http://missoulian.com/articles/2005/04/26/news/mtregional/znews02.txtBy MICHAEL JAMISON of the Missoulian
KALISPELL - A Bush administration proposal that would cap money borrowed by the region's biggest hydropower producer could gut fish and wildlife programs, dim plans for alternative energies and raise rates for consumers.
That's the conclusion reached by a report released last week by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, a multi-state agency charged by Congress with balancing the needs of fish and wildlife against the region's need for reliable and affordable hydropower.
... The Bush proposal would require BPA to sell power at private market-based rates, driving up the price for consumers by some 40 percent. Bipartisan opposition to the idea has been swift and sure, with Western members of Congress unified across party lines.
But a second, less-publicized part of the proposal has caught the attention of a concerned Power and Conservation Council.
If adopted, the proposal would substantially limit the amount BPA could borrow, resulting in either cost-shaving that could cut out progressive programs or rate increases to supplement the lost borrowing capacity.
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