USU student appointed to Logan City power board
Although Jeremy Kidd, a graduate student, was defeated in the Logan city primary elections, he will still have a voice in the City Council.
Kidd said he was officially appointed by Mayor Doug Thompson to serve on Logan’s power board Nov. 7.
Kidd is working on a Ph.D. in economics and because of that background Thompson asked if he would “be willing to sit on the board.”
Thompson said in a City Council meeting, “I felt like we needed an economist.”
Kidd will provide a good service to the power board, Thompson said.
The power board is responsible for “keeping on eye on rates,” and looking for ways to help residents deal with power crises, Kidd said.
Utah produces enough energy for the state, but problems occur when other states like California consume too much power and other Western states are forced to chip in to help. This is the kind of thing that has happened in previous years, Kidd said.
One of Kidd’s objectives in serving on the power board is to keep power rates “relatively stable” for the next two years of his term.
“There is a great push to eliminate barriers to build new power plants,” he said.
New power plants will provide Utah with a way to combat another power crisis, Kidd said.
College students are continually looking at things in a new way, as they adjust to different teachers and learning environments, Kidd said. This ability to see “new ways of dealing with things” is going to be an asset to him as he serves on the Council, he said.
In addition, he can bring new perspectives because many of the people serving have long resided in Logan, whereas Kidd has lived “all over the Intermountain West” and on the east coast.
Consumers must still realize that rates are going to fluctuate and need to be conscientious about conserving energy, Kidd said.
However, students will be able to keep track of Kidd’s progress by keeping tabs on what they are paying for power.
“They have a good idea of what I’m doing by their power bill,” he said.