October 12, 1977
Page 33379
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, on Saturday, October 15, the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations will continue its investigation of the status of Federal and State preparedness for the winter of 1977-78 with a hearing in Nashville, Tenn.
This hearing is a followup to the subcommittee's 3 days of hearings in Washington and the report analyzing the government's preparedness effort which the subcommittee issued earlier this week. Testimony at our earlier hearings indicated that natural gas shortages in Tennessee this winter could be the most severe in the Nation.
During the energy emergency last winter, Tennessee suffered more than most States. For example, during one of the worst weeks of the winter — January 16-22 — almost 61,000 persons were temporarily out of work due to natural gas curtailments. As of mid-February, after the worst of the cold spell was over, an estimated 20,000-30,000 workers were still unemployed.
As grim as this scenario is, Mr. President, there is a very real possibility that the upcoming winter in Tennessee may be even worse.
In testimony before the subcommittee last month, Mr. Charles Curtis, Chairman of the Federal Power Commission, cited a preliminary FPC report indicating that natural gas curtailments could be expected in Tennessee beginning next month. That same report projected as many as 300 plant closings in the State over the course of the entire winter.
That is a frightening prospect — so much so that we scheduled this hearing to find out more about it.
At my request, Senator SASSER has agreed to chair the hearing. Among the witnesses we expect to hear from are Mayor Fulton of Nashville, Congressman CLIFFORD ALLEN, also of Nashville, Chairman Robert Clement of the State Public Service Commission, and a representative of the State Energy Authority. We will also hear from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, regarding that agency's undated projections on the supply situation for Tennessee this winter. Finally, we have asked for testimony from representatives of consumers, various public utilities and gas pipelines serving the State.
Mr. President, the Subcommittee has recently released a report on the overall state of national preparedness for another hard winter. The principal conclusion of that report is that we simply are not ready for a cold winter. In the weeks ahead, I intend to offer emergency legislation to implement the recommendations contained in that report for Federal action.
The Tennessee experience of last winter was a microcosm of the national emergency as a whole. Testimony about that experience can offer us useful guidance as to the kind of preventive actions we need to take today.
Moreover, when we focus on the national policy implications of another winter energy emergency, we must not overlook the need for preparedness at the State and local level as well. I am hopeful that the Nashville hearing will stimulate movement in that direction.
Judging from all the information I have seen thus far, the State of Tennessee is going to need all the readiness it can muster for the difficult months ahead.
The hearing on the 15th will begin at 9 a.m., in room 14 of the Legislative Plaza Building.