S-682                 _______________________________________________

                                          SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 8001

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senators Rasmussen, Barr and Bauer

Read first time 1/16/87 and referred to Committee on Energy & Utilities.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

WHEREAS, The Bonneville Power Administration proposed on December 29, 1986, to increase its electric rates by more than fifteen percent; and

          WHEREAS, The Bonneville Power Administration has proposed to levy the largest rate increases on its captive customers, including municipal utilities, public utility districts, and residential customers of private utilities in this state; and

          WHEREAS, The state of Washington historically has depended on low and stable electric rates as a stimulus for greater jobs and economic development of the state; and

          WHEREAS, The economy of the state of Washington already is weak, in part from past electricity price increases; and

          WHEREAS, The proposed rate increases come at a time when other energy prices are falling and electric utilities will be unable to compete effectively for business; and

          WHEREAS, Any rate increase at this time is likely to reduce the use of electricity and add to the already large surplus of electric energy; and

          WHEREAS, The Bonneville Power Administration already has made large and damaging reductions in its energy conservation budget that threaten to increase the long run cost of power; and

          WHEREAS, We believe that cuts in other areas of the Bonneville Power Administration's budget would allow that agency to protect its conservation programs and meet its financial obligations without a rate increase; and

          WHEREAS, We believe that a rate increase at this time would needlessly harm the ratepayers of the state of Washington without solving the Bonneville Power Administration's underlying revenue problems;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that every effort should be made to convince the Bonneville Power Administration that the proposed rate increases are unnecessary and unproductive; and

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the Bonneville Power Administration, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.