Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Seattle City Light Power Management Records, 1909-1986
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Seattle City Light
- Title
- Seattle City Light Power Management Records
- Dates
- 1909-1986 (inclusive)19091986
- Quantity
- 6.8 cubic feet, (8 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 1206-04
- Summary
- Records concerning Seattle electric power production and related topics
- Repository
-
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Records are open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
City Light provides electricity and electrical and conservation services to its public and private customers. It is the largest public utility in the Pacific Northwest. Public responsibility for electrical energy dates to 1890 with creation of the Department of Lighting and Water Works. In 1902, Seattle voters passed a bond issue to develop hydroelectric power on the Cedar River under the administration of the Water Department. Electricity from this development began to serve Seattle in 1905. A City Charter amendment in 1910 created the Lighting Department. Under the leadership of Superintendent James D. Ross, the department developed the Skagit River hydroelectric project which began supplying power in 1924. Both public and private power was supplied to Seattle until 1951 when the City purchased the private electrical power supply operations, making the Lighting Department the sole supplier. The Boundary Project in northeastern Washington began operations in 1967 and supplied over half of City Light's power generation. By the early 21st century, approximately ten percent of City Light's income came from the sale of surplus energy to customers in the Northwest and Southwest with the remainder of City Light's financial support coming from customer revenue. The current name of the agency was adopted in 1978 when the Department was reorganized.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records of the Power Management Division/Branch including correspondence, memos, reports, statistics, agreements, subject files, legal files and technical data concerning the production, sale and delivery of electric power to customers in Seattle. Subjects include promotion of electricity for industrial, commercial and residential use; electric rates; development of sources of energy, including hydro-electric generating facilities on the Columbia River; transmission and distribution systems; power contracts, World War II-related restrictions and defense plans; the Bonneville Power Administration and power exchanges. Also included are correspondence with the City Law Department, copies of early Superintendents of Lighting correspondence and early records of other divisions.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date], Seattle City Light Power Management Records, Record Series 1206-04. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged into three sub-series: Subject files, Legal files, and Energy Resources Planning and Management Division.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
: Subject Files, 1908-1986Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Billing - Combined Billing
and Posting Change-Over |
1941-1942 |
1/2 | Billing - Combined Billing
Rate Data - Bartell Drug Company |
1941 |
1/3 | Billing - Report On Billing
Costs |
1937 |
1/4 | Commercial - Bartell Drug
Company, Electric Cooking |
1939-1940 |
1/5 | Commercial - Cooking Rates,
Tacoma and Others |
1939 |
1/6 | Commercial - Electric
Cooking |
1935-1942 |
1/7 | Commercial - Edgewater Park
Apartment Project - Simultaneous Load Tests |
1943 |
1/8 | Commercial - Electric Cooking
Costs - Ben Paris |
1939 |
1/9 | Commercial - Hot Water Survey
- Bartell Drug Company |
1928 |
1/10 | Commercial - Seattle Ice
Arena, Operating Conditions |
1938 |
1/11 | Commercial - Washington
Co-operative Egg and Poultry Association |
1927-1939 |
1/12 | Electric Heating -
Estimates |
1939-1940 |
1/13 | Electric Heating - Methods
and Short Cuts For Figuring Electric Heating |
1925-1941 |
1/14 | Electric Heating - House
Heating, Rates, Policy and Load Characteristics |
1945 |
1/15 | Electric Heating - House
Heating Rates |
1946 |
1/16 | Electric Heating - House
Heating Rates |
1947-1948 |
1/17 | Electric Space Heating -
Correspondence |
1936-1943 |
1/18 | Electric Heating - Special
