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Show nnrMrmri utmatf m Messenger-Enterpris- UMPA issues statement on public power UMPA STATEMENT The Utah Municipal Power Agency (UMPA) of which Manti City is a member, has issued a statement regarding federal power and the Colorado River Storage Project. According to UMPA, there has been a great deal of misinformation regarding cheap federal power and federal subsidies in cbnnection with the Colorado River Storage Projects. The fact sheet should set tl. record straight, UMPA said. er-los- ed Power Generated by the Colorado River number of large power plants on the Colorado River generate electricity distributed throughout the West. Among those are plants located at dams build under the Colorado River Storage Projects Act (CRSP) of 1956. The power is marketed by the Western Area Power Administration (Western) of the Department of Energy. The power is sold to preference customers - public entities such as municipalities or cooperatives. Costs of the dams were divided into costs reimbursable to the federal government and costs paid by the federal government or nonreimbursabl e. Reimbursable costs are those associated with power and water uses, and those beneficiaries A -- users, (power irrigators, municipal and industrial) are reimbursing a share of the costs. Costs projects unaffiliated with projects uses arenonreimbursable(recreation, flood control environmental). CRSP power is not highly subsidized by the federal government CRSP required power revenues sufficient to: - recover 100 of the federal investment in power facilities plus interest; - pay 100 of the annual of and maintenance operation power facilities: pay interest on the federal investment during construction; - plus - public bodies purchasing CRSP power. Their extensive demand and supply side conservation programs and research on renewable energy Glen Canyon Dam operations. The draft EIS is scheduled for The EIS completion in will try to incorporate data from the GCES Phases I and II. have existed since before 1980. Since 1980 Western has had a program requiring documen- Finally, last August Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan reduced flows from Glen Canyon Dam by restricting dam releases in time by mid-199- tation of customer areas conservation projects, and the Bureau of 2. and amount. The eight-unpower plant can generate approximately 1300 MW, but with flow restrictions generation it Reclamation alternative power source studies include conservation through demand side management. is reduced by 25 Glen Canyon Dam Issues Update Background to limits are imposed to study of possible mitigation environmental damage below the 4 dam through the completion of the EIS, and to provide predictable flows for the rafting industry. The EIS will mid-199- Forming Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam is on the mainstem of the Colorado River at about state line, and the Arizona-Uta50 miles above the Grand Canyon. Glen Canyon Dam has been used for peaking power - power needed quickly during times of high demand by power users. Customers buying this power are h recommend final flow levels. Current flow restrictions or interim flows are the result of limited research conducted in 1990 and 1991. The various environmental studies associated with Glen Canyon cost approximately $39 million public entities (preference customers) throughout the through FY91 and ultimately will Colorado River Basin states. Traditionally, dam releases have varied between 1000 cubic feet per second (CFS) and 3 1 ,500 CFS water on depending demands, power requirements, and precipitation in the river basin. Glen Canyon Environmental Studies (GCES) Phase I was begun in 1982 to study the environment below the dam and dam operations. Concluding in 1987, the studies did not find a strong correlation between dam releases and endangered species total million. approximately $102 Issues Update Glen Canyon Protection Act Now awaiting conference committee, the Glen Canyon Protection ACT is Title XVIII of the omnibus water bill (IIR429). The Act, as passed by the Senate, includes four provisions sought by the power community: authorizing studies regarding reallocation of costs and of alternative sources of power; confirming the interim flow program established by Interior; and requiring some environmental costs be nonreimbursable to the federal government by power. (Despite provisions to the contrary in the Colorado River Storage Projects Act of 1956, power is being charged for all environmental costs and studies in the canyon.) No word yet on habitat. The GCES general conclusion was the dam blocked so much sediment that beaches below the dam were not being replenished with sand. The National Academy of Sciences reviewed the report determining good scientific practices had not been followed and impacts on power and water economics had not been fully explored. Agreeing power from Glen Canyon Dam. Exception criteria define when Western can exceed interim flow levels (emergencies, system regulation, and use of the capacity of Lake Powell to back up Westerns firm power sales). Only minimal departures ofthe interim flow levels have occurred since Western Summary of any independently owned utility. minimize environmental impacts in the canyons below the dam. However, EPA (not a member of the team) last fall initiated discussions to have the project purpose changed to focus only on alternative ways to operate the dam. If the EIS focuses only on dam operations, other proven of ways minimizing environmental effects in the canyons are lost, such as protecting archaeological sites and managing fisheries. Such a limited EIS is notconsistent