[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 177 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BILL CARNAHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to an 
individual whose dedication and contributions to southern California 
are exceptional. Mr. Bill Carnahan, who, for more than 16 years, has 
served with distinction as Executive Director of the Southern 
California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) will be retiring after 50 
years of dedicated service to public utility.
  Since he became Executive Director in 2000, Mr. Carnahan has 
succeeded in making SCPPA one of the largest and most active joint 
action agencies in the country, with a diverse energy resource 
portfolio. SCPPA represents 11 community-owned utilities and one 
irrigation district that provide electricity to 4.8 million people, 
over 7,000 square miles in Southern California. Mr. Carnahan has worked 
with Members of Congress throughout the West, from both sides of the 
aisle, to advance the interests of community-owned utilities. He is 
well known for his vision, his ability to bring stakeholders together, 
and his forthrightness. Bill has played a pivotal role in advocating on 
behalf of non-profit, publicly-accountable utilities that serve 
consumers in small and large communities alike.
  Under Mr. Carnahan's leadership, SCPPA has grown immensely--evolving 
from six generation and transmission projects in its early days, to 32 
generation and three transmission projects bringing power from Arizona, 
New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada to Southern 
California today. Mr. Carnahan helped enact legislation to extend 
federal