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Show PSC denies request fo r re hearing on sale The Utah Public Service Commission Monday denied, a petition for rehearing the sale of CP National electric properties in southwestern Utah to Utah Power & Light Co. The Commission had approved the sale on June 4, after several months of hearings and deliberation. Later, a group of mayors from most cities in the area filed for the rehearing, joined later by the Parowan Pumpers Association and UP&L. The rehearing was asked for basically in contention of the parts of the PSC order which required UP&L, al ter purchasing the system, to provide options for the cities in the area to purchase the distribution systems within their city limits, UP&L felt that the requirement was beyond the scope of the Commission. The mayors felt that th6 order should be extended to include the transmission lines, the prize in the system, according to Southwest Utah Power Federation officials, which have been trying to purchase the system for some time. Barbara Starr, president of the Federation, was happy with the decision, stating that the clarifications the Commission made in the order, were a double victory lor the public power proponents. "We had a victory in two ways," she said. First, the order states that UP&L must negotiate with the cities as a group, rather than individually. The Federation had feared that if UP&L were allowed to break them into factions, fac-tions, the negotiations would be slanted in UP&L's lavor. "We feel that has strengthened our negotiations position considerably," she said. Second, the order states that if negotiaions reach a snag, the PSC will step in as a mediator. Again, said Starr, this order relieved fears that UP&L would negotiate unfairly. This will "make sure we get a fair shake," said Starr Even though she sees this as a victory, vic-tory, Starr said the Federation is still going to move toward purchasing the transmission lines, but will negotiate in good faith with UP&L. "It's obvious to me that municipal power is a whole lot closer in Cedar City than it was'yesterday," she concluded. |