The voters have spoken, and I won’t be serving as an EWEB commissioner in 2013. I am humbled by the support of friends, family, and neighbors who went out of their way to help me. Thank you so much for all you did to help me in my campaign.

I’ve spent some time with Steve Mital who will be representing our district and believe him to be capable and competent. If I end up trying my hand at running for office again, I hope it isn’t against such a well spoken and qualified opponent!

I don’t know yet what the next step for me will be, but for now I’ll enjoy having my evenings and weekends back. I learned a lot about EWEB and Eugene during my time campaigning and consider it a valuable experience.

Thanks again for all you did for my campaign, and all you do for our community.

-Will Shaver

Thanks for taking the time to visit my site and learn more about me and what I bring to the EWEB Commission. I became interested in this race when I learned that EWEB is considering installing smart meters. As with any major investment, there are risks and rewards to a smart meter system. I want to help the board maximize those rewards while mitigating the risks. Our community has invested in wind and solar energy sources. Implemented correctly, an automated metering infrastructure can help us maximize that investment, providing us both lower rates and less reliance on non-renewable sources of power.

I’ve been spending my nights and weekends at neighborhood meetings and going door-to-door to meet ratepayers in my district. I hear over and over how EWEB’s rate hikes are a burden on many families. I’ve talked with people on fixed income, single mothers, job seekers, and college students who have all felt the rates climb and are unhappy with paying more each year. This wasn’t my original reason for running, but it is the primary concern of the vast majority of ratepayers I’ve spoken with and therefore has become a prime concern of mine.

As a community we value renewable energy and protecting the environment, I share those values as evidenced through my work on the City of Eugene’s Sustainability Commission. As EWEB commissioner I will work to ensure that we’re getting the most for our ratepayer dollars. If we’re paying extra for carbon-free power I want to ensure that we’re getting the most carbon-free power we can get at the best price.

As an engineer, I’m often faced with problems in complex systems with no simple solution. These are the types of challenges and opportunities that the EWEB commission will be working on over the next four years. I’m excited for the future of Eugene and for the future of EWEB, and I hope you’ll join the many others who have decided to support me by voting for me by May 15th.

I’m always available by email: ShaverForEWEB@gmail.com

-Will