BPA Rates Threatened

Washington residents including Benton PUD customers could see their electricity bills jump under President Bush’s 2007 budget proposal. The budget proposes to direct BPA to use any secondary market revenues in excess of $500 million per year to accelerate payment of BPA’s debt to the U.S. Treasury.   The Northwest Congressional delegation was quick to respond, opposing this proposal that would reverse BPA’s decades-long practice of using it to lower Northwest power rates.  If enacted, the proposal could raise BPA’s electric rates by 10 percent.  Co-chairs of the House Northwest Energy Caucus, Reps. Doc Hastings, Peter Defazio and Greg Walden sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Josh Bolton urging him to not pursue the plan that will negatively impact the Northwest economy. 

Senator Maria Cantwell has launched an online petition against the rate hike, available on her web site at http://cantwell.senate.gov/index.cfm 

Or you may email Secretary Samuel Bodman, U.S. Department of Energy through the People Power website.