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Show UP&L lays negotiation ramors to rest f ' ' , ' , , '.' ' : , , " . ' h , . - ' - ' " .1 - w ': I H I fee f?7 ; v - 5Air- ' " 'J I By BRUCE LEE Record Assoc. Editor Utah Power & Light Co. still intends on purchasing the CP National electrical elec-trical system in southwest Utah and has not permitted, and does not plan to permit, CPN to negotiate with the (Southwest Utah Cooperative Power Federation. That was the word of Darcie H. White, vice president, public and corporate relations for UP&L, in a press conference called Friday in an effort "to set the record straight." The need for the clarification arose after officials from the Public Service Commission, UP&L, CPN and the SUCPF told the Iron County Record earlier this month that such negotiations could very possibly be allowed. A news release handed out by White said that UP&L, "will not amend its contract with CPN for renegotiation with the Southwest Utah Cooperative Power Federation or the Southwest Power Agency." White admitted that there may have ! been some very informal conversations v concerning such an agreement, but that they had never amounted to anything. He also noted that officials of UP&L had met with the PSC and had clarified the company's intents to carry forward the sale. The news release also pointed out that in December of 1979,following the signing of the letter of intent between UP&L and CPN, UP&L had agreed to allow CPN to enter into further negotiations with the Federation. "Subsequently, CPN informed UP&L that, despite long and tedious negotiations, efforts had consistently failed." SUCPF President Carl Palmer, when questioned about the string of events, said, that such statements simply weren't true. ' 'CPN never came back and gave us a chance to counter offer after the letter of intent was signed last year." In addition, since word was received the last month that UP&L was supposedly sup-posedly agreeable to negotiations, CPN has not cooperated. "We have tried a number of times ... to get in touch with CPN, and each time, we have been met with various excuses," he said. The issue as to who will eventually own the power system in the area has been hotly contested for well over a year now. Currently the PSC is deliberating whether to allow the sale , agreed upon between UP&L and CPN last year. White said he did not know when that long-awaited decision would come, but he hoped that the clarification by UP&L would speed up the process. While in Cedar City, White also answered an-swered several other questions con cerning the issues surrounding the proposed sale. When asked about allegations by Palmer concerning the granting of franchises to UP&L by the cities involved. in-volved. White said the company would deal with that when necessary. Palmer has said in past correspondence correspon-dence that the cities, if UP&L were granted the right to buy the system, would not grant the franchises, thus j making it illegal for the company to operate. i White pointed out that the franchises currently owned by CPN would be sold to UP&L as part of the purchase agreement. As these expired, he said, the company would have to deal with each municipality individually. Jay Gardner, UP&L Telluride Division manager, noted further that he had been in contact with several area mayors and that they had not expressed such an opinion to him. When asked about why UP&L had not responded to the many charges leveled against the company since the PSC hearings ended in October, White said that he didn't feel that the issue before the PSC should be decided outside of the regular hearings. "We feel that the forum for deciding that is the PSC," he said. "We don't think it ought to be tried and decided in the press." Darcie H. White (left), vice president, public and corporate relations, UP&L, discusses his company's position concerning con-cerning an alleged agreement by UP&L to allow the SUCPF to negotiate again for the purchase of the CPN electrical facilities in the area. Looking on are Jay Gardner (center), UP&L Telluride Division manager, and Karl Hansen (right), CPN manager, Utah Operations. |