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Chairman Hastings Invitation Letter to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to Testify on His Recent Power Marketing Administrations Memorandum

Dear Secretary Chu:

I cordially invite you to testify before the House Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. to explain and answer questions regarding your March 16, 2012 Memorandum to the Power Marketing Administrations. Since there are substantial questions about the Memorandum, I res pectfully request that your Department postpone implementation of the Memorandum so that proper Congressional oversight and public input can occur.

This oversight hearing is highly necessary in light of numerous concerns over the Memorandum and the impact it could have on increased energy prices. Many consider the Memorandum to change the core mission of the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) from agencies providing low-cost hydropower within sound business principles to agencies that will be used to impose experimental schemes designed to pick winners and losers in the energy market while raiSing energy costs. Some of the Memorandum's goals may be laudable, but it is very concerning that the Department of Energy has failed to assess the potentially significant impacts of these directives on electricity consumers. There are also many questions of whether the PMAs have the legal authority to implement major parts of the Memorandum.

Read the entire letter HERE.