"House" and Water Heating Problems |
1925 |
1/19 | Expenses - Bond Sales -
Amounts Outstanding |
1937 |
1/20 | Expenses - Capitalization of
Losses - Load Cycle Calculations |
1931 |
1/21 | Expenses - Cost of
Power |
1925-1938 |
1/22 | Expenses -
Depreciation |
1936-1943 |
1/23 | Expenses - Financial
Outlook |
1936 |
1/24 | Expenses -
Taxation |
1939 |
1/25 | Expenses - Unit
Costs |
1942-1945 |
1/26 | Generation - Installed
Generator Capacity |
1928-1952 |
1/27 | Hydro - Electric Generation -
Cedar Falls |
1919 |
1/28 | Hydro - Lake Union Hydro
Plant Report |
1933 |
1/29 | Hydro - Sources of
Hydro-Electric Power in the State |
1936-1945 |
1/30 | Industrial - American Can
Company - Solder Bath Heaters Rate |
1936 |
1/31 | Industrial - Electric
Galvanizing Costs |
1938 |
1/32 | Industrial - Industrial
Heating Calculations and Data |
1935-1936 |
1/33 | Industrial - Kaiser
Aluminum |
1952 |
1/34 | Industrial - Lake Union Dry
dock and Machine Works |
1941 |
1/35 | Industrial - Large Industrial
Loads |
1936-1939 |
1/36 | Industrial - Metropolitan
Laundry Power Factor Tests |
1941-1942 |
1/37 | Industrial - Northwest Steel
Rolling Mills |
1939-1941 |
1/38 | Industrial - U. S. Plywood
Corp |
1940 |
1/39 | Industrial - Washington Iron
Works and Portland Electric, Steel Furnaces |
1917 |
1/40 | Meter Division
Reports |
1940-1955 |
1/41 | Overhead - Short Circuit
Study |
1931 |
1/42 | Overhead - Gaseous
(Fluorescent) Lamps |
1941 |
1/43 | Street Lighting - Mercury
Vapor Light Correspondence |
1951-1957 |
1/44 | Street Lighting - Method of
Assessment |
1937 |
1/45 | Street Lighting - Overhead
and Ornamental |
1944-1967 |
1/46 | Street Lighting
Costs |
1920-1955 |
1/47 | Street Lighting
Data |
1937-1947 |
1/48 | Street Lighting - U.S. Office
of Civilian Defense and Army Dim-Out Regulations |
1942 |
1/49 | U.S. Office of Production
Management Supply Priorities and Allocation Rules |
1941-1942 |
1/50 | Voltage and General Service
Complaints |
1936-1942 |
1/51 | Street Lighting -
Westinghouse |
1946-1947 |
1/52 | Purchased - Northwest Power
Pool, Reactive Component Interchange |
1943-1944 |
1/53 | Purchased - Puget Sound Power
and Light Proposed Interconnection |
1937 |
1/54 | Rates - Proposed Bake Oven
Schedules |
1936 |
1/55 | Rates - Commercial Bakery
Estimates |
1938 |
1/56 | Rates - Port of Seattle Rate
Reports |
1928-1939 |
1/57 | Rates - Port of Seattle Rate
Survey |
1939-1941 |
1/58 | Rates - Residential Rate
Data |
1940 |
1/59 | Rates - Residential Rate
Tables |
1940-1944 |
1/60 | Rates - School Board and
Parks |
1936-1937 |
1/61 | Rates - Surplus Energy
Rates |
1956-1962 |
1/62 | Rates - Tacoma Municipal
System Rates |
1944-1945 |
1/63 | Revenues - Comparison of City
Light and Puget Sound Power and Light |
1939-1943 |
1/64 | Revenues -
Electricity |
1918-1940 |
1/65 | Revenues - Projected Revenue
Study |
1943 |
1/66 | Revenues - Residential
Service Data |
1935-1943 |
1/67 | Revenues - Residential Use
Data |
1939-1940 |
2/1 | Services - Adams and Lowell
School - Lunch Room Water Heating |
1938 |
2/2 | Services - King County
Courthouse Estimate - Willis T. Batcheller |
1918 |
2/3 | Services - Federal Office
Building Power Service |
1944 |
2/4 | Steam Plants - Billings to
Washington Water Power |
1946-1957 |
2/5 | Steam Plants - Centralia
Steam Plant |
1983 |
2/6 | Steam Plants - Garbage
Incineration (Proposed) |
1962-1963 |
2/7 | Steam Plants - Georgetown
Steam Plant Feasibility Study |
1980 |
2/8 | Steam Plants - Isolated Plant
Calculations - Boilers and Engines |
1940 |
2/9 | Steam Plants - Lake Union
Steam Plant - Tests, Costs, Plant Factors |
1937-1947 |
2/10 | Steam Plants - Lake
Union |
1916-1956 |
2/11 | Steam Plants - Lake Union,
Emergency Operations and Repairs |
1944 |
2/12 | Steam Plants - Operation
(Washington Water Power Company) |
1945-1947 |
2/13 | Steam Plants - Operations and
Military Deferments |
1942-1944 |
2/14 | Steam Plants - Steam
Production Cost, For BPA |
1951-1957 |
2/15 | Steam Plants - Steam
Production Cost, For BPA |
1951 |
2/16 | Steam - System Out-Put;
Hydro, Steam and Loads |
1911-1920 |
2/17 | Steam Plants, Including
University of Washington |
1940-1945 |
2/18 | Steam Plants - University of
Washington, Generating and Heating |
1936 |
2/19 | Statistics and Surveys -
Burns and McDonnell Engineering Company, Kansas City (re Rates,
etc.) |
1933-1951 |
