Show Sen Senator tor Sees Bonneville Power i As Thre Threat t to River Sen Wallace F Bennett R Utah Friday called the Bon Bon- Bonneville neville Power Administration's tion's proposed trans trans- transmission mission line to Southern Ida ho unnecessary uneconomic I and unworthy The Utahn testified in the Senate Senate Appropriations Sub Sub- committee committe on the Bureau of Reclamation Budget which lists a 1 m million item for designing planning and start ing a transmission line some miles miles long from McNary Dam In Oregon across South ern Idaho to to the city of Alex Alex- Alexander Alexandcr ander In Eastern Idaho SEN BENNETT said the theline line would d seriously ef effect e t the theR R Reclamation n program and the and coal industries and the entire West He traced the history of the theline line Urie and t told Id the Senators in the Committee about a twenty year contract with Monsanto Chemical Co whereby would supply 1200 kilowatts of phosphate phosphate phate furnace load at a sub sub- subsidized prIce of about 2 or 3 mills I do not wish to appear dramatic on this issue Sen Bennet saId But this power line if authorized by Con Con- Congress gress very easily could spell the end of reclamation in the West HE SAID Many projects in Utah Including the vast Upper Colorado River Storage I Project were authorized and money was appropriated by Congress with the under under- understanding understanding standing that certaIn electric rates for power generated at such projects would be necessary sary Nevertheless the edict of including Southern Idaho in marketing area re- re reduced re- re reduced the electric rates in that area by some 40 percent per thus reducing the revenues from reclamation projects and completely breaking faith with Congress This procedure seriously I jeopardizes the possibility of obtaining authorization to construct additional reclamation I tion projects in the arid and West he saId Just last week the Upper Colorado I River Commissioners were here to ask for funds to con con- continue continue the Upper Colorado Riv- Riv River River er Storage Project What leg could we stand on if power revenues were jeopardized as they would be by this inva inva- inva invasion sion of cheap power SEN BENNETT said It is difficult f for r me to understand how Bonneville Power plans to write off the eventual cost of the m million power line and still maintain the 2 or 3 mill rate It has contract contract- contracted contracted ed to provide He said The taxpayers will have to provIde the funds while power customers get the benefits The Utahn pointed out that there is no shortage of power In the area which might just just- justify this kind of subsidy from the general treasury PRIVATE ATE POWER compa compa- companies nies ar taking care of pre pre pre- present sent ne needs ds with help from reclamation projects he said He also expressed concern about the coal mIners who would be put out of work should the BP A line be ap- ap approved approved proved Bonneville Power Admin Admin- Administration Administration would supply energy over the proposed transmission transmission sion line to displace energy that would be produced by bythe bythe the private enterprise utilities using fired coal steam production 1 tion he said |