Ben Kostick, a Lewis County Public Utilities District commissioner, has been named an officer of the American Public Power Association’s Policy Makers Council.
Kostick represents PUD Commission District 1, which comprises the central part of Lewis County east of Centralia and Chehalis. It includes the Big Hanaford, Little Hanaford, Coal Creek, Logan Hill, North Fork, Forest, Napavine, Evaline and Winlock areas.
He was appointed to the Lewis County PUD in April 2007.
The American Public Power Association represents not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities that power communities in almost 2,000 towns and cities, stated a press release from PUD.
The Policy Makers Council assists the association in promoting federal legislation important to public power systems like Lewis County PUD. It also provides advice on other issues of importance, stated the release.
Members of the council meet a minimum of two times a year and participate in meetings with elected representatives and congressional staff to support the association’s national legislative agenda.
The council consists of 45 members who serve on utility boards or are elected officials in public power communities.
Four members are appointed to the council from each of the 10 geographic regions recognized by the association.
There are also a number of at-large members of the council from across the nation who are appointed based on vacancies in the 10 regions, stated the release.
The American Public Power Association serves 48 million Americans. There are no divided loyalties, and the utilities focus on the mission of providing reliable electricity at a reasonable price while protecting the environment, stated the release. The public power utilities generate or buy electricity from diverse sources.
