Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 13, 2001
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke vows to help keep rural power cooperatives at head of line for Bonneville power

OLYMPIA - Rural Washington power producers should remain at the front of the line for Bonneville Power Administration electricity, Gov. Gary Locke said today.

Locke told members of the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association he would do all he could to ensure they received the preference for BPA power established by President Franklin Roosevelt.

"Your very existence and purpose is based on the premise that rural Washington needs and deserves an affordable supply of power to run your homes, farms and businesses," Locke said.

"And Franklin Roosevelt agreed with you in 1936 when he established the Rural Electrification Administration to help build a power supply network for rural America," he said.

Locke said he would continue to urge President Bush to use temporary price caps to give Washington's utilities and businesses a "time-out" from the current "obscene prices."

"Unfortunately, the administration has made it clear that it does not believe that strong action is necessary. That is unfortunate, because I can tell you, the administration's policy of inaction is simply not working. And our businesses suffer, our citizens suffer and our economy suffers," Locke warned.

The governor also said he was doing all he could to ensure the state has a stable, affordable supply of electricity.

He said conservation was the first step. He has ordered state and local governments to cut energy use by 10 percent.

Locke said the bipartisan legislative package he introduced would provide incentives and requirements to conserve while providing financial aid for people who need help to pay power bills.

The package also contains incentives and other steps to promote more electrical generation in Washington.

Locke said he also issued an Energy Supply Alert that speeds the use of temporary generators to produce power without compromising air quality.

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Related Links:
- Energy is Money. Think Before You Spend it.
- Proclamation by the Governor - Energy - January 26, 2001
- Governor's Energy Supply Alert Order No. 01-01 (Tacoma Steam Plant)
- Governor's Energy Supply Alert Order No. 01-02 (Temporary Electric Generators)
- Governor's Energy Supply Alert Order No. 01-03 (Energy Conservation)
- Enough Energy for Washington

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