Forms part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project.
Collection is open for research.
Robert Angus Duncan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1946. In 1948, his family relocated to Oregon, and settled in Medford a few years later. In 1967, he earned a degree in government from Harvard University. From 1974 to 1979, he served as an aide to Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt, and continued to assist Goldschmidt in the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1980. He participated in the creation of the 1980 Northwest Power Act. During the 1980s, he worked in the private sector for various renewable energy companies, and in 1990, he became a member of the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. He served as chair from 1994 to 1995.
The Northwest Power Planning Council is a four-state regional planning body formed by Congress through the Northwest Power Act of 1980 to develop and maintain regional conservation and electric power plans and a fish and wildlife program. The council is composed of two representatives from each member state: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The mission of the council is "to preserve the benefits of the Columbia River for future generations." The body was originally known as the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council; the name was shortened to Northwest Power Planning Council in October 1981, and in 2003, the name was changed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
Forms part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project.
Oral history interview with Angus Duncan, by Jim Strassmaier, SR 2754, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Northwest Power Planning Council records, Mss 1852, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Angus Duncan was conducted by Jim Strassmaier from July 15 to September 24, 1999. The interview was conducted as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project, which documented the history and purpose of the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The interview was conducted in four sessions, and a transcript is available. The audio for part of the first session (Tape 2, Side 2) is affected by speed issues. The audio for a portion of the fourth session (most of Tape 9) is missing, but is reflected in the transcript.
In this interview, Duncan discusses his family background and early life in Medford, Oregon, including the legislative career of his father, Robert Duncan. He speaks about working as an aide for Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt from 1974 to 1979, and in the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1980. He speaks at length about serving on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1990 to 1995.
Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA,
Tape 2, Side 2 is affected by speed issues. In the first interview session, conducted on July 15, 1999, Duncan discusses his family background and early life in Medford, Oregon, including the legislative career of his father, Robert Duncan; his education; and studying government at Harvard University. He speaks about working as an aide for Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt from 1974 to 1979, and talks about transportation issues in Portland, particularly the Mount Hood Freeway. He talks about energy issues in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, about the history of public and private electric utilities in the region, and about his role in the passage of the 1980 Northwest Power Act.
In the second interview session, conducted on July 22, 1999, Duncan continues to discuss his role in the passage of the 1980 Northwest Power Act. He speaks about working as an aide for Neil Goldschmidt in the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1979 to 1980. He discusses his career with various renewable energy companies during the 1980s, and shares his thoughts about alternative energy sources. He then talks about serving on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1990 to 1995. He discusses his attempts to incorporate more renewable energy sources into the council's plans, describes concerns about salmon populations in the 1990s, and talks about his relationship with other council members.
In the third interview session, conducted on September 16, 1999, Duncan continues to discuss serving on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1990 to 1995. He speaks about some of the projects he worked on regarding salmon conservation, the shutdown of the Trojan nuclear power plant, and water efficiency. He talks about working with other council members, with the Bonneville Power Administration, and with Native tribes. He discusses the 1994 amendment cycle for the NWPPC fish and wildlife plan, and talks about the plan's reception, opposition, and implementation.
The audio for most of Tape 9 is missing, but is reflected in the interview transcript. In the fourth and final interview session, conducted on September 24, 1999, Duncan continues to discuss serving on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1990 to 1995. He revisits the topic of the shutdown of the Trojan nuclear power plant, and talks about his working relationship with the NWPPC council members and staff. He discusses the controversies surrounding the 1995 departure of Ed Sheets from the council; talks about working with federal agencies, particularly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and shares his thoughts about the future of power generation on the Columbia River. He closes the interview by reflecting on his career in the public and private sectors.