News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 12, 2001
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke, utility representatives agree energy crisis has not abated

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke met today with utility executives on the continuing energy crisis and agreed that the problems have not abated despite the recent drop in wholesale energy costs.

The discussions were part of an on-going series of meetings with utility and energy association representatives to ensure that Washington continues to have affordable, reliable and renewable sources of energy.

"Despite recent stories in the media that we are out of the woods, our energy situation, and in fact our drought situation as well, remains serious and has not abated," Locke said. "We must remain vigilant in our conservation efforts and the public must not become complacent. Only continued conservation efforts will prevent potential blackouts this fall and winter."

"If conservation is the medicine to treat the problem, the medicine is working. Now is not the time to stop, " the governor added.

The governor commended utilities and BPA for their electric load reduction efforts and urged them to continue developing curtailment plans in the event of power disruption. The Northwest Power Planning Council is forecasting a 12- to 17-percent chance of blackouts occurring in Washington this fall and winter.

The governor was joined at the meeting by:

Steve Wright, BPA acting administrator
Steve Hickok, BPA chief operating officer
Gary G. Ely, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, Avista Corporation
William Weaver, president and chief executive officer, Puget Sound Energy, Inc.
Kevin Lynch, director of government affairs, PacifiCorp
Steve Klein, superintendent, Tacoma Power
Jim Harding, external affairs director, Seattle City Light
Stan Finkelstein, executive director, Association of Washington Cities
Paul Elias, general manager, Snohomish PUD
Wayne Nelson, chief executive order and general manager, Clark Public Utilities
Roger Braden, general manager, Chelan County PUD
Dennis Robinson, general manager, Cowlitz County PUD
Michael McInnes, general manager, Clallam County PUD
Steve Johnson, executive director, Washington PUD Association
Chuck Dawsey, general manager, Benton Rural Electric Association
Robin Rego, general manager, Lakeview Light & Power
Bill Miller Jr., general manager, Nespelem Co-op
Aaron Jones, executive director, Washington Rural Electric Co-op Association

Locke plans to hold additional meetings with the group this summer and fall.

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