Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1979)
To cover nuclear costs Weaver predicts electric rate hike By GREG WASSON Of the Emerald Salem — Fouth district rep resentative Jim Weaver brought alarming news to the Oregon House Tuesday: Northwest elec tric rates can be expected to in crease 150-200 percent soon. According to Weaver, the jump is the direct result of nuclear con struction. He pointed to five nuc lear plants being built in Washing ton. "The five plants have escalated in price by as much as 300 per cent. Officials now project that these plants will cost 10.4 billion.” Weaver, who heads the Water and Power Subcommittee of the House Interior Committee, charged that the plants are being under-written by the Bonneville Power Adminstration (BPA). “In other words, the rate-payers being served by the Bonneville System are paying for those plants.” Weaver then compared the debt caused by the construction to the existing national debt. “The horrendous, staggering national debt we all fear so much is equaled in the Northwest on a per capita basis by the debts being incurred to pay for these plants. And this decision was made by a handful of people with out any public input of any kind.” Weaver hit repeatedly on the lack of public input in present pol icy. "Today we have a few federal officials and a handful of utility ex ecutives making our energy policy for us.” Weaver said instituting rates that would make those who use Graduate Students Order your Caps & Gowns now. Masters and Doctorate Degree Candidates must rent academic regalia by March 1 Personalized Announcements are now available. Place your orders at the Pen Counter. If j 13th & Kincaid 686-4331 BOOKSTORE °Pen: Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30 OREGON DAILY EMERALD more, pay more would demo cratize energy policy. “What we are doing now in the utilities is unsound business. It’s making decisions without allowing the people to vote with their dol lars.” Presently, BPA rates are set by melding inexpensive hydroelec tric power with the more expen sive nuclear. According to Weaver, ‘ this sends false signals to the people.” Weaver said that people in the Northwest use electricity at three times the national average. Weaver also touched on a bill to create public financing of Con gressional campaigns. “The proliferation of the TAC, the political action committee, will pour countless millions of dollars of special interest money into our campaign. We must limit the spending and halt this rapid on slaught on our free election sys tem.” Weaver said public financing is the only way to keep elections honest. “The bill is HR 1, to give you an idea of the emphasis the leader ship has on it.” Jim Weaver Photo by Suzanne Aigen Lobbyists (Continued from Page 9A) has introduced legislation (SB 403) to reduce the number of Port land members on the Wildlife Commission, and terminate all current appointments at the end of this year. Environmental groups are not happy with the idea. The commission has made many recommendations regard ing wildlife habitat, land-use plan ning, Board of Forestry regula tions and RARE II that conser vationists support, although the board has no legal authority. “This is an attempt to gut the commission,” says Jim Stratton, University Survival Center direc tor. “It’s a blatant attack. The commission is doing a good job, and now they want to restrict its management to state-owned lands, and let Vic (Gov. Atiyeh) appoint all seven next Jan. 1.” The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will IT address the bill Friday at 8 a.m. in Hearing Room A in the Capitol. The OEC is watching progress on a bill authorizing state purch ase of Yaquina Head. Introduced simultaneously by Sen. Dell Isham, D-Lincoln City, as SB 420, and by Rep. Max Rijken, D-Newport, as HB 2346, the legis lation would appropriate funds for an assessment of the property. Local residents prompted the action to save the promontory further harm from gravel mining. The bill had its first hearing Mon day and is proceeding unham pered over the legislative hurdles. Another bill that seems to have a bright future is SB 299, which would include a provision for solar easement rights within the land use planning and zoning process. “It's moving pretty well,” Buel says. It received a favorable hearing before the Senate Local Government Committee and came out with a do-pass recom mendation. It has now been refer red to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee.” Buel says the OEC intends to watch legislation coming out of the Trade and Economic Commit tees. “They manage to put ecomonics over anything else." Environmental groups are perhaps more than usually wary of this legislative session, if only be cause of the unequal pace of bus iness. “We have to watch almost ev erything,” Buel says. “A lot of things have come up all of a sud den that we have to keep a close eye on.” Texas Instruments DEMO DAY TODAY 10:00-3:00 In the Electronics Department UO BOOKSTORE 13th & Kincaid 686-4331 Open: Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30 Sat 10:00-2:00 Meet Texas Instruments Representative Gail Casper Thinking of buying a calculator? Do you own a Texas Instrument calculator and need assistance? Come in for an informal demonstration and ask questions.
