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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />the preference clause makes possible alternatives 10 massive privale <br />power, and enables consumcrs in small jurisdicliom 10 exercise a <br />grealer degree of contr,l) over the polides of electric ulililies. In com. <br />munitie, IVhl~re there are no pnblic power utililies, the prospect of the <br />.;realion of such. agen,:ies can be effeClive in making private utilities <br />more responsive. <br />Acceptinl\ the fa", thaI in general then~ are oPPorlunilies for econo- <br />mic h'~nefits in large illlegrated sysiems, there are thousands of com- <br />munities throughoul the c,lunrry that as a mailer of policy want 10 <br />maintain direel control .wer electric utilily operations in their area; and <br />they should he abk t,l do so. Thc preferen,.e clause helps make Ihis <br />possible. Thc I.".atioll of corpora Ie headquarters in a remote cily can <br />result in lack of r,'sponsiveness to I,wal needs. Additionally, there are <br />those ",ho, hy ."rollg instinct, arc IIncornt'ortahle with absentee owner- <br />ship and \\'ho d'ln'lt hale confidence inlhe effectiveness of government <br />rc-g.uhllil11l a~ a Silhslillll~ fvr genuine Lompe[ilion. <br />The il11portall..c of maintaining local control" demomtrated by the <br />recent .!ecisjons lIf t\\'o cities wilh regard 10 nuclear power. Austin, <br />Texas has chosell 10 purchase a 160,." share of a proposed nuclear power <br />plant; S,:attk, Wa.,hingtoll, on Ihe other hand, has elecled 10 conserve <br />ener~\' instead of participating in thc cnnslruction of a nuclear plant. <br />T he preference c1allsc has Itelped to protectlhe local utilities which have <br />respllll..kd It. Ihe dC>lIcs "(Ihe people they served. <br />If. as predicted by many indusrry observers, the cuuntry experiences <br />inadcti..,ue dc.:rric generaTing ~ara':lIy in Ihe mid-1980's, municipals <br />and CI)Opclatiw.\ wTII nced as mudl prelerence power a, they call obtain <br />10 Ptl:sl~rvc th.:ir ill~lcpellrkncc and the ability to control their own <br />fUl11rc. <br /> <br />24 <br />