Taxpayers may have to pay to restore the site of the Boardman to Hemingway transmission line.

Idaho Power is required to provide a bond or letter of credit “satisfactory to the council to restore the site to a useful, nonhazardous condition.” The Oregon Department of Energy calculated it will take $140,779,000 to restore the site, but are only requiring Idaho Power to provide a $1 bond for the first 50 years and potentially longer.

Apparently, the Oregon Department of Energy and Energy Facility Siting Council believe that $1 will protect the public from default by the utility. Perhaps, they should look at what happened to PGE. Perhaps, they should decide if $1 would be enough if they had to pay to restore the site if Idaho Power didn’t. Not to worry, it is the electric customers, landowners and taxpayers that will have to pick up the bill if the utility doesn’t.

This is just one of dozens of such ridiculous things the Oregon Department of Energy is planning to do. Check out the Stop B2H website if you want to get a sense of just how outrageous the site certificate is.

Stop B2H volunteers are busy writing contested cases. We are fighting for Oregon against this out-of-state, for-profit company whose motivation is to line the pockets of its shareholders. With the help of people who love our state, we will stop this attack on Oregon resources and people.

Irene Gilbert

La Grande