Northwest Partnership

No area in the U.S. has a greater potential power shortage than the Pacific Northwest. By 1960, even with the dams now abuilding, the area will be short some 2,000,000 kw., or 25% of estimated needs. President Eisenhower thinks that the gap should be filled largely by local power groups, in partnership with the Federal Government when necessary. Last week virtually all the major power companies in the Northwest, both public and private, lined up in two separate groups to fulfill their side of the partnership.

Group No. 1. incorporated last week as Pacific Northwest Power Co., is led by Washington Water Power's President Kinsey Robinson, longtime foe of public power (TIME, March 30, 1953). Its five private-company members*; propose to spend $500 million on two big dams and power plants with a capacity of 533,000 kw. on the Clearwater River in northwestern Idaho. In line with the Administration's proposal that such big projects should get the help of the Federal Government when needed, the companies will ask the U.S. to pay such costs as highway construction and flood control.

Group No. 2, consisting of two local public-utility districts, two municipal outfits (Seattle and Tacoma) and the privately owned Puget Sound Power & Light Co., was formed by Seattle City Light's Superintendent Paul Raver. As longtime head of the giant Bonneville Power Administration, Raver was for years the top federal power exponent in the Northwest.

During the war, however, Raver saw the value of coordinating public and private projects into an integrated network, and created the Northwest Power Pool. The public-private combination of plants and dams produces 600,000 more kilowatts than the facilities would produce if operated separately. Raver's group, like Robinson's, will ask the Federal Government to pay some of its costs. It plans facilities for 1,600,000 kw. in the next ten years, is starting field studies for possible dams in such areas as the Columbia River Basin.

The success of both groups, however, depends on how well the Eisenhower Administration executes its side of the deal. To many in the Northwest, it has seemed that in Washington "partnership" means "do it yourself." In the 15 months since the Republicans took office, no new starts have been scheduled for federal power projects, and federal power funds have been cut. On top of that, legislation that would enable the U.S. to enter such partnership agreements with local interests still has to get through Congress.

*Idaho Power Co., Pacific Power & Light, Washington Water Power, Mountain States Power and Portland General Electric.

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