Douglas County PUD was built by forward-thinking leaders who secured a generational public asset. Today, we have an extraordinary opportunity to expand that vision and unlock its full potential for our community.
Unlock the Power of
Our Public Resources
"New leadership focused on collaboration, innovation, and direct community benefit can carry this legacy forward—amplifying the impact those founders envisioned and ensuring Douglas County's prosperity for generations to come."
— Nick Warner, Candidate for PUD Commissioner
Empower • Educate • Enrich
"Power sales outside our area more than cover operational expenses. There is no reason to increase residential power rates just to hoard cash. We should keep that money with our local customers and listen to their priorities."
The PUD's Working Capital has ballooned from $60M to over $385M, Nick believes these resources should be invested here, in our community.
Available Public Funds
$385M+
Local schools and churches faced an 8% rate hike, while residents paid 3% extra in 2025, with additional hikes planned for the next 4 years.
Unnecessary 2025 Rate Increase
3-8%
Millions earmarked for PUD offices and buildings could instead address desperate school funding needs without burdening community taxpayers.
Community Benefit
Schools
Why We Need Leadership Change Now
Ratepayer Alert & Financial Transparency
— Nick Warner, Candidate for PUD Commissioner
Douglas County PUD was established by forward-thinkers who secured a incredibly valuable public asset for the future of our county. However, over time, this asset has become significantly underutilized for the public benefit, behaving more like an entrenched institutional island than a community partner.
The energy markets, environmental focus, and political priorities are changing rapidly, bringing both great opportunities and substantial threats. I believe that new leadership focused on collaboration, cooperation, and vision is absolutely necessary to navigate the PUD toward generational benefits for our entire county.
My candidacy is built on a simple premise: spread the public benefits and resources back to our community. Whether it's driving down customer bills, supporting our schools and churches, protecting our dams, or expanding rural broadband, I am committed to a proactive, customer-first utility.
Meet Nick Warner
Candidate Statement
"I will implement transparent pricing structures that feature direct "Public Power Benefit" discounts to aggressively drive down local customer power bills. Let's aim for a future with $0 effective power bills for our residents!"
— Nick Warner, Candidate for PUD Commissioner
Nick has spent over a decade inside PUD—building relationships, studying operations, and learning from the PUDs that already lead the nation in efficiency and community benefit. He knows which strategies work and how to implement them here. He's ready on day one.
WHY THIS MATTERS
9 Years as Water District Commissioner
Deep operational knowledge of utility governance, rate structures, budget management, and community service delivery.
14 Years of PUD Collaboration
Worked closely with managers and commissioners at Chelan, Douglas, and Grant County PUDs—Nick knows what works, what doesn't, and how to lead effectively.
Customer Perspective
Understands utilities from every angle: commercial operations, industrial needs, and residential ratepayer concerns. He's lived the challenges facing Douglas County families and businesses.
A Proven Track Record
Nick Warner isn't new to utilities management. He brings 14 years of direct, hands-on experience working within the Pacific Northwest's most successful public utility districts.
Real PUD Experience. Real Results.
PUD Expereince
Proactive, transparent, and community-centered policies to transform Douglas County PUD into a highly efficient, world-class utility.
The Six Key Goals for PUD
My Vision for Douglas County
Nick's Plan:
Ensuring consistent, uninterrupted service by modernizing infrastructure and prioritizing proactive transmission line planning.
Reliable Service Across Our Large County
Develop future transmission lines interconnecting the service area to ensure redundancy and capture missed opportunities.
Implement aggressive fire mitigation efforts and infrastructure protection to avoid large-scale utility loss.
Systematically move electric distribution underground in coordination with other public works like highway modernization projects.
Nick's Plan:
Protecting consumers from unjustified rate hikes. Keeping money with customers and local communities rather than hoarding dormant capital.
Affordable Rates & Financial Transparency
Address the PUD's Working Capital account, which ballooned from $60M to over $385M, leaving massive capital dormant while raising rates.
Oppose the planned rate hikes targeting residential users, schools, and churches (which faced an 8% increase in 2025).
Douglas County residents deserve complete financial transparency on our public assets. Clear, regular reporting on what we own, how it performs, and what benefit our community receives should be standard.
Establishing clear, fair, and consistently treated rate classes. Ensuring our community receives transparent service standards and fair treatment.
Fair Consumer Protection
Nick's Plan:
Stop outsized rate increases targeted at mid and large residential users by better defining and consistently treating rate classes.
Enforce strict service standards and robust customer complaint handling.
Leverage high-margin power sales outside our area to offset local operational expenses, keeping local rates low.
Nick's Plan:
Transitioning the PUD from a reactive stance to proactive modernization, planning for future innovations, grid upgrades, and broadband expansion.
