QUINCY - Grant County PUD commissioner Larry Schaapman said he wants to keep learning about the utility and passing along that information to rate payers.

That is why he is seeking election for the district three seat at the utility.

Schaapman was appointed to the position November 2012, replacing retiring commissioner Randy Allred.

"I feel like with everything that I've learned over the past year and a half, I've become an asset to the rate payers," said Schaapman, who is a farmer in the Quincy area.

He said there are many questions and misconceptions about the utility that he wants to clarify.

"Things like 'why are we doing all this fish management stuff and why are we doing a shoreline management plan and why do we have a crew of three or four people looking at a (utility) pole," he said. "A lot goes on into safety and keeping our FERC license. I enjoy educating people about the utility district and what is going on," he said.

He is especially proud that the utility is finally keeping promises about fishing rights made generations ago to the native people from this area.

"I am proud that we are actually fulfilling our commitment to (Native Americans) that were either displaced from their homes or their livelihood was put into jeopardy," he said.

Being from the Quincy area, he said he also gets asked about the large amount of power that the data centers are using.

"The data centers are good for the county. Instead of selling our excess power off, we are able to utilize that in the county. It is good for the tax base and good for the community," he said.

He said residential, small commercial, small industry and irrigation customers get first dibs on power, because they were here first.

He said he appreciates the job that General Manager Tony Webb and other PUD commissioners have done to inform the public about their decisions and how those decisions affect them.

"I think people really appreciate the transparency. For me, there have been a lot of compliments from rate payers as to where they see the district," he said.

He said he thinks PUD staff and the consultants they hired are doing a great job addressing the crack in the Wanapum Dam spillway.

He said he looks forward to serving as a liaison between the rate payers and the PUD.