104 



opinion for only Bonneville, but don't include updated estimates for other Federal 

 agencies. 



Question I note that the estimated cost of the Biological Opinion could 

 include an extra $297 million per year by 2001 if draw downs are implemented 

 What is the Opinion's direction relative to drawdown of the lower Snake River 

 projects'' 



Answer The Biological Opinion's direction regarding drawdown of the 

 lower Snake River projects is to proceed with studies and certain design work that 

 would need to occur if a decision was made in the future to proceed with 

 implementation There is no direction in the Biological Opinion to proceed with 

 drawdown The National Marine Fisheries Service's Biological Opinion neither 

 supports nor rejects drawdown of the lower Snake River projects Recognizing 

 scientific uncertainty, the Opinion emphasizes the need for and importance of 

 research, monitoring, and evaluation leading to a decision point in 1999 regarding 

 whether to implement drawdown or an alternative approach such as transportation 

 and use of surface collectors 



Question Many of Bonneville's customers are considering leaving, and 

 some are actually acting to leave, BPA's system What contract rights does 

 Bonneville have to preclude customers from leaving the system'^ 



Answer A customer might leave Bonneville's system by requesting 

 termination of its entire contract, or it may simply provide notice consistent with 

 the terms of the contract to reduce, in whole or in part, the amount of power it 

 purchases from Bonneville for the remainder of the 20 year contract term up to 

 June 30, 2001 



Under utility contracts, a utility customer can terminate its Bonneville 

 service by giving 7 years' notice and submitting a Firm Resource Exhibit, stating 

 what non-Federal resources will be dedicated to ser\'e its firm regional load and 

 showing no load on Bonneville Bonneville must then determine whether that 

 "termination will cause no adverse economic impacts on Bonneville's other 

 customers". The contract does not fijrther define "adverse economic impacts," nor 

 does it specify any particular method of how any amount of money would be 

 calculated or how it would be charged 



A direct-service industry customer can terminate Bonneville service for any 

 reason, in whole or in part, by merely giving Bonneville 12 months' notice of 

 termination The direct-service industry contract provides that a direct-service 

 industry terminating service must reimburse Bonneville for unrecoverable costs 

 incurred by Bonneville through the term of the contract by reason of the 

 termination These costs include the unamortized investment, if any, in Bonneville 

 substation or transmission facilities whose primary purpose is to serve the direct- 