Proactive Infrastructure Investment
Proactively engage in upgrading and maintaining the Wells Dam and distribution systems.
Modernize aging grids to support battery storage, dynamic customer usage patterns, and transmission expansion.
Expand reliable broadband and retail servicing, especially into underserved rural areas of Douglas County.
Nick's Plan:
Moving away from fear-driven compliance. Capitalizing on legislative and environmental changes through proactive investment and clean energy leadership.
Environmental Sustainability & Opportunity
Adopt a proactive, opportunistic approach to state and federal environmental mandates to secure financial benefits for our county.
Support local energy efficiency programs and water conservation initiatives.
Optimize hydro and other generation scheduling to maximize returns on green energy attributes.
Advocating strongly for the Columbia River dams and raising the operational standards of Douglas PUD to match neighboring world-class utilities.
Strong Regulatory Oversight & Advocacy
Nick's Plan:
Be a strong, vocal advocate for the Columbia River dams and protect their essential role in our way of life.
Strengthen Douglas PUD's technical infrastructure and compliance frameworks to match industry standards and position us as a leader.
Collaborate with and follow winning strategies from high-performing neighboring utilities like Chelan and Grant PUDs.
Local Prosperity
Tech & Innovation
Energy & Climate
Rate Reform
Explore how Nick Warner plans to implement change across critical areas of our utility district.
Detailed Platform Priorities
Actionable Policy
Rate Reform
Reforming the rate structure to benefit local residents, schools, and organizations.
Fair Pricing & Transparent Rates
Implement transparent pricing structures that feature direct "Public Power Benefit" discounts and rebates for local customers. Local resources should benefit local residents first.
Public Power Benefits
Establish robust, easy-to-access utility assistance programs and discounts for lower-income and vulnerable populations to ensure no one is left behind.
Vulnerable Populations
Lower rates for critical public organizations including schools, parks, churches, and local governments. Keeping their utility costs low allows them to focus precious funding on core services.
Support Public Organizations
Freeze unnecessary rate hikes designed only to build up already over-filled cash accounts. Keep the cash circulating in the local economy.
No Dormant Capital Hikes
Energy & Climate
Capitalizing on clean energy transitions while safeguarding our dams.
Proactive Energy & Environmental Policy
Become a strong, unyielding advocate for Columbia River dams. Partner with other regional PUDs to safeguard our vital hydro resources against political overreach.
Protect Our Dams
Responsibly adopt diverse renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydro) while maximizing the financial value of our green energy attributes.
Renewable Adoption
Modernize energy sales and marketing strategies to capture high returns in wholesale markets, directly subsidizing and lowering local rates.
Higher Sales Returns
Directly fund and support localized energy efficiency programs and water conservation initiatives that save Douglas County residents money.
Proactive Efficiency
Tech & Innovation
Upgrading infrastructure for safety, efficiency, and rural broadband access.
Technology & Grid Modernization
Aggressively expand high-speed fiber broadband and retail servicing, ensuring that rural Douglas County residents have equal access to modern digital opportunities.
Broadband Expansion
Implement state-of-the-art demand response and generation schedule optimization software to ensure maximum efficiency of Wells Dam generation.
Schedule Optimization
Upgrade the physical grid to incorporate modern smart grids, smart meters, and battery storage solutions to handle dynamic, modern energy demands.
Grid Modernization
Strengthen physical grid resilience against wildfires and disasters, while implementing military-grade cybersecurity for all critical utility control systems.
Critical Infrastructure Security
Local Prosperity
Using our public power asset to drive local business growth and community prosperity.
Local Economic Development
Use high-margin wholesale power sales revenue to aggressively drive down local customer power bills. Let's aim for a future with $0 effective power bills for our residents!
Drive Down Power Bills
Stop spending on high-risk, low-ROI capital projects—such as the hydrogen project, planning for expensive new office complexes, or major capital projects with low return on investment.
Avoid Bad Investments
Fuel local business and agricultural growth with highly reliable, consistently priced, and fair utility services that make Douglas County competitive.
Support Business Growth
Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Study, adapt, and follow the proven, highly successful strategies that are already yielding huge results for neighboring Chelan and Grant PUDs.
Adopt Winning Strategies
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Stay in Touch with Nick Warner and help us Empower Douglas County
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This is home. Growing up in Douglas County taught me what makes our community so special. Today, there is no greater joy than raising my family right here in the place that gave me so much.
I'm running for PUD Commissioner to protect our local resources and ensure a bright, affordable, and reliable future for all of our families.
Deep Roots. Community First.
- I am a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident (i.e., green card holder).
- I am at least eighteen years old.
- This contribution is made from my own funds, and funds are not being provided to me by another person or entity for the purpose of making this contribution.
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Help Nick Warner Create Change as Douglas County PUD Commissioner
