Work in progress — cycles are added one at a time. Every quote is machine-verified against an archived source; follow the links to read it.
1932 › Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) › Public ownership of electric power
The next federal hydro-electric development will be on the Columbia River
pledge_forwardspecific_pledgecandidate_directevidence A Energy & PowerInfrastructure & Public Works similar solutions · similar reasoning
Solution
Federal development of Columbia River power as the fourth regional "yardstick" project alongside the St. Lawrence, Muscle Shoals and Boulder Dam, with the federal government never parting with sovereignty over its power resources.
Rationale
Four government developments in the four quarters of the country "will be forever a national yardstick to prevent extortion against the public and to encourage the wider use of ... electric power."
Statements (2)
And I state, in definite and certain terms, that the next great hydro-electric development to be undertaken by the Federal Government must be that on the Columbia River.
I promise you this: Never shall the Federal Government part with its sovereignty or with its control over its power resources, while I am President of the United States.
Follow-through
kept
Bonneville Dam was begun in 1933 with PWA funds and Grand Coulee authorized in 1935; the Bonneville Power Administration (1937) marketed the power at postage-stamp rates. Federal sovereignty over the sites was retained.
Mechanisms
| Date | Type | Name | Effect | Consistent? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933-09-30 | budget | PWA allotment for Bonneville Dam | yes | Franklin D. Roosevelt: Domestic Affairs | Miller Center |
Assessments
Grand Coulee and Bonneville transformed the Northwest.
Huge dams--Grand Coulee and Bonneville--transformed the economy of the Pacific Northwest.
Other positions on this issue
- Public development of hydro-electric power on the St. Lawrence model, with national control of interstate transmission — Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 specific_pledge
- Federal regulation of interstate power; opposition to government operation of the power business — Herbert Hoover, 1932 specific_pledge
- Cheaper electricity and rural electrification by the 'yardstick' method — Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936 directional_stance
1932-fdr-columbia-river-development · created by claude-fable-5-1 · review: unreviewed