268 



Western Montana electric 

 Generating & Transmission cooperative, inc. 



1209 Mount Ave. 

 Missoula. MT 59801-5601 



(406) 721-0945 

 FAX (406) 721-3738 



TESTIMONY OF RONALD H WILKERSON. MANAGER 



WESTERN MONTANA ELECTRIC 

 GENERATING & TRANSMISSION COOPERATIVE, INC. 



BEFORE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 



BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION TASK FORCE 



U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



JULY 12, 1993; PORTLAND, OREGON 



My name is Ron Wilkerson and I reside in Missoula, Montana. I am manager of the Western 

 Montana Electric Generating & Transmission Cooperative, Inc., commonly referred to as the Western 

 Montana G&T. This organization represents the interests of six rural electric cooperatives serving 

 approximately 40,000 rural accounts in approximately 50,000 square miles in Western Montana, all 

 of which purchase their entire power requirements from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). 



My testimony today is presented also on behalf of the Montana Electric Cooperative Association 

 representing 26 electric distribution cooperatives throughout the State of Montana. Each rural 

 electric cooperative is governed by an elected Board of Trustees. Other forms of public power, such 

 as municipal utilities, public utility districts, and peoples utility districts, are also governed by elected 

 officials. These public power utilities are responsible to consumers through such governing officials 

 elected by the consumers. 



Thank you for inviting me to testify, and to contribute in a positive way to assessing how the 

 Regional Act and its key players, BPA and the Council, are performing; and to make constructive 

 suggestions on areas where improvements can be made. My educational and experiential background 

 allows considerable insight about the workings of the utility industry in the Pacific Northwest. As a 

 native Montanan, I received a degree in electrical engineering from Montana State University in 

 Bozeman, Montana and have been a registered professional engineer for nearly 30 years I retired 

 from the Federal government in 1988 with 34 years of service including 23 years with the Bonneville 

 Power Administration and four years as Administrator of the Southwestern Power Administration in 

 Tulsa, Oklahoma. Virtually my entire career with BPA involved working directly with BPA's 

 customers. Positions included Idaho Falls Area Power Manager/Area Engineer, Montana District 

 Manager, and Upper Columbia Area Manager. During those years, I accepted several special 

 assignments, including serving for nearly a year as BPA's Environmental Manager and Director of 

 "Role EIS" Preparation. The "Role EIS" was the late 1970's effort to examine through a 



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