the film forum library tutorial contact

Energy Crisis Brings BPA Financial Crisis by Jeff Brady Oregon Public Broadcasting, August 14, 2002

PORTLAND -- The Bonneville Power Administration is holding a series of public meetings to discuss the agency's financial problems.

If nothing is done, the BPA expects to lose hundreds of millions of dollars over the next four years primarily because of the west coast energy crisis. The first meetings are in Portland Thursday.

Bonneville has already raised rates more than 50-percent in the wake of the energy crisis, but some of the assumptions the agency made haven't panned out and now it needs to raise more money or cut costs.

Ed Mosey with the BPA says the agency expects to do a combination of both.

Ed Mosey: "What we'll be talking about at the meetings is what programs could be reduced and those who have direct interest in those programs will probably want to be there and tell us what they think about the proposals."

Mosey says the BPA likely will make a final decision by the end of the year with changes taking effect in February. After the Portland meetings, Bonneville will hold additional sessions in Seattle and Spokane next week and in Burley, Idaho the week after.