FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on Southwestern Power Administration Rate Fairness (1978)

Original title: Electric power in the southwestern power area: hearing before the Subcommittee Energy Production and Supply of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, second session, on S. 2249, a bill to prohibit discrimination in rates charged by the Southwestern Power Administration and to require due process in the confirmation of such rates by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, March 9, 1978.

July 20, 2026

energy policy utility rates federal regulation due process

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses the legal framework for how the Southwestern Power Administration sets electricity rates, which directly impacts the cost of power for consumers and utility providers in the region.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Southwestern Power Administration

The agency's rate-setting processes and regulatory oversight would be modified by the requirements of S. 2249.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

The commission would be required to implement specific due process procedures for confirming power rates.

Electric power consumers in the Southwest

The rates paid by these consumers are subject to the regulatory changes proposed in the bill.

What changed

Last recorded activity July 20, 2026.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 1978 U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing regarding S. 2249, a bill aimed at preventing discriminatory electric power rates and establishing formal for rate confirmation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Key Facts

The hearing was held on March 9, 1978, by the Senate Subcommittee on Energy Production and Supply.
The subject of the hearing was S. 2249, a bill concerning the Southwestern Power Administration.
The bill proposes to prohibit discriminatory practices in the setting of electric power rates.
The bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to follow due process procedures when confirming power rates.
The hearing took place during the second session of the 95th Congress.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of S. 2249?

The bill aimed to ensure that electric power rates charged by the Southwestern Power Administration were not discriminatory and to mandate in the rate confirmation process.

Who was responsible for confirming the rates mentioned in the bill?

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Regulatory Oversight of Power Rates

The document highlights a 1978 effort to formalize the oversight of federal power marketing administrations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Southwestern Power Administration Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Connected Entities

organizationFederal Energy Regulatory Commission“The agency responsible for confirming power rates.”Map →

organizationCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources“The parent committee of the subcommittee.”Map →

organizationSouthwestern Power Administration“The federal agency responsible for marketing hydroelectric power in the Southwes”Map →

organizationSubcommittee on Energy Production and Supply“The Senate subcommittee conducting the hearing.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz5
Current news / social attention level

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