1206_04WaSMAR Guide to the Seattle City Light Power Management Records 1909-1986 Seattle City Light Power Management Records Finding aid prepared by Janet Ness Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Seattle Municipal Archives © 2010
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle, WA 98124-4728 Phone: 206/233-7807 Email: archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
Finding aid encoded by Janet Ness 2010 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Seattle Municipal Archives
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle, WA 98124-4728 Phone: 206/233-7807 Email: archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
1206-04 Seattle City Light Seattle City Light Power Management Records 1909-1986 6.8 cubic feet 8 boxes Records concerning Seattle electric power production and related topics Collection materials are in English 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.

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.

Arranged into three sub-series: Subject files, Legal files, and Energy Resources Planning and Management Division.

Records are open to the public.

[Item and date], Seattle City Light Power Management Records, Record Series 1206-04. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Seattle City Light Seattle (Wash.). Lighting Dept. United States. Bonneville Power Administration Seattle (Wash.). Law Dept. Seattle (Wash.) Electric power--Washington--Seattle Hydroelectric power plants--Washington (State) Electric power transmission--Washington Lake Union Steam Plant (Seattle, Wash.) Public utility districts--Washington (State) Dams--Washington (State) Electric apparatus and appliances--Washington--Seattle Seattle Public Utilities

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

Subject Files 1908-1986 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 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 1979-1982 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 1983-1985 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