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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2001)
— poppiV—> Lunch Monday through Saturday Dinner 7 Nights a Week 992 Willanette Eugene, Or 97401 343-9661 > , Washington state leaders seek energy By Hunter T. George The Associated Press OLYMPIA — As California’s en ergy crisis worsens, Washington state leaders are busy patting them selves on the back for resisting the urge to follow the Golden State’s lead and restructure the electricity market. But Washington shares the west ern power grid with California, which means the Evergreen State hasn’t totally escaped the high-volt age mess. As the 2001 legislative session begins, businesses are curtailing op erations and senior citizens and others with limited incomes are struggling to pay electric and gas bills that are shooting skyward. Fearing the crisis could drag Washington’s economy down, Gov. Gary Locke, lawmakers and special interest groups are exploring ways to entice utilities and corporations to build more power plants while encouraging more energy conserva tion. They generally agree on the sources of the problem and the need for a comprehensive solution. Any doubt about the urgency of the mat ter was dispatched Wednesday when the governor declared during his inaugural address that he won’t let legislators go home until they take steps to stabilize the energy market. “We only have so much energy, and we need to treat it as a precious resource,” Locke said, calling the situation one of the top four issues of the session. But political differences already are threatening to short-circuit the effort. Leading Democrats are pro posing ideas that rely on govern ment intervention, while a key Re Clothing COLUMBIA & WOOLRICH FLANNELS NOW $25 MARMOT ALPINIST LT. WEIGHT JACKETS REG. $380.00 NOW $250 SELECTED COLUMBIA SKI JACKETS & PANTS NOW 30% TO 50% OFF POLYPRO UNDERWEAR REG. $26.00 NOW $12 SELECTED 200 WEIGHT FLEECE JACKETS REG. $60.00 NOW $30 In-Line Skates Take advantage of factory direct pricing. 20% TO 50% OFF MTN. 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TO $150.00 NOW $60 Camping CHOOSE FROM TONS OF GREAT CAMPING VALUES! Now... Friday 11-9 Saturday 10-6 Sunday 11-4 LIMITED TO STOCK AT FAIRGROUNDS LOCATION ONLY! LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED MCKKN7.IF. 0 U T F I T T E R S FIND THINGS IN ODE CLASSIFIEDS (BICYCLES, PETS, CARS, JOBS, ROOMMATES, APARTMENTS, CONCERT TICKETS, PLANE TICKETS, STUFF YOU LOST, TYPING SERVICES, ON-CAMPUS OPPORTUNITIES) publican leader prefers a free-mar ket approach. Experts have been aware of the risk of an energy crisis for some time, but most consumers didn’t notice until the state moved to the brink of power outages and the gov ernor ordered state agencies to con serve electricity. But even the experts didn’t ex pect the situation to get so bad so quickly. A primary concern is the lack of an adequate supply. Simply put, the number of power plants remained constant while the state experi enced rapid growth. Experts say the state needs more power, and soon. Republicans and Democrats have a number of proposals to jump-start the development of new power sources, including tax breaks for utilities or private developers that want to build power plants and reg ulations aimed at shifting the focus from natural-gas-fueled plants to such environmentally friendly sources as wind and solar. Tax breaks will be hotly debated. Leading Democrats say they won’t back taxpayer-funded incen tives for private developers without guarantees that the electricity would remain in Washington, in stead of being sold to a higher bid der in California. That was partly why Locke vetoed a bill last year that would have granted a $20 mil lion break to the developers of the $400 million Sumas 2 plant near the Canadian border in Whatcom County. “We’re looking for solutions that help Washington citizens first and California citizens last,” said Rep. Erik Poulsen, a Seattle Democrat and co-chairman of the House ener gy committee. Poulsen’s Republican counter part, Co-Chairman Larry Crouse of Spokane, opposes such limits. Crouse says Washington consumers benefit as long as the power goes into the Western power grid. “They’re going to build where they can get the best bang for the buck,” he says. Chuck Martin agrees. A vice pres ident of Sumas 2 developer Nation al Energy Systems Company of Kirkland, Martin says Oregon and Idaho are more attractive to power plant developers because of their lower taxes. But critics question the need for tax breaks at a time when the elec tricity market is generating huge profits. “If an independent developer in All Ways Travel •Last Day of SALE!!! • Chicago - $198.00* Ft. Lauderdale - $198.00* Newark - $168.00* New Orleans -$198.00* *tax not included, restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice. Saving Students $ since 1990! E-mail: awt®luv2travel.com this market cannot build a plant, they shouldn’t be in this business,” says Mark Glyde of the Northwest Energy Coalition, an alliance of community and environmental groups, utilities and businesses in four states and British Columbia that promote conservation. Instead of tax breaks for private developers, Locke and Poulsen are working on proposals that would direct utilities to either develop a still-to-be-determined amount of electricity from such “renewable” energy sources as wind and solar power, or find ways to conserve a similar amount of energy. That idea also is being champi oned by Glyde’s group, which com plains that dramatic cutbacks in en ergy efficiency investments by utilities have contributed to the power shortage. Experts estimate the state could conserve 2,400 megawatts of electricity, enough to power two cities the size of Seattle. But Crouse opposes such “big government” approaches. The gov ernment has an obligation to offer incentives and remove roadblocks, not get in the way of free enterprise, he says, pointing to the California government’s role in the crisis. Crouse says “green” power is the future, but present-day issues re quire the construction of natural gas-fired plants. Other proposals also are in devel opment stages. Locke’s policy adviser on energy, David Danner, says the governor is drafting bills that offer tax credits to homeowners and businesses that convert to solar or wind power, util ities that enhance pollution con trols at power plants and businesses that build their own power genera tors. Crouse and Senate energy com mittee Chairwoman Karen Fraser, D-Lacey, are working on proposals to streamline Washington’s lengthy and confusing permit process for power plants. Leaders of both parties agree the state needs to beef up spending on a program that helps low-income families make their houses more en ergy efficient. Locke’s budget in cludes $1 million for the program. Puget Sound Energy plans to ask for permission to start charging cus tomers higher rates during peak hours, similar to the way long-dis tance telephone service works. The idea has some appeal to lawmakers because consumers presumably would conserve more energy if they had a financial incentive. JANUARY SPECIAL Vintage German Pressed Glass Beads 50% Off Loose Beads 25% Off Bulk Prices beautiful & unusual shapes & colors Made by hand between / 920 & 1950 arlequin Beads & Jewelry Sale expires 1/31 J 10% Off with Student I.D. 1016 Willamette ♦ 683-5903 : B»T> m A VG i: Ztive Alternative Music ft New Expanded Menu Food & Beverage Specials! 683-8101 • 11 th & Charnelton • Eugene Cocktail Research
