392 



Conservation program funding. We believe that Bonneville 

 should provide the utilities with programs. We also feel that each 

 utility should be required to carry the costs. Number three, Federal 

 debt payments. There is no reasonable rationale to change the 

 terms and conditions under which the Northwest is required to pay 

 for Federal facilities located in the Northwest. 



The citizens of the Northwest are doing enough by paying for 

 Federal facilities in the Northwest when other Federal facilities lo- 

 cated throughout the nation, that add to the general economic 

 wellbeing of a local area, are psiid for all by United States citizens. 



This matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible so that rea- 

 sonable economic planning can be accomplished. Fourth, we feel 

 that this Committee and Congress generally should return Bonne- 

 ville to its original charter, that of marketing power from the Fed- 

 eral Base System and providing transmission from generating fa- 

 cilities to load centers. 



On resource acquisition programs, the public power systems, 

 such as the one I represent, are operated by grassroots elected offi- 

 cials. Our effectiveness is directly proportionate to what our cus- 

 tomers desire from us. Our customers do not understand or accept 

 edicts that come down from the top. Directives from regional coun- 

 cils or even from the state are looked at as infringements on their 

 rights as citizens. 



Conservation, for instance, serves large metropolitan areas well 

 and their citizens support those efforts. The commerce and indus- 

 try in these areas are in place. In our area, a very rural area, we 

 are more concerned with developing commerce and industry just to 

 have a job to feed our families. Regional planning, conservation ac- 

 quisition, new resource rates for single loads, both new loads and 

 existing, hinder, if not stop rural growth. 



This is not acceptable to our customers and no amount of ex- 

 plaining and all the higher ideals changes their focus. How are we 

 dealing with this issue? We are developing our own resources out- 

 side of this political arena. Our only fear is that some Congressman 

 or Senator, for, yes, all the moral and just reasons, make our ef- 

 forts futile. 



By the way, our customers support our effort by an 82 percent 

 favorable vote on our bonding authorization ballot measure held in 

 November 1992. BPA can be a partner with Clatskanie in this ef- 

 fort. Recently BPA has been effective in assisting us in developing 

 a cogeneration project that will not only help our industrial cus- 

 tomers stay in business, but provides a relatively cheap, depend- 

 able power resource for the region. BPA is to be commended for its 

 efforts with this project. 



We believe that Bonneville has made a good start toward devel- 

 oping fair and realistic resource acquisition policies. We do not 

 sense any desire on Bonneville's part to acquire more expensive re- 

 sources than necessary to meet Bonneville's forecasted needs. Bon- 

 neville has and exhibits absolutely no motivation to pay more for 

 new resources than Bonneville must pay, given market conditions 

 and requirements imposed by law. 



The problem is that so many new resources are being proposed 

 to Bonneville that it is very difficult to fairly evaluate the choices. 

 Furthermore, Bonneville is justifiably concerned about administra- 



