Press Release

 PHOENIX – The Western states have laid a solid foundation for ensuring the adequacy and reliability of the Western electric grid and should not be preempted in taking the lead to shape its future, Gov. Jane Dee Hull of Arizona told the Department of Energy today.

Hull, Chairman of the Western Governors' Association, testified on behalf of her colleagues at a DOE meeting held to gather comments and recommendations for its National Transmission Grid Study. Hull thanked Secretary Spencer Abraham for recognizing the importance of reaching out to the West and other regions of the country.

"It is important for our friends from DOE to understand that they are not dealing with a blank slate in the Western Interconnection," Hull said. "A solid foundation for ensuring the adequacy and reliability of the Western grid is being laid. The National Grid Study should support, not undermine, those efforts."

Some legislative proposals circulating in Washington would preempt state authority for transmission line siting and undermine the ability of the West to establish and enforce reliability standards for the Western grid. Those proposals would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority to override decisions traditionally made in the West.

"Regarding reliability management and oversight, we are deeply concerned about the ‘give-it-to-FERC’ approach to reliability that is popular with some in Washington," Hull said. "We urge that federal reliability legislation delegate those responsibilities to the West. We also believe that those who pay the bill and bear the consequences of reliability decisions should oversee the process."

Hull said the governors and their states have taken several actions over the last year to determine what transmission enhancements are needed, how they can be financed and how they can be sited and permitted expeditiously. For example, she said the states are in the process of developing a multi-state protocol for the expeditious review of interstate transmission proposals, negating any need for that authority to be turned over to FERC.

Hull commended FERC for an order it issued on Wednesday approving the establishment of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. The FERC said the council "will bring better coordination for regional transmission planning to the western United States." The council was sought by the governors to consolidate the functions of an existing reliability organization and regional transmission associations in the Western Interconnection.

On the issue of new transmission, Hull asked DOE to look at the track record of the Western Interconnection in examining hurdles to new transmission. She said the real hurdles in siting and permitting are often with the federal government and land management agencies.

Hull praised President Bush’s leadership in developing a national energy policy and his effort to "get the federal house in order" by coordinating activities through the Council on Environmental Quality. She said the governors support the administration's effort and want to link that work with the West’s ongoing efforts.

"In this time of national crisis, each of us needs to do what we can do best," Hull said. "The federal government clearly needs to focus on the international challenges we face. The Western states are focusing on the energy needs of a robust Western economy."

Copies of the governor’s remarks, supporting resolutions and related information can be found on the WGA Web site at www.westgov.org.

The Western Governors’ Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 18 states and three U.S.-flag islands in the Pacific. Through their Association, the governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management.