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Seattle City Light Regional Power Planning Records, 1948-2003

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle City Light
Title
Seattle City Light Regional Power Planning Records
Dates
1948-2003 (inclusive)
1954-1998 (bulk)
Quantity
7.4 cubic feet, (8 boxes)
Collection Number
1200-15
Summary
Records of organizations concerned with electric power planning in the western United States.
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.
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Historical Note

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.

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Content Description

Records of the Superintendent of City Light relating to electric power organizations and regional power planning. Included are correspondence, minutes, reports and related material of the American Public Power Association, Puget Sound Utilities Council, Public Generating Pool, Steering Committee of the Comprehensive Review of the Northwest Energy System, Washington Public Power Supply System Executive Board, Western Interconnected Electric Systems, and Western Systems Coordinating Council. Also included are records regarding planning for and purchase of power from the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project. All are organizations in which City Light participated or played a leadership role. Additional records concerning regional power associations are found in Regional Power Management Records, series 1206-13.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Seattle City Light Regional Power Planning Records, Record Series 1200-15. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Dams--Washington (State)
  • Electric Utilities--Northwest, Pacific
  • Hydroelectric power plants--Washington (State)
  • Interconnected electric utility systems
  • Nuclear energy--Washington (State)
  • Priest Rapids Dam (Wash.)
  • Water-power--Washington (State)

Personal Names

  • Raver, Paul J.

Corporate Names

  • Seattle City Light
  • American Public Power Association
  • Public Generating Pool
  • Puget Sound Utilities Council
  • Seattle (Wash.). Lighting Dept.
  • Washington Public Power Supply System
  • Western Systems Coordinating Council

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)

Finding aid prepared by Janet Ness
2010

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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