138 



We are nowhere near those objectives today. The Task Force 

 will hear much about the Council's objective of achieving 1500 

 average Megawatts of conservation by the year 2 000, and about BPA's 

 660 Megawatt share of that objective. Administrator Hardy insists 

 that BPA "has not reduced its 10-year target for conservation 

 acquisitions — approximately 660 [average] megawatts", and I am 

 glad to hear it.^ But it is important to remind the Administrator 

 that his "target" is all cost-effective conservation, not the 

 number he has chosen; the Council has emphasized repeatedly that 

 the figure that the Administrator cites "is not to be interpreted 

 as a cap."* 



The Council has recognized that "the actual amount of 

 efficiency improvements could be higher, depending on how well 

 acquisition mechanisms work, how quickly the infrastructure is 

 developed to support this level of acquisition and the rate of 

 development of new conservation measures."' I worry that 

 Administrator Hardy is interpreting the Council's goal as a cap, 

 and that his continuing rate-driven budget cuts put even the 

 minimum objective at risk. 



Concerns about the pace of regional conservation acquisition 

 should not stop with BPA. I hope the Task Force will register its 

 distress also about the Snohomish PUD's dismantling of one of the 

 region's most productive conservation programs, and about the 

 generally sluggish pace of conservation at most investor-owned 

 utilities by comparison with the acknowledged regional leader, 

 Puget Power. 



In 1991 alone, Puget 's programs accounted for energy savings 

 equivalent to 65% of those reported for the rest of the Pacific 



^BPA Press Release, June 3, 1993 ("Conservation Costs Trimmed, 

 but Not Target Megawatts") . 



'Northwest Power Planning Council, note 6 above, at p. 33. 



'Id. 



