My Name is Christa Finn

I am running for re-election to the Truckee Donner PUD because I want to help the PUD continue to add renewable resources to our power mix, 
 improve our reliability in the face of more extreme weather and PSOM events,  continure to upgrade our infrastructure and keep our rates affordable.  It sounds like a big lift, and it is...but more people than ever are onboard, helping us to build a more sustainable community.  With your help, we will continue to make meaningful progress.
​ Let's go!

Why?

I firmly believe that environmental problems can be solved from the bottom up.  And guess what?  We are the bottom.  We must remain engaged with a green vision and knowledge of state of the art renewables.  We need to keep going.

​Since 2005, the Town of Truckee has gone from .4% renewable power in our portfolio to 61%.  Astounding! Especially since, at the time, conventional wisdom said it couldn't be done, that we would be lucky to achieve 8%...
  

Who am I?

​I served on the Conservation  Committee that the PUD formed after almost signing a 50 year coal contract in 2006.  Had that happened, we would still be looking at 30 more years of coal driven electricity!  I learned A LOT that year about utilities and how our electrical systems work.  We recommended a comprehensive list of opportunities in conservation, efficiency and future power purchases.  The PUD has implemented many of them, to great success.   

HOw?

 A just transition that includes all members of our community will require co-operation, communication and collaboration between all of our town entities.  This will have to include all of our special districts (the Town of Truckee, the Fire District, the PUD, the TSA, TTSD, etc), philanthropic organizations (Community Foundation, Mountain Housing Council, Family Resource Center, CATT, etc.) and private investors.

Nuts and Bolts 

First Let's

Discover

The energy landscape is changing, quickly and in a positive way, both environmentally and economically.  There are ways for a small, independent town to become energy self reliant, using only clean, renewable options.  We have many resources available to us, including ample sunshine, complimentary wind, and we are surrounded by biomass that can be used to either turn on our lights, or burn down our houses.  How can we capture and use this bounty?
Our transmission systems are also undergoing a change.  Distributed generation behaves differently than centralized generation.  Renewables are by nature intermittent.  We need to restructure our delivery systems to work with that instead of against it.  I want to help implement those changes.  I ask for your vote on November 6.

Now let's WORK

Conserve

  Conservation and improved efficiency are still the most valuable tools in our box.  We must continue the programs that already exist and expand in creative ways.  Technology is our friend here.  New operating systems are being developed that could double the efficiency of the grid.  How can our PUD and town take advantage of this?  What do the financials look like?  What are the risks?  I want to find out.  I ask for your vote on November 6.

IT'S UP TO US

Change

When you have the same people thinking about the problems, you get the same solutions.  We limit our creativity, because we cannot see outside of that paradigm...To paraphrase Einstein:  Problems cannot be solved from within the same paradigm in which they were created.
The economics and hard environmental truths propelling renewable energy forward cannot be stopped.  It is less painful to lead the way forward than it is to be dragged behind.  I would like to be that voice on our PUD Board of Directors.  I ask for your vote on November 6.

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