The Bainbridge city council talked again this week about the proposal to create a city-owned utility to replace Puget Sound Energy as the provider of electricity to Bainbridge.

Island Power, the grassroots group that began lobbying the city last year to put the formation of a Bainbridge-based, nonprofit power utility on the ballot, has been pushing for a November vote.

The notion for an island-based power company has many supporters, and for good reason. Much of the reasoning for creating a Bainbridge electric utility rests on the prospect of green power and reducing our reliance on coal-generated electricity as the world continues to come to grips with global climate change.

Supporters also note that putting Bainbridge in charge of our electric power supply would give islanders local control of the utility, which would be more responsive to islanders on power outages, reliability, accountability and other issues.

There is no doubt that the proposal for a Bainbridge utility has much support; more than 1,200 people signed petitions calling for the formation of a nonprofit electric utility last year.

City officials wisely decided, however, that such a proposal needed an expert study to determine cost and feasibility before the proposal is put on the ballot.

This week, the city received estimates for such a study from companies willing to do the work. Estimates range from $99,300 to $490,000.

And so it’s here where we join the voices of those urging caution on the Bainbridge utility proposal.

Some critics have noted potentially high acquisition costs to buy out PSE, with recent estimates topping $100 million. Ratepayers, of course, will be the ones who pay off the bonds that would be used to acquire the needed infrastructure.

There’s also been concern — valid, we think — about Bainbridge’s ability to manage its existing utilities. One critic has noted the city’s history of exorbitant water rates, sky high sewer rates and a surface stormwater rate that is triple the U.S. average and roughly double the rate charged by Kitsap County.

Now comes concern over the potential six-figure cost of the feasibility study being considered. For those of us worried about the city’s reliance on high cost consultants, we can only begin to imagine the pricey consultant contracts that taxpayers will be asked to fund once the proposition gets a “yes” vote at the ballot box.

In our view, a November — or even February — vote is premature. Much more time is needed to consider the merits of an island power company. Some folks don’t need more convincing. We do.