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Kitzhaber, Locke Call for Energy Conservation by Steven Du Bois, Associated Press Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 5, 2001

NORTH BONNEVILLE -- Gov. Gary Locke and Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber on Friday called on Northwest businesses and consumers to cut back on electricity use by at least 10 percent for the next two or three months to avoid possible blackouts.

Both governors warned the region faces unpredictable, random blackouts in Seattle, Portland and other cities unless residents take steps immediately to cut back by turning off unneeded lights and appliances.

"This situation is untenable," Locke said at a news conference at Bonneville Dam, a key component in the Northwest's power network.

"This is a long-term situation that demands the cooperation of each and every citizen in the Northwest."

A team of energy experts has estimated the Northwest could find itself short by an average 4,000 megawatts in January -- power capable of lighting 4 million homes.

Both Kitzhaber and Locke said they were concerned about the energy crisis in California, where deregulation has produced some of the highest electricity prices in the nation while failing to meet demand.

California relies on cheap Northwest hydroelectric power in the summer but exports its power to the Northwest in winter in an annual migration of power across the electric grid.

This year, however, California has demanded more Northwest power at a time when dry weather and declining river levels have reduced hydroelectric generating capacity.

And without a California winter surplus, Northwest utilities and the system of dams are being strained to the breaking point, Locke and Kitzhaber said.

"We are not going to let the chaos of California drag us down," Locke said.

Locke and Kitzhaber suggested a number of ways to reduce electricity use, including making sure dishwashers and washing machines are fully loaded when they're running, using only one major appliance at a time, cutting back on hot water use, using microwave ovens instead of electric stoves and turning down the thermostat.

Locke also urged business owners to reduce consumption by turning off outdoor lighting and displays and said he will ask civic auditoriums and sports arenas to turn off lights when they're not in use.

A severe power shortage could force the Bonneville Power Administration, the federal wholesale power marketing agency, to compromise fish protections by lowering reservoirs and pouring more water through generators.

Don Badley, interim director of the Northwest Power Planning Pool, the organization that coordinates power operations for seven Western states and two Canadian provinces, said the electricity supply is adequate for now.