Get to know BLP candidate Andrea Hendrick | Elections | grandhaventribune.com – Grand Haven Tribune
Name: Andrea Hendrick
Age: 37
Occupation: Urban planner/GIS analyst
Education and learning: Grand Valley State College, finished December 2016, Bachelor of Science, Location, magna orgasm laude; certifications: Lasting Urban and also Regional Planning, as well as Geographic Details System Technologies.What credentials make you a feasible prospect for the BLP board?I think my professional background, coupled with my real enthusiasm for the future of this neighborhood, makes me the excellent prospect for the Board of Light & Power. While going to Grand Valley State College, my education subjected me to several issues within the energy field. Now as a preparation specialist, it is my work to see a project via from the conceptual phase right to the day the doors open. This consists of browsing difficult governing demands, working with next-door neighbors to guarantee people are truly listened to, preserving healthy working relationships as well as making sure that companies remain to thrive. These are precisely the skills needed to be an effective and also responsive Grand Haven Board of Light & Power trustee.I am well versed in the concerns the BLP faces now. I have attended almost every board meeting for the last 1.5 years and assisted arrange a group of people to be extra active in neighborhood energy policy decisions. Additionally, I understand that my duty as a BLP trustee is not only to bring my understanding to the table, however to listen and learn from the cumulative understanding of my community and also see to it that is reflected in the BLP intends moving forward.Do you assume Grand Sanctuary need to have a regional resource of power generation?The problem of regional generation is truly a conversation of grid dependability. Grid dependability has actually been a hot-button problem on the national and also regional levels.
It needs to be. The BLP is working to secure us from power susceptability by making needed repair work to
our circulation system, remaining to diversify our power supply, as well as with dealing with the Michigan Public Power Company to buy reliable capacity.Further due persistance for the small power plant on Harbor Island is needed to validate that it would certainly boost grid reliability. When taking on issues this complex, it is very important that we have all stakeholders at the table, consisting of residents, business and also industrial organizations, other city departments, the clinical area, the emergency services, to name a few. When complete, we can start to create what neighborhood power infrastructure should appear like for the BLP solution area.How should renewable power suit our regional power portfolio?The BLP is currently moving in the right instructions by investing in even more renewable resource tasks throughout the state. That belongs to the benefit of possessing our own neighborhood power energy. The people can select just how aggressive we want to be with renewable energy. We can work with the Michigan Public Power Company to select where as well as just how our power is produced. Both public and private energies are spending more in renewable energy. Economic truths are driving these utilities to decommission dangerous fossil fuel plants. At the exact same time, renewable resource and battery storage space technology are obtaining more efficient as well as a lot more affordable day by day. As a trustee, I will certainly pay attention to the Michigan market trends as well as will certainly not make reckless capital investments that jeopardize our
electrical rates.I will certainly likewise function to guarantee that the BLP considerably raises its focus on lowering energy consumption by enhancing energy-efficiency programs and gives consumer incentives for off-peak consumption.How ought to the BLP wage the removal of impurities on Harbor Island?The contamination on Harbor Island is a serious concern that should not be taken lightly. Most of us understand that heavy commercial uses have harmful results. We have actually all expanded in our understanding of the health concerns from human exposure to these pollutants. However, now that we know their effect, we are all accountable to make sure that best practices in ecological remediation are followed.Harbor Island is much less than a mile away from one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, and the resource of the water we consume. We have the melancholy responsibility to guarantee we maintain this priceless commodity.State as well as federal regulators are appointed to secure the public wellness of our people. They must be treated as allies. The city of Grand Sanctuary and also the BLP ought to be trying to find opportunities to collaborate with various other governmental devices to discover remedies and financing for the contamination on Harbor Island.Whether I’m chosen, or just acting as a concerned mother of four, I am committed to making the remediation problems on Harbor Island a success. The health and safety of the general public as well as my youngsters transcend politics. However, if I’m chosen, this will be an essential issue as a BLP trustee. There’s presently a detach between the BLP and also the neighborhood organization area.
What would certainly you do to link that gap?I am not stunned by the separate between the BLP and also the neighborhood organization neighborhood. Their worries are the same as mine and also several various other concerned people. They’re being shut out and also not given a seat at the table in these substantial plan conversations. This is the major problem that pressed me into running for this placement, to ensure that I can assist link the gap between the BLP and also the area it is intended to serve.That is why I prefer a citizen-driven community sustainability strategy similar to the strategies of other lakeshore neighborhoods. It needs to consist of allocation and also preparation for new technology, in addition to continued collaborations in joint projects
with other districts via the Michigan Public Power Agency. We should want to other neighborhoods
, such as Traverse City, that have done this while additionally functioning to really execute hostile, yet practical renewable resource objectives as identified by the community. With a diverse board, and genuine interaction with the area, we can work together to discover remedies we can all support. You can also find more comprehensive sights on BLP concerns at my web site, www.andreahendrick.com.