with the Glen Canyon Protection Act and other laws and regulations which govern operations (Law of the River"). Nonoperational as well as operational alternatives are important. Glen Canyon Economics Study As 2 Schedule of Events 3:30 p.m 7:00 p.m adequate to meet reimbursability requirements. Consequently, CRSP customers receive less power for the same amount of money. Overall, without flow restrictions, CRSP could generate approximately 1612 MW. Publ ic power is not sold too cheaply." CRSP power marketed to public bodies is a yardstick for competition in the power industry. Every utility blends many power sources (e.g., hydro, to meet customers total power demands. The true comparison is the blended rate utilities charge customers. Publ ic d New Mexico Publ ic Service charges 6.0 centskWh. The Bureau ofReclamation is studyingother sourcesof power d production, such as coal and combustion and plants Sanpete County Farm Bureau Talent Find 7:00 p.m Manti High School Area Miss Sanpete Scholarship Pageant 7:30 p.m Shop Gunnison High School At Home 7:00 and 9:30 p.m A. Support Local Merchants . Steve Wariner TWO BIG SHOWS! LIVE from the Snow College Activity Center, Ephraim TTTTIT ItK :00 to 4:00 p.m Enter Exhibits 4-- H 4-- H Horse Show Books Close at 5:30 p.m. WednesdayAiigustl2$ 6:00 p.m 6:00 p.m 6:00 to 8:00 p.m (MIMste 10:00 a.m 10: 00 a.m 1:00 p.m 1 Big Sky Amusement Carnival Opens Team Penning Lamb Receiving and Try Messenger-Enterpris- e, 35 S. Main, Manti Parade of Participating Vehicles Demolition Derby At the Fairgrounds Enter Beef, Goats 10:00 a.m 10:00 a.m 1 1 :00 a.m 12:00 Noon 4:00 to 7:30 p.m Wedding invitations 5:30 p.m Letterheads Showmanship & Judging Lamb Show & Judging Other Sheep Judging Immediately After Lamb Show Exhibition Building Opens Local Talent Show Front Of Exhibit Building Small Animal Entries 9:00 a.m Business forms Beef Fitting & Hogs Small Animal Judging & Showmanship & Judging Hog Judging Open Class Pet Show Front of Exhibition Building Local Talent Show Front of Exhibition Building Lamb Sale Livestock Bam 8:00 p.m Clegg Championship Rodeo & Bull Fights Dance to Follow Rodeo Music by "Junction 89" Bull-O-Ra- At the Manti High School Tennis Courts Envelopes Business Cards ' & :00 p.m 4:30 to 7:00 p.m 6:30 p.m 7:30 p.m Inc. Weigh-I- n Sheep Fitting and Showmanship Dairy Fitting 4:00 p.m 4:00 to 6:30 p.m coal-fire- power users are paying rates comparable to those charged by investor-owneutilities. For customer CRSP Plains example, Mexico New Electric in charges 5.7 centskWh, while investor-owne- d m VT II, power economics finally are being studied - although studies r Jr. Style Revue Fashion Show (Except Clothing) 30. While producing less electricity, Westerns revenues must remai n 4-- H 6:00 p.m restrictions have reduced to 4--H Power required by GCES Phase ' I iThursdayyAUgustl20 1 CRSP dam release restrictions are being imposed and environmental for recreational purposes. For example, Glen Canyon Dams eight-uni- t power plant can 1350 MW, but flow generate generation by 25 users. Sanpete County -- customers significant cost impacts to power 1992 investment in CRSP irrigation facilities beyond the ability" of irrigators to repay - over 95 at this point. the mid-199- Impact repay all the federal So, in return for a $974 million investment, the federal government will receive over $5 billion in CRSP power revenues. This 500 return on investment paid by CRSP power users is much higher than that paid by and A concerted effort is being Since last year the cooperating agencies (a group of federal and Arizona state agencies) have been addressing the focus or purpose of the EIS. The EIS purpose originally was to explore alternatives to Power Administration (Western) of the Secretary Lujan an nounced the start of the EIS on industry faces tough going in conference committee on HR429. The Glen impacts to power users from changes in Glen Canyon operations. Statement (EIS) exception criteria Also in 1989, Canyon EIS completion date likely will be moved to at least 4 (instead of December 1993) since various deadlines within the EIS are being slipped. Economics Power The indicate results preliminary Administration. Interim flow levels and Phase II in 1989. using both alternatives. Particularly the nonreimbursability provision in the Grand Canyon Protection Act results indicate significant and Western Area Power nonoperational excluding Cost data supplied 51892 who conferees will be. with that review, Interior Secretary Lujan initiated GCES made by some parties to limit the purpose of the EIS only to alternatives to dam operations rafting), leaving power economics until almost too late to be effectively studied within the GCES schedule. The study is being done by Stone and Webster by US Bureau ofReclamation Environmental 1 Environmental Defense Fund computer models. Preliminary last August. Page 6 Thursday, August 20, 992 e, first were made and economic values assigned to other areas (recreational, fishing, scenic, Department of Energy markets 30. Flow igjifli 8:00 a.m Open Class Horse Show Books Close at 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m Car Show Goat Fitting, Showmanship & Judging 9:00 a.m Local Talent Show 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m Flyers Front of Exhibition Building And all other kinds of offset printing 1 :00 p.m "Cook Out King" Contest Front of Exhibition Building gas-fire- turbines. Unlike existing hydroelectric projects, these sources will emit air pollutants and cost significantly more. 3:00 p.m Truck Pulls 6:00 p.m Grandstand Mammoth Parade Manti Main Street 8:00 p.m Clegg Championship Rodeo & Bull Fights Bull-O-Ra- Conservation is emphasized A I |