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- �� UVHY �PE4�� �.LA��1�-B��l R(�� AR M Q R R 0 C� � �<- �., � Z/.�C;, It4� ,s,�»'�, �.. � Washir�gton Co r�eni �' President Johnson says ofiicially that he wants the Congress to give � the Federal Power Commission reliahility legislation [E i�V, June tl 19, p 191 uromot cnncicler;�tinn :,n�l CTIAP(�V � � R r__.., nactment. But ust � beneath this Potemkin facade af apparent bureaucratic bcnedic- �F tion, the FPC proposal is stirring up old and new irritatians within 4 other federal agencies. �` The �PC pro posai was left loosely constructe d o n p u rp o s e t o ' h permit resolution of such difiiculties perhaps taking some years - �� N�'/; ic� work out. For ex�mple, thcrc is �no definition of rc ions for � planning councils; there is the undefinca mcmbership and voting `�j'a V V t/ f� t C� ts' structure of the councils; tiiere is thc unspecified impact of council attitudc or votc on transmission proposals that go subsequcntly �� `�� to the FPC fQr certification. .�� There's a general conscnsus in W:ishi<<�;ton's power agcncies that thc lcgislation has mslny long-range advantagcs to fcdcral and - prefercnce systems—in coordination, power-pooling; �r�d coopera- _T tion. After thcsc generalities, conscnsus scems to dwindle. Interior's Bureau of Reclamation is rcported lo be lhe most unhappy agency, facing thc prospcct of goic�g through I�PC ccrti- � fication procedures bcfore sccking Congressional autl�orizatioa� or funding for transmission facilities. Onc wondcrs how such a - law might have changcd the outcomc of Coneressional clebatc over th� Upper Colorado prujcct lines and thc Wcst Coast intcrtie. Bonneville Power Administration, by contrast, is morc favor- ablc, as its administrator, David Black, helpcd drafi thc bill whilc ,. he was an FPC commissioncr. Southcastcrn Powcr Adminis�.-ation has no pracedural problem, sincc it docsn't build linc:� ar,yway; while Southwestern Power Administration is just moving into jurisdictional transmission ot: ovcr 200 kv. TVA, also, would ncccl rPC ccrtification bcforc builciing big lines—a new step beforc linancing thcm. REA, likc SWPA, isn't much involvcd with thc largcr lincs, but philosophically, it qucstions FPC rcvicw of its loans for sucli lincs. REA probably woulcl makc ]c�ans for thc big lincs, conditiancd upon subsequent FYC certification—as REA now makcs state- commission approval �i cc�ndition ul' gcncr.ilion loans. Though REA is f�irly silcnt o,n criticism, a key co-op suPportcr in thc Congress indicatcs possible FPC juritidietion ovcr REA loans. Only recently, the Housc Agriculturc Committcc rejcctcd FPC revicw of REA gcncration loans in a major amcndmcnt to thc REA bank '�ill. Both thc National Rural Electric Cc.�-op and American Public Power Associations have no comment yct on the bill, but botli � have special committees duc to decide their positions, most likely by early July. They could casily propose critical amendmcnts sub- gesting exemption of co-op or publir. systems, whilc gencrally ` supporiing the majority of the bill's provisions. � Congressional cammittees also arc potential sources of o�posi- ` tion. ThP Senate Commerce Committee almost ccrtainly will takc ` up the bill by mid-July, followcd later by its House cc�unterpart; � but the Senaic and House Public Works, Interior, and Appropria- � tions Committccs could �hal��.^.6� ,;;� �;;; u; Erp;�jng t�j�ji �reroga- � tives. Congressional opposition could come through testimony � N. Burk�y Musselman beforc the �ommcrce Committees, or anothcr, but more distant, � possibility wc.:,ld be additional hearings before these othcr com- � Washington correspondent miccees. Electrlcal World, Juns 26, 1967 x �,. ..� ��