June 5th, 2017
All fifteen of Washington and Oregon’s U.S. Representatives join forces to tell Rick Perry and Mick Mulvaney not to privatize BPA
Read the press release accompanying the letter.
Excerpt:
Importantly, BPA is self-funding, and is of no cost to the taxpayer. The entire BPA transmission system—both the capital investment and operation and maintenance—is fully paid by the users of the system. In fact, it has benefitted U.S. taxpayers by providing more than $32.5 billion in payments to the U.S Treasury. Divesting these assets to the highest bidder could transfer the benefit and equity of these investments from the Northwest consumers, who have financed the system, to distant investors.
June 7th, 2017
Bipartisan group of U.S. Senators from western states announce their opposition to Trump’s privatization plan
Read the press release accompanying the letter.
Excerpt:
[Bonneville Power Administration and other PMAs] have provided reliable and affordable electric service and are crucially important to rural communities in our states. Sale of the PMAs transmission facilities would not advance the President’s infrastructure objectives. In fact, privatization of existing assets could affect opportunities for new infrastructure investments. Moreover, any private entity buying PMA assets will want to recover their investment. The resulting rate increases would take money out of the pockets of consumers and businesses in our state.
February 26th, 2018
Power associations declare their opposition to Trump’s harmful proposals in letter to region’s congressional delegation
Excerpt:
The Administration’s budget proposals would take us in the wrong direction. The proposal to divest the BPA electricity transmission system would create a loss of regional value and control, have harmful impacts to more remote areas, and would increase costs to consumers and businesses impacting the Northwest economy. It is estimated that transmission rates would need to increase over 40 percent in order for a new owner to recover the costs of purchasing a system that has been largely paid for already by citizens of the region. It is difficult to see this as anything other than a transfer of value from the people of the Northwest to the U.S. Treasury or to private third-party interests.
March 22nd, 2018
Bipartisan group of U.S. Senators from western states reiterate their opposition to Trump’s privatization plan
Excerpt:
In our states, we see first-hand that federal power marketing is one notable federal program that not only fully pays its way, but also provides benefits to the federal government’s balance sheet. For example, this past October, BPA made its 34th consecutive annual payment to the U.S. Treasury on time and in full under its authority to self-finance. PMA rates are set to fully recover – with interest – initial federal investments in hydroelectric dams and transmission facilities. In addition, power rates also support flood control, navigation, irrigation, water supply, wildlife enhancement, recreation, and salinity control at multipurpose federal dams.