’s farming background have influenced his world view with respect to energy and water.
Goggins said he’ll evaluate every PUD proposal, project and policy to ensure community benefit outweighs private profit or special interests. His first priority in office would be to improve the PUD’s broadband program, which he said has “experienced some false starts and problems with quality of service.”
Ury is the climate and energy policy manager at the local sustainability nonprofit RE Sources and serves on the Whatcom County Climate Impact Advisory Committee.
He said one of his professional accomplishments was bringing together Cherry Point industrial stakeholders with environmental advocates to find consensus in finalizing new development rules in the county three years ago.
As commissioner, Ury said he will work to advance clean energy, support the economy, improve broadband access and “sustain freshwater supplies for farms, fisheries, tribes, industries, and rural residents.”
“We don’t fully know what’s on the other end of this decade, with adjudication, with climate change changing our weather patterns,” Ury said during an abbreviated League of Women Voters forum on Sept. 26. (Due to technical difficulties, the online forum was rescheduled for Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m.)
“There are a lot of challenges to continue to meet the needs of all of those who depend on the PUD for water but I’m excited to work on the [strategic] plan and work on the update next year,” Ury continued.
Incumbent commissioner Atul Deshmane is running against Dan Johnson to hold the District 2 seat, which encompasses the northeastern portion of the county, for a six-year term.
Deshmane is an engineer with decades of experience in renewable energy and clean transportation solutions. He has served on the Whatcom County Planning Commission since 2016 and was elected to the PUD in 2018.
Deshmane believes the PUD bears the responsibility of supporting the economy, creating good jobs and improving resiliency. He has three goals he’ll pursue if reelected: preserving the Nooksack watershed for everyone, expanding the local clean energy supply and expanding fast affordable public broadband infrastructure.
Johnson served in the Marine Corps for four years before building a successful towing business. He has also worked with legislators in Olympia to draft and pass bills. Johnson has volunteered with organizations such as Lydia Place, Blue Skies for Children, Meridian Boosters, American Legion, Young Life and VFW.
“My goal is to maintain sustainable energy sources for Whatcom County that pull from all resources available so we can continue to provide equitable energy for farming, residential and industry while upholding our conservation values,” Johnson said in his voter’s guide profile.
Voters in Whatcom County will only be able to vote on the PUD commissioner in the district where they reside. To learn more about the PUD visit pudwhatcom.org.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
