185 



interests of the developer. At the least, BPA should disclose 

 the total purchase price and levelized cost of the project under 

 a stated set of operating assumptions. 



THE COUNCIL'S ROLE 



ICNU has consistently supported the Council's role as the 

 regional planning entity. While the Council has led the region 

 in developing the tools for integrated resource planning, other 

 utilities have adapted and enhanced those tools to their 

 individual circumstances. The Council, however, retains the role 

 of viewing planning from a regional context versus the individual 

 planning done by utilities. Even if the region does not follow 

 the "one utility" concept of resource acquisition and operation, 

 it is important that the Council create the "one region" planning 

 benchmark for comparison purposes. The challenge facing the 

 Council is to incorporate into their planning the competitive 

 pressures facing BPA and the region's utilities. A plan that 

 meets the theoretical test of being "least cost", but that leaves 

 BPA or a utility uncompetitive (short or long term) will find 

 difficulty in finding followers. 