2/20 | Statistics and Surveys -
Electrical West Questionnaires |
1944-1965 |
2/21 | Statistics and Surveys -
Electrical World Surveys |
1934-1947 |
2/22 | Statistics and Surveys -
Electrical World Peak (Load Statistics and Operating Survey) |
1949-1968 |
2/23 | Statistics and Surveys -
McGraw Hill Publications |
undated |
2/24 | Statistics and Surveys -
"Electric Industry System Peak Survey," Middle West Service Co. |
1956-1962 |
2/25 | Statistics and Surveys -
Economic |
1935-1943 |
2/26 | Statistics and Surveys -
Population Statistics |
1926-1964 |
2/27 | Statistics and Surveys -
Power Statistics |
1925-1962 |
2/28 | Statistics and Surveys -
Power Statistics |
1935-1959 |
2/29 | Statistics and Surveys -
Source and Disposition of Electric Energy |
1938-1956 |
2/30 | Statistics and
Data |
1935-1946 |
2/31 | Systems - Comparisons,
Electric With Coal, Oil and Hog Fuel |
1929 |
2/32 | Systems - House Heating,
Frederick A. Osborn |
1916 |
2/33 | Systems - Petley's Electric
Steam Radiator Tests |
1936-1939 |
2/34 | Systems - Radiant
Heating |
1940-1946 |
2/35 | Systems - Reversed
Refrigeration |
1936-1937 |
2/36 | Test Data - Lambert
Metallurgical Company |
1940 |
2/37 | Test Data - Small
Hydro-Electric, Thyrite Voltage Control |
1937 |
2/38 | Test Data - Water Heaters,
Commercial, Industrial and Misc. Water Heating Projects |
undated |
2/39 | Test Data - Water
Heaters |
1913 |
2/40 | Test Data - Water Heating,
Commercial - Tools and Equipment |
1938-1941 |
2/41 | Test Data - Water Heater Tank
Tests |
1936-1939 |
2/42 | Transmission - Cedar
Falls |
1937-1946 |
2/43 | Transmission - Distribution
Substations Prior To 1956 |
1942-1955 |
3/1 | Transmission - Ground
Resistance Report |
1939 |
3/2 | Transmission - High-Tension
Lines and Territory Service by Private Companies |
1937 |
3/3 | Transmission - Line Service
Division Reports |
1948-1959 |
3/4 | Transmission - Pole Line
Extensions, Recommendations |
1939-1940 |
3/5 | Transmission - Substation Tie
Lines |
1945-1961 |
3/6 | Transmission - Substation Tie
Lines - Economic Comparison Between 26kv & 55kv Primary Network |
1951 |
3/7 | Transmission - Substation Tie
Lines - Study of 26kv vs 4kv Primary Distribution Network |
1961 |
3/8 | Transmission -
Substations |
1932-1960 |
3/9 | Transmission - Unit
Substation - Distribution System |
1946-1948 |
3/10 | Transmission - White Center
Substation |
1946 |
3/11 | Transmission Data |
1937-1949 |
3/12 | Transmission System
Maps |
1924-1943 |
3/13 | Transformers |
1908-1913 |
3/14 | Transformers |
1914-1917 |
3/15 | Transformers |
1920-1944 |
3/16 | Underground - Commercial
Underground, Network System |
undated |
3/17 | Underground
System |
1937-1967 |
3/18 | Memos and General
Orders |
1939-1947 |
3/19 | Memos -
Interdepartmental |
1972-1973 |
3/20 | Alternative
Resources |
1981 |
3/21 | Alternative
Resources |
1982 |
3/22 | Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA) - Allocation of Costs (Bonneville Project) |
1945-1958 |
3/23 | BPA Contract Regulation
Studies and Allocation Tables |
1952-1961 |
3/24 | BPA - Plant Costs |
1934-1953 |
3/25 | BPA Power
Contract |
1957-1975 |
3/26 | BPA Sales
Contract |
1953-1968 |
3/27 | BPA Sales
Contract |
1958-1963 |
3/28 | BPA Sales
Contract |
1955-1964 |
3/29 | BPA Studies |
1946-1954 |
4/1 | Bonneville System
Data |
1956 |
4/2 | Bonneville System
Diagrams |
1942-1950 |
4/3 | Bonneville System
Diagrams |
1937-1959 |
4/4 | BPA Transmission
Agreement |
1982 |
4/5 | BPA Typical Net Monthly
Bills |
1941-1963 |
4/6 | British Columbia Dominion
Water and Power Correspondence |
1934-1967 |
4/7 | British Columbia - Whitworth
Ranch (Stream Gaging) - Includes Photographs |
1931-1955 |
4/8 | Canadian Streamgaging |
1947-1954 |
4/9 | Canadian Streamgaging |
1955-1959 |
Box/Folder | ||
4/8 | Cedar Falls Headwork
Map |
1981 |
4/11 | CH2M-Hill Power Management
Studies and Related Correspondence |
1980-1983 |
4/12 | Chief Joseph Dam |
1949-1970 |
4/13 | Columbia River Power
Possibilities |
1937-1954 |
4/14 | Columbia Valley Authority,
Proposed |
1934-1949 |
4/15 | Combustion Turbine Project,
With Puget Sound Power and Light |
1979 |
4/16 | Combustion
Turbines |
1979-1980 |
4/17 | Congressional Appropriation
For Columbia River Project |
1947-1951 |
4/18 | Congressional Authority,
Columbia River Projects, Testimony |
1952-1954 |
4/19 | Dam Protection |
1943 |
4/20 | Drainage Basin Committee
