Power Policy

Report Outline
Emergence of New Federal Power Policy
Evolution of Government Power Policies
Disputes Over Public Vs. Private Projects
Reconsideration of Atomic Energy Policy

Emergence of New Federal Power Policy

Administration's Emphasis on Partnership Approach

Federal policy on the development of electric power from the nation's water resources has been undergoing a change of direction since the Eisenhower administration took office. The full extent of the change remains to be determined, but it is plain that the administration wants to put brakes on the trend which for more than two decades has been taking the federal government increasingly into the field of hydroelectric power production and distribution. Nothing so drastic as turning over existing projects to private interests, or closing the door entirely on additional public projects, is contemplated. However, the President and his advisers appear resolved to hold federal power activities to a minimum. Instead of championing public power operations as a yardstick for private operations, they favor a cooperative approach that will enlist the support of private companies and encourage private power development.

Speaking of the vital importance of water and other natural resources, President Eisenhower declared in his State of the Union message on Feb. 2, 1953, that “We must more than match the substantial achievements in the half-century since President Theodore Roosevelt awakened the nation to the problem of conservation.”

This calls for a strong federal program in the field of resource development. … The best natural resources program for America will not result from exclusive dependence on federal bureaucracy. It will involve a partnership of the states and local communities, private citizens, and the federal government, all working together. This combined effort will advance the development of the great river valleys of our nation and the power that they can generate.