Robert Smith: “I stand before you and the Senate today. As I do this, our Nation is relearning a fundamental lesson--that electricity…”

“I stand before you and the Senate today. As I do this, our Nation is relearning a fundamental lesson--that electricity does not come from hitting a light switch. Our urban areas are getting a painful lesson that the quality of life that we and they enjoy in this Nation is a direct result of resource production. California is scrambling as we speak to keep the lights on from day to day and has had 2 days recently of rolling blackouts. The west coast energy crisis shows no sign of abating and could actually intensify in coming weeks if the region, which is heavily dependent on hydroelectric power, continues to face below average precipitation. The reservoir behind the Grand Coulee Dam, by far the largest of the Federal dams in the Northwest, is at its lowest level in 25 years. The Grand Coulee Dam is also upstream of 10 other dams on the mainstem Columbia River. So downstream powerhouses cannot generate electricity either. Much of the media attention in recent weeks has focused on efforts to keep the lights on in California and to keep the State's two largest utilities from going bankrupt. The west coast energy market extends to 11 other Western States, including Oregon, that are all interconnected by the high-voltage transmission system. I believe there is more that California can and must do immediately to address this situation. First and foremost, it must approve further electric rate increases.”