I read Cheryl Brantley’s July 5 letter, “Want to pay more for electricity?” She claims, “You will see that increase in your electric bill” if BPA builds the 15-story towers and high-voltage lines in the forested area.
These are the facts provided by Clark Public Utilities (http://www.stoptowersnow.com, May 12 letter from Wayne Nelson, general manager of Clark Public Utilities): “It would take an increase in Clark PUD costs of $3,800,000 to require a 1 percent increase in electricity rates.” … “The costs that BPA would incur for the construction of transmission lines would be recovered from all its transmission customers” (not just Southwest Washington) … “It would take more than a 20 percent increase in BPA transmission costs to Clark PUD to cause a 1 percent rate increase.” The public would receive a maximum increase of 1 percent on 4.3 percent of their bill.
Clark Public Utilities tells us the increase in our monthly bill will be less than one penny per month. Since BPA spends $850 million a year protecting fish and wildlife, spending a few dollars more to protect the people, their health, property values and the aesthetics of our communities and properties is the right thing for BPA to do. Build the lines where people do not live.
Erna Sarasohn
Vancouver
