Could undersea turbines near Fort Casey someday generate electricity for Puget Sound homes and businesses?

Snohomish Public Utility District is exploring that question right now to determine whether it makes sense economically and environmentally. The PUD hopes to place two test units in Admiralty Inlet within several years.

Craig Collar, PUD spokesman, will update the Island County Marine Resources Committee on the PUD’s progress when he speaks to the group at 3:30 p.m.  Tuesday, April 3, in the Island County Commissioners hearing room B-102, in the basement of the courthouse annex building in Coupeville.

MRC meetings are open to the public.

The MRC is an advisory body to county government, established in 1999 under the federal Northwest Straits Initiative. Island County is one of six northern Puget Sound counties with MRCs that, together, comprise the Northwest Straits Commission. Congress established the commission as a fresh approach to addressing Puget Sound’s problems by fostering bottom-up, local, innovative solutions, rather than top-down mandates.