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conservation acquisitions, working with utilities in relicensing and licensing 

 processes to show how a utility's conservation efforts compare with the Plan, 

 participating in siting initiatives of utilities and resource developers, and providing 

 a forum for exchanging information on the effectiveness of implementation actions. 

 In actions specifically related to Bonneville, the Council is participating in 

 Bonneville's efforts to decentralize and to accelerate the acquisition of 

 conservation, and, in response to Bonneville's budget cuts, is working with 

 Bonneville to find efficiencies and new conservation delivery approaches. 



The strengths of the Council's involvement in resource acquisitions and specifically 

 in section 6(c) reviews includes providing the region with a system of checks and 

 balances for major resource acquisitions. This is achieved through a process of 

 competing analysis and creative tension. The dual public processes also provide 

 additional opportunity for public review a.nH comment on Bonneville's major 

 resource proposals A consistency determination by the Council provides clear 

 public support for an acquisition. The composition of the Council itself also 

 ensures that States' issues and concerns will be reviewed within the regional 

 context In addition to providing a forum to exchange ideas and information, the 

 Council's informal involvement in implementation of the Plan also promotes the 

 value of conservation as a resource and encourages its acquisition by both public 

 and private utilities. 



The weaknesses to Council participation in resource acquisitions and specifically 

 in section 6(c) reviews is the duplication of effort and the additional time 

 required to conduct the dual processes. The dual process also provides an 

 opportunity for parties to "end run" Bonneville, by providing controversial 

 testimony in the Council's process after declining to participate in Bonneville's 



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