Progress that Makes Sense for Truckee

Let's transition to 100% clean energy in ways that work for our community.

I'm a candidate for the Truckee Donner PUD board in the November, 2024 election because I want to make sure the progress our PUD has made toward 100% clean energy continues in ways that make sense for Truckee.

I'm confident we can do what's right for our planet while also doing what's right for our local environment and the residents of our town.

Our progress toward meeting California's power mandates must be appropriate for Truckee's year-round weather and wildfire concerns, and it must be affordable to Truckee residents who are already feeling pinched by the costs of living here.

I fully support environmental protections, and I recognize that Truckee's local climate can be unpredictable and unforgiving. Where the State imposes change, we must do what we can to help our community absorb the impact and adapt.

My primary goal on the Truckee Donner PUD will be to guide our progress toward 100% clean energy in ways that don't adversely affect our ability to live here, and don't threaten the safety of our residents.

Contact me with any ideas you have and let's discuss them!

Infrastructure that's Wildfire-Safe and Reliable

Smart investments in our infrastructure will reduce outages and wildfire risk, and maintain our legendary water quality.

I will make sure our PUD does everything it can within reason to:

Further improve service reliability, while working to reduce wildfire risk from our utilities
Move toward energy independence, while planning for future demand
Keep our rates down so we keep our community intact

The infrastructure investments our PUD has made in recent years have made a big difference. Even during our record-breaking winter of 22/23, we saw very few power outages.

Even better, our electrical infrastructure has not caused any major wildfires yet. There are technologies that can de-energize powerlines within a tenth of a second, which is valuable when a vehicle or branch hits a powerline. This technology also reduces the need for planned power shut offs due to high wind forecasts.

We must continue smart investing to protect the progress we've made in these areas, and to maintain the knowledgeable PUD employees we have who have been making things better for all of us.

We must also account for increasing electric and water demands in the coming decades, so that we're not caught off guard or having to spend more than we need.

Let's also do more about reducing our reliance on the power we buy from other states. Battery technology is a viable consideration for us, and it's a safe means for storing electricity. Solar is an option we could leverage to keep those emergency supplies topped off and keeps rates down.

On our way to 100% clean energy, we should be mindful of the costs of moving too quickly so we don’t impact our PUD bills.

If you have thoughts about our PUD infrastructure, email me and let's discuss them.

Partnerships that Deliver for Our Community

Partnerships with other local government agencies will help us better serve our entire community.

The Truckee Tahoe region has many local government agencies and they all have one thing in common: us. By better coordinating project planning and execution, our local agencies can act on our behalf more affordably and more effectively.

Agency partnerships can improve our ability to:

Better prepare for outages
Develop building codes that make sense
Reduce our exposure to wildfire

Imagine a solar farm near the airport that can power battery back-up systems to keep the heat on when the power goes out. It's imperative that we're able to keep power on for the hospital, sewer district and other critical services. Some of the back-up systems we have in place now are based on diesel generators, which aren't consistent with our environmental goals.

When it comes to building codes, we must get our local agencies on the same page. Let’s protect the essence of Truckee while we make sure we're building in ways that are safe and environmentally sensible. Instead of forcing homeowners and builders to navigate the various code requirements of each agency, we could be doing more to make sure our regional requirements are consistent and reasonable.

The PUD, Truckee Fire Protection District and Town of Truckee all have vegetation management programs. In recent years, we've seen examples of the right thing not being done in the best way. Cross-agency coordination and public communication can make future vegetation management efforts more efficient, less costly, and more in line with community expectations.

Your ideas regarding government partnerships are welcomed! Please let me know what you're thinking.

About Barney

Barney Dewey is a recognized expert in the field of wireless communication, a father and grandfather, and a committed community volunteer.

He is a frequent participant in the public meetings of the Town of Truckee, the Truckee Tahoe Airport Board, Tahoe Forest Health System, and the Truckee Donner PUD.

"It's important to me that our local agencies work in sync for the benefit of all of us," Barney said. "In attending many local government meetings, it's clear to me we can be doing better in this regard."

Barney has worked in technical engineering and senior marketing positions for Apple, Motorola and several Bay Area startups.

"The future of reliable and affordable power and water will be largely reliant on the agency's ability to leverage available technologies," he said. "My background in technology, marketing and communications is a good fit for helping to shape what comes next for the Truckee Donner PUD."

Barney served as a director on the Peardale-Chicago Park Fire Protection District board in Grass Valley, CA. He has also volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and he holds current positions on the Truckee Tax Measure Citizens Oversight Board, and the Truckee Police Chief’s Advisory Committee.

Barney is a full-time resident of Truckee, where he lives with his wife Nancy and their dog Zoë. Nancy and Barney have 2 daughters and 4 grandkids.

"Truckee is a wonderful place to raise a family," Barney said. "I want to do all that I can to make sure our younger generations have the opportunity to experience Truckee as 'home' and not just as a place to stay for a while."