[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 71 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      TRIBUTE TO S. DAVID FREEMAN

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 8, 1994

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from California [Mr. Fazio] and 
I rise today to pay tribute to S. David Freeman, a true visionary who 
in the short period of 3 years, has managed to successfully reinvent 
Sacramento's approach to providing energy to this region. On January 
14, 1994, many of Mr. Freeman's associates and friends will gather to 
pay a Texas-sized tribute to the man whose phenomenal leadership turned 
this troubled organization into what is now considered a model for 
other utilities across the country.
  Mr. Freeman was appointed in June 1990 to the position of general 
manager of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, one of the 
largest publicly owned electric utilities in the Nation. During his 
tenure at SMUD, Mr. Freeman transformed the district from a crisis in 
public confidence into a stable, financially viable utility which is 
now regarded by government, business, and ratepayers alike as a 
tremendous asset to this community. In addition, he has put great 
emphasis on the promotion and development of advanced and renewable 
technologies which will ensure new power sources to serve Sacramento 
well into the 21st century.
  As part of Mr. Freeman's plan for the utility's turnaround, he has 
implemented numerous new programs which have resulted in benefits 
ranging from savings on electric bills to cleaner air. Since 1990, 
ratepayers have planted 100,000 trees, purchased 51,000 energy-
efficient refrigerators and recycled 41,000 low-efficiency 
refrigerators. In line with Mr. Freeman's commitment to clean air and 
electric transportation, SMUD has aggressively pursued electric 
transportation partnerships with other agencies resulting in a rapidly 
advancing electric vehicle project which has placed Sacramento in the 
national forefront of EV technology.
  Another of Mr. Freeman's goals while at SMUD was to establish the 
utility as an integral part of the community and to educate tomorrow's 
leaders about energy issues. To this end, SMUD has developed a 
curriculum designed to both teach elementary school children about 
energy use, as well as encourage students, parents, and faculty to 
develop an energy conservation ethic. To date, SMUD employees have 
adopted three local schools and volunteer as tutors, mentors, and 
teacher assistants. In addition to education, Mr. Freeman has lent his 
expertise and resources to improving local community facilities. The 
utility has installed solar safety phones on the Jedediah Smith bicycle 
trail, assisted developers and nonprofit organizations in installing 
safe and energy-efficient lighting and building shell improvements and 
as part of a special pilot project, the district is placing 
photovoltaic streetlights in city alleys.
  Under Mr. Freeman, SMUD has mapped out a plan for innovative, 
nonpolluting and renewable power sources that will keep Sacramento's 
electricity affordable into the next century. New power sources for 
SMUD feature state-of-the-art generation plants using natural gas, 
biomass, wind, and solar power. In addition to saving ratepayers money 
and cleaning Sacramento's air, these endeavors will create hundreds of 
private sector jobs, hundreds of construction jobs and potentially 
millions in annual tax revenues for Sacramento County from adjacent 
private development.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that we rise to recognize the 
man the New York Times dubbed ``the energy prophet.'' For his 
unyielding commitment to the people of Sacramento and to the 
environment, we salute S. David Freeman. He is a public servant in a 
class all his own whom many others would do well to emulate. Sacramento 
is truly fortunate to have had the benefit of his leadership and we ask 
our colleagues to join us in wishing him continued success in all of 
his future endeavors.

                          ____________________