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and wildlife program and then play no part in overseeing their implementation. 

 Congress intended that the states, through the Council, would play an active role. 



A creative tension probably is what Congress intended by giving the Council 

 specific oversight authority in the Act. Various parts of Section 4 expressly foresee 

 that the Council be involved in implementing its plan, including the authority to oversee 

 actions of the Bonneville administrator "...to determine whether such actions are 

 consistent with the plan and programs," a power that clearly interjects the Council into 

 an implementation activity. 



The House Interior Committee summed up its expectation in the following way: 



... the Council has a continuing and important role under subsections 

 (h) [fish and wildlife program, including the annual report to Congress], 

 (i) [reviewing the actions of the Administrator] and (j) [request to 

 Administrator for specific resource acquisition] in addition to its 

 responsibility to review the plan and consider future changes. The 

 Council is expected to exercise its responsibilities under section 4 

 carefully and diligently. [H. Report 96-976, Part I, p. 58] 



In total, these provisions suggest that Congress intended an active role for the 

 Council in monitoring and promoting implementation of its plan and program. 



There are problems regarding the exercise of our authority, however, that go to 

 the heart of this task force's work. In fi'aming the Northwest Power Act, Congress and 

 the Northwest Governors wanted to be sure that our region's long history of reliable, 

 low-cost electric power would continue. In addition, these officials wanted the Act to 

 encourage energy conservation and the other priority resources. 



These principles are reflected in the Act, which gives highest priority to energy 

 conservation to meet future demand for electricity. But the Act also gives the Council 

 specific authorities that, while perhaps appropriate at the time the Act was passed, 

 appear heavy-handed today. For example, while the Act allows the Council to 

 establish utility conservation standards, the Act also allows the Council to recommend 

 a surcharge on rates for any of Bonneville's customer utilities that do not undertake 

 conservation programs. Congress and the Northwest governors wanted to insure that 

 the council envisioned by the Act would have authority to disapprove new regional 

 generating plants if it were determined demand for power could be met with plants that 

 cost less or had less impact on the environment. In a related matter, the Act allows the 