Report, North Pacific Basins |
1936-1938 |
4/21 | Energy Curtailment
Programs |
1975-1980 |
4/22 | Energy Curtailment
Programs |
1980-1981 |
5/1 | Federal Legislation - Water
Resources |
1952-1956 |
5/2 | Federal Water Resources
Policy |
1949-1959 |
5/3 | Hell's Canyon Dam,
Idaho |
1937-1952 |
5/4 | Hell's Canyon Dam,
Idaho |
1953-1956 |
5/5 | Los Angeles Water and Power
Correspondence |
1955-1959 |
5/6 | Natural Gas |
1953-1956 |
5/7 | Pacific Northwest Power
(Incl. Map) |
1922-1953 |
5/8 | Proposed Methods of
Development |
1934-1956 |
5/9 | Proposed Projects - Columbia
River and Others |
1923-1959 |
5/10 | Public and Private Ownership,
Comparison |
1940-1949 |
5/11 | Public Ownership |
1936-1966 |
5/12 | Public Utility
Districts |
1942-1959 |
5/13 | Public Utility Districts,
Clippings |
1938-1941 |
5/14 | Public Utility
Districts |
1940-1962 |
5/15 | Public Utility District
Condemnation Cases |
1948 |
5/16 | Public Utility District, King
County |
1940 |
5/17 | Recapture and Relicensing of
Hydro-Electric Projects |
1966-1969 |
5/18 | Rocky Reach Project (Chelan
County PUD) |
1954-1963 |
5/19 | South Columbia Basin
Irrigation District Steering Committee |
1985-1986 |
5/20 | Thanksgiving Power Failure -
Report, U.S. War Production Board |
1942-1943 |
5/21 | U.S. Geological Service
Streamgaging Agreements |
1932-1959 |
5/22 | U.S. Geological Service
Cooperative Agreements - Snow Survey and Streamgaging |
1960-1965 |
5/23 | Washington Department of
Highways |
1935-1954 |
5/24 | Washington State Planning
Council Correspondence |
1934-1937 |
5/25 | Washington State Power
Commission |
1953-1957 |
6/1 | Washington State Power
Commission Steam Studies |
1955 |
6/2 | Washington State Power
Commission Steam Studies |
1955 |
6/3 | Washington Department of
Public Service, Orders |
1937-1938 |
6/4 | Water Division
Correspondence |
1971-1973 |
6/5 | Wells Project, Douglas County
PUD (Columbia River) |
1962-1964 |
6/6 | Wind Generators |
1954 |
Legal Files, 1979-1982Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6/7 | Fisheries
Litigation |
1980-1981 |
6/8 | Fisheries
Litigation |
1979 |
6/9 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1980 |
6/10 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/11 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/12 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/13 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/14 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/15 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/16 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/17 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/18 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/19 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
6/20 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
7/1 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
7/2 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
7/3 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
7/4 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
7/5 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
7/6 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
7/7 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
8/1 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
8/2 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1981 |
8/3 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1982 |
8/4 | Law Department
Correspondence |
1982 |
Energy Resources Planning and Management Division, 1983-1985Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
8/5 | Cedar Falls, Morse Lake
Project |
1983 |
8/6 | Survey of Large Industrial
Customers |
1985-1992 |
8/7 | Weekly Activity Reports -
Resource Planning and Load Forecasting (incl. ERPM Project Status) |
1983 |
8/8 | Interdepartmental Memos -
Resource Planning and Load Forecasting |
1983 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Dams--Washington (State)
- Electric power--Washington--Seattle
- Electric apparatus and appliances--Washington--Seattle
- Electric power transmission--Washington
- Hydroelectric power plants--Washington (State)
- Lake Union Steam Plant (Seattle, Wash.)
- Public utility districts--Washington (State)
Corporate Names
- Seattle City Light
- Seattle (Wash.). Law Dept.
- Seattle (Wash.). Lighting Dept.
- United States. Bonneville Power Administration
Geographical Names
- Seattle (Wash.)