HomeMy WebLinkAbout83-103 - Supporting Relicensing Southern California Edison Company, Hydroelectric Projects222
RESOLUTION NO. 83-103
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ODSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, IN SUPPORT OF RELICENSING
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION PROJEC'T'S
1388 and 1389, HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS, TO THE
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY.
WHEREAS, hydroelectric projects, owned and operated by Southern
California Edison Company (SCE), have utilized and developed our nation's
natural resources, spreading the benefits of this low-cost electricity to
millions of Californians. These customers, including the residents of the
City of Costa Mesa, now face the possibility that the hydroelectric
projects which they helped develop and pay for may be taken away by
municipal agencies. Fran the standpoint of the broad public interest, it
is preferable for as many people as possible to continue to share the
benefits of inexpensive hydroelectric power; and
WHEREAS, SCE has over the past century developed a safe, reliable,
and economic system of hydroelectric generating facilities dedicated to
the use and benefit of more than three million customers representing an
area population of over nine million people; and
WHEREAS, certain of these hydroelectric facilities, consisting of
projects licensed by the Federal Power Commission, now known as the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), are subject to consideration for
relicensing by FERC; and
WHEREAS, certain municipal entities are endeavoring to secure for
themselves two SCE hydroelectric powerplants, which efforts, if successful,
would result in the transfer of ownership and operation of these hydro-
electric facilities from SCE, and would divert low cost power away from
millions of Central and Southern California customers for the benefit of a
few thousand served by the municipal entities; and
WHEREAS, it would be directly contrary both to the best interest of
the residents of the City of Costa Mesa and to the best interest of the
millions of other residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial
customers served by SCE whose rates have supported the ownership and
operation of these hydroelectric facilities, were FERC to remove from the
hydroelectric generating systems of SCE the following facilities:
1. SCE Rush Creek Project (Project No. 1389), which
is located near June Lake on the eastern slope
of the Sierra Nevada about sixty miles north of
Bishop, California;
2. SCE Poole Project (Project No. 1388), which is
located on Lee Vining Creek also north of Bishop;
and
WHEREAS, if any of these projects were to be transferred to the
municipal entities seeking then, the customers served by SCE would be
forced to pay, every year, increased power costs for electricity from oil
or gas fired generating facilities; and
WHEREAS, the continued ownership, operation, and improvement of their
hydroelectric generating facilities by SCE is essential to the public
interest and to the social and economic well-being of Central and Southern
California consumers; and
WHEREAS, retention of these projects by their current owners is the
only course consistent with the fullest improvement and utilization of
these resources in the public interest;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Costa Mesa hereby urges and requests that The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission relicense these hydroelectric facilities to SCE, and to reject
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the applications of the municipal agencies seeking to take the benefits of
projects away from the millions of customers served by SCE.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Costa
Mesa hereby requests that all hearings concerning hydroelectric relicen-
sing applications by SCE be conducted in the service territory where the
projects are located and where the public they were built to serve lives
and works.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council supports proposed
legislation to amend the Federal Power Act so as to not allow municipal
preference treatment during the relicensing of hydroelectric facilities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be provided to:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
California Public Utilities Commission,
Appropriate members of the United States Congress,
Appropriate members of The California Legislature, and
Southern California Edison Company.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 17th day of October, 1983. /
f
Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa
ATTEST:
CZIEy Clerk of the City of CostY—sa
STATE OF CALIF01;NIA )
COLNTY OF ORANGE ) ss
CITY OF COSTA MESA )
I, EILEE�1 P. PHINNEY, City Clerk and ex -officio Clerk of the City
Council of the City of Costa Mesa, hereby certify that the above and fore-
going Resolution No. 83-103 was duly and regularly passed and adopted by
said City Council at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 17th day of
October, 1983.
IN W19NESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal
of the City of Costa Mesa this 18th day of October, 1983.
Cit Clerk and ex -officio Clerk of th
City Council of the City of Costa Me