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National Marine Fisheries Service's independent Recovery Team, led by Dr. Donald 

 Bevan. We ask you to urge NMFS to adopt this plan as the formal plan for salmon 

 recovery. The Recovery Team's plan focuses on much more than just river passage. 

 Their plan is comprehensive; and, if implemented, will work as a long-term solution 

 for salmon over the entire Columbia River Basin. 



With respect to fish survival at the dams, the Recovery Team's plan includes 

 measures that provide for safe migration of both juvenile and adult salmon — with- 

 out requiring the dismantling of the hydropower system and the attendant rate im- 

 pacts. We are calling on you to keep that from happening, because the federal hy- 

 dropower system is clearly among our region's foremost assets. 



Public power continues to support salmon recovery programs that are based on 

 good science. But salmon recovery must be both balanced and effective. Current fed- 

 eral mandates to drastically change river operations are threatening BPA's competi- 

 tive position and the decades-long relationship the government has with public 

 power. Ultimately, Bonneville's ability to fund fish recovery will be constrained by 

 the competitive market price of energy. To remain competitive, BPA must control 

 its costs. 



Bonneville now has no control over fish measures that effect hydro generation and 

 drive up costs. While public power has no desire to abandon BPA, some of us are 

 being driven away due to uncertainty about Bonneville's future power rates. More- 

 over we cannot commit to paying uncompetitive power rates particularly when they 

 are caused by irresponsible and unwarranted fish protection schemes. We are being 

 forced by our own retail competitive pressures to look to the marketplace for our 

 power supply because of both our concern about BPA's future and the competitive 

 offers from other suppliers. 



We urge the federal government to continue its commitment to public power and 

 to the promise of an economic, efficient, affordable and reliable power supply with- 

 out abandoning its commitment to the salmon. Once a sustainable, cost-effective 

 salmon solution is adopted, we commit our support to its implementation and find- 

 ing. However, this support is dependent on the government's commitment to good 

 science, and a reasonable limit on fish recovery costs borne by the operators of the 

 coordinated hydropower system. Any limit on fish recovery costs must include all 

 impacts on the operators of the coordinated system, including the non-federal par- 

 ties. 



Further, we urge you to resist any proposals to transfer fish costs to transmission 

 or other non-power revenue sources. We do not support attempts to correct the find- 

 ing problems by simply shifting the burden other payment mechanisms; such as, 

 exit fees or transmission rates. Congress must address the level of statutory respon- 

 sibility BPA has to find salmon recovery directly. BPA does not have unlimited abil- 

 ity to absorb all the costs being assigned it for salmon mitigation. 



In conclusion, public power urges you to consider the following key points: 



(1.) Congress must oppose radical river operation schemes and urge immediate 

 adoption of the Recovery Team's plan. 



(2.) BPA's competitiveness will be determined by the marketplace. BPA customers 

 are not a bottomless deep-pocket for finding a fish program that is essentially an 

 unfunded federal mandate. BPA's limited ability to fund fish recovery must be con- 

 sidered and accommodated. 



(3.) The impact of salmon recovery is a region- wide issue, not just a problem for 

 BPA. The region's salmon, economy and power supply are all at stake, and there 

 must be a comprehensive, sustainable fix that balances all three. 



(4.) Transferring costs to transmission or other non-power services is not an ac- 

 ceptable solution. 



Thank you for the opportunity to discuss these vital issues with you today. Public 

 power extends its commitment to work with you to save the salmon and assure the 

 continued viability of the Bonneville Power Administration. 



Portland General Electric Co. 



statement of richard e. dyer, senior vice president 



Senator Hatfield. Mr. Richard E. Dyer, senior vice president of 

 Portland General Electric Co., who has stepped into this situation 

 on very short notice. 



Please convey to your president, Mr. Richard Reiten, not only our 

 regrets of his inability to be here, but for the reasons, and that we 

 are very sorry to hear about his father's health situation. 



