The following letter was sent to the governors of the four states of the
Pacific Northwest,
Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington DC 20515
March 17, 1997
Dear Governor:
We are writing to inform you that we have formed a Northwest energy caucus consisting of every member of the House delegation from the four state Northwest region.
We are motivated by a strong sense of urgency: action on national utility industry restructuring legislation will begin in the House this year. It is not inconceivable that legislation could be reportcd from the committees of jurisdiction as early as late this year. There's no question that national legislation will affect our regional interests. We need to begin discussing issues and developing options now so we can be prepared to draft legislation later this year that represents a regional consensus on the future of the Bonneville Power Administration and the region's energy system.
As our first order of business, we have agreed on three principles that will guide our work. First, we will endeavor to retain the benefits of the Columbia River basin's hydroelectric system for the region. Second, we will work to ensure that the region's obligations to the United States Treasury continue to be fully satisfied. And finally, we will strive for consensus within the delegation through working cooperatively and avoiding partisanship.
We are fully aware that you have appointed a Transition Board to coordinate the implementation of the Regional Review of the Northwest's energy system. We intend to work closely with the Transition Board as we begin to develop legislation at the federal level.
One of our first orders of business will be to determine which of the Regional Review's recommendations may require legislation at the federal level and what specific issues will need to be addressed in that legislation. We will then seek to identify issues that may require federal legislation, but which were not addressed by the Regional Review or on which the Review failed to reach consensus. We would appreciate any advice or assistance the Transition Board can give us as we wrestle with these questions. In particular, we would appreciate receiving the Board's assessment of the recommendations requiring federal legislation by no later than June 1, 1997,
Finally, we urge the Transition Board to place a high priority on making progress on issues that were not fully resolved by the Regional Review. Our work will be made much less difficult to the extent that the region is in agreement.
We look forward to working with you and your representatives on the Transition Board as we seek to continue the admirable work of the Regional Review.