Show r 1 f Western Resources s I WRAP WRAP-UP 4 ItI i I rf i r s i w I f It I j di 1 I Study on power rates I t I IiI L winterizing winfer and water meeting I By Helene C Vernal Express Washington Correspondent Washington Public power rates will Increase not decrease If the Western Area Power Administration abandons its ultimate development con con- concept concept for irrigation units in Pick Sloan Missouri Basin Project in recommending recommending ding new power rates That is the surprising concluSion of a study that Edwin C Speare a time long federal power marketing specialist at Billings Mont did for the West Mid Electric Consumers Inc of Evergreen Colo in August Prior to his retirement last year Speare worked on power marketing for both the Bureau of Reclamation and Speare's conclusion does not necessarily mean that dropping authorized authorized ed irrigation units never likely to be beb b built rom power pow i rate r 1 calculations I W will wW Increase costs of power But it can In the Pick Sloan project according to Speare whose expertise in that area is widely acknowledged He worked on Sloan Pick power marketing data for years is a power marketing agency within the Department of Energy DOE created in 1977 DOE has a regulation which allows costs of future projects to tobe tobe be included In the rate base for a project only If such costs are expected to be incurred in- in incurred within five years of the date of the repayment study with certain exceptions Both and the Bureau of Reclamation have used the ultimate development concept In fixing public power rateS from Pick Sloan dams on the Missouri River because they believed they were required to do so by law and by legal opinions given to the Bureau of Reclamation and to by govern govern- government government ment power attorneys since 1950 and by policy West Mid asked Speare to make a comparison of power rates using a five five- year use current concept with the ultimate development concept Current use over a year five period would drop dropout out outmost most of the planned future irrigation development de of the Pick Sloan project as very little federal irrigation has been built Into the project to date since its authorization in the 1944 Flood Control Act e a completed ted in n late summer Historically the revenues from public power features help pay for irrigation costS In federal purpose multiple pro pro- projects jests such as the Missouri Basin project Revenues should be high enough to pay for both by law Power facUlties facilities are to be paid in 50 years and irrigation units within 60 years from the time of delivery of water for Ir- Ir Irrigation irrigation in the state eight Pick Sloan pro pro- project project in August sought a 10 per per- percent percent cent increase in the Sloan Pick public power rate based on the ultimate development concept Three Missouri Basin public power users have asked to intervene in the case now before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asking that the year five use current concept be used in- in instead Instead stead So West Mid asked Speare to tomake tomake make a comparison of the potential dif dif- difference ference in rates COLORADO SET GOAL OF UNITS TO BE WINTERIZED FOR 2nd YEAR W Washington Colorado lorado has set a goal or of winterizing homes and rental units for a second year of a pilot 1 program to aid low income and elderly residents cut their utility bills During the first year that the program was In operation from February through July 15 th pilot th than rp met t tits its target goal of winterized units units The state winterized units and assisted persons including homeowners and renters Of this group were elderly 1663 were han han- handicapped capped and were blind Colorado launched this new conserva conserva- conservation tion program last year using Low Low- Income Energy Assistance Program funds made available by bv Con Con- Congress Congress gress gress in the Budget Act cf of 1981 1961 The Act allowed up to 15 percent of the block grant to be used for The pilot program was started by Floyd Ciruli of the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation There is a going on as to whether f tion should go l high cost cost gh-cost or low cost We Wego Wego go low cost Ciruli recently told up up He claims homeowners and renters whose renting units have r received low cost ier Ie caulking weather stripping etc over 10 percent on a heating bill For an expenditure expenditure of 13 million in low cost the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation estimates can be saved annually by the households that were assisted during the past year Ciruli said The program p concentrate on on low low- low mt cast measures that applied approximately 50 worth of materials to a home or apart apart- apartment apartment ment to reduce air infiltration and heat loss in five years furnaces hot water heaters caulking and for doors windows and other areas The program was designed to adapt from block grants coupled with the die 4 lower funding levels that government programs face in the Ciruli told an energy conference in Tenn on Aug 31 2931 The conference was sponsored by the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties which are pushing energy con con- conservation conservation programs Those who par par- participated participated In the program were asked to respond by postcard and 98 percent of the responses were positive Ciruli said The two percent negative responses were followed up on he pointed out 1 KEY WESTERN MEETINGS IN WEST DURING COMING WEEKS ON RESOURCES Washington depth explanations of the revision of the 1902 Reclamation Act signed into law by President Reagan on Oct 12 and of the right of Indian tribes to t impose severance tax on minerals from their reservations will be made at two key meetings in the West during the coming month The Washington based Washington based National Water Water so lesot ss Ci ti n wU will hold its annual aMual meeting in Salt Lake City from Oct 27 2427 High point of that meeting will willbe willbe be a panel discussion on Oct 27 of the 1982 Reclamation Reform Act S 1409 PL 1409 PL 97 The seven men on the panel are aU all experts on this law of prime importance to Western irrigators Other topics tha that t will be addressed Include the impacts of seeding cloud state water rights dams as point sources of pollution pollution tion dam safety genetic engineering water conservation and financing water projects In including luding cost sharing Also on the agenda possible merger of the Water Resources Congress with which will be discussed by the board on Oct 24 or Oct 25 depending depending ding on what the Congress decides to do doat doat at its board meeting in Portland on Oct 21 2122 also a meeting to be held at the Salt Lake City Salt Palace Oct 28 at h delegates leg tes can an tell the sponsoring Bureau of Reclamation what they believe the parameters of the new reclamation revision rules and regula- regula regulations regulations should cover The Council of Energy Resources Tribes CERT which offices in Washington and Denver will hold its an- an annual annual nual meeting in Denver on Nov 19 1819 A Apanel Apanel panel discussion will be held on both days dayson dayson on the impact that the severance tax rul- rul ruling ruling ing will have on resource development opportunities on Indian reservations The US Supreme Court on n Jan 25 by bya bya a 63 6 vote ruled in the case of Merrion vs Jicarilla Apache that the Jicarilla tribe has the inherent power to impose an energy severance tax on minerals ex- ex extracted extracted from the Jicarilla reservation in Northwestern New Mexico Other topics on on the agenda creation of the new Miner ls Management s iD the theIn- theIn In- In Interior tenor Department j the status of legisla- legisla legislation legislation tion permitting joint ventures and other innovative non lease agreements between bet bet- between tribes and developers There are arenow arenow now 34 tribes with natural resources in CERT Top Administration officials will ad- ad address address dress both conventions |