Reso 1983-402RESOLUTION NO. 83 -402
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COSTA
MESA SANITARY DISTRICT OF ORANGE ODUNTY, CALIFORNIA,
IN SUPPORT OF RELICENSING FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY
COMMISSION PROJECTS 1388 and 1389, HYDROELECTRIC
PROJECTS, TO THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OOSTA MESA SANITARY DISTRICT OF ORANGE 00UNTY,
CALIFORNIA, DO HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
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 served by the Costa Mesa Sanitary District,
now face the possibility that the hydroelectric projects which they helped develop
and pay for may be taken away by municipal agencies. From 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 eco-
nomic system of hydroelectric generating facilities dedicated to the use and benefit
of more than thee million customers representing an area population of over nine
million people; and
WHEREAS, certain of these hydroelectric facilities, consisting of projects
licensd 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 hydroelectric 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 resi-
dents served by the Costa Mesa Sanitary District and to the best interest of the
millions of other residential, canmercial, agricultural, and industrial customers
served by SCE whose rates have supported the ownership and operation of these hydro-
electric 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 transfered 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 facil-
ities; and .
WHEREAS, the continued ownership, operation, and improvement of their hydro-
electric 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 Costa Mesa Sanitary District hereby
urges the requests that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicense these
hydroelectric facilities to SCE, and to reject the applications of the municipal
agencies seeking to take the benefits of projects away from the millions of cus-
tamers served by SCE; and
r
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Costa Mesa Sanitary District hereby requests
that all hearing concerning hydroelectric relicensing applications by SCE be con-
ducted in the service territory where the projects are located and where the public
they were built to serve lives and works; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors supports proposed legisla-
tion to amend the Federal Power Act so as to not allow municipal preference treatment
during the relicensing of hydroelectric facilities; and
ATTEST:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be provided to:
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
The California Public Utilities Commission,
Appropriate members of the United States Congress,
Appropriate members of the California Legislature,
and the Southern California Edison Ccnpany.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 10th day of November, 1983.
Secretary
STATE OF CALIFORNIA)
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
CITY OF COSTA MESA )
I, Florin T. Reichle, Assistant Secretary of the Costa Mesa Sanitary Dis-
trict, hereby certify that the above and foregoing Resolution No. 83 -402, was duly
and regularly passed and adopted by said Board of Directors at a regular meeting
thereof, held on the 10th day of November, 1983.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the
Costa Mesa Sanitary District, this 14th day of November, 1983.
Assistant Secretary, Costa Mesa Sanitary
District