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these responsibilities equitable treatment, on a par with power 

 considerations . 



Our comments to BPA on these shortcomings have apparently 

 fallen on deaf ears. The proposal to restructure BPA as a 

 government corporation emerged from the Competitiveness Project, 

 and shares the same emphasis on a more business-like BPA. 



From a fisheries perspective, BPA should operate less like a 

 business and more like a government agency. BPA should actively 

 encourage multiple uses of the Columbia waterway, not only to meet 

 its customers' interests, but also the broader public interest. 



Q. What advantages or disadvantages would there be to Bonneville 

 and the Pacific Northwest's electric ratepayers in restructuring 

 Bonneville into a government corporation? 



There is no question that BPA could be more efficient, or that 

 increased efficiency could benefit the ratepayers of the Northwest. 

 However, many efficiency measures do not actually require BPA to 

 be restructured as a government corporation. From our experience 

 with the BPA bureaucracy, we believe that many improvements can and 

 should be made under the agency's existing management structure. 



By the same token, BPA could be restructured into a government 

 corporation and continue to operate in a bureaucratic and 

 inefficient manner. Becoming a government corporation is not a 

 wave of the magic wand that will automatically make BPA efficient. 



The resolution of fish conflicts with hydroelectric operations 

 through a settlement agreement and a least cost plan for fish and 

 power, as we have recommended, would further benefit electric 

 ratepayers. These steps could provide a level of stability and 

 certainty for hydroelectric operations that does not now exist, 

 creating a better business climate for the Northwest overall. 



Q. Would a government corporation structure either enhance or 

 diminish Bonneville's ability to comply with its statutory mandates 

 to meet social and environmental goals, including the protection 

 of fish and wildlife? 



BPA's restructuring as a government corporation could diminish 

 its motivation to comply with its fishery mandates, for the reasons 

 we have already discussed. On the other hand, the process of 

 restructuring could be used in a positive way, to promote 

 fundamental changes in BPA before restructuring occurs, including 

 a settlement of Columbia fish flow and passage disputes, as we have 

 recommended. 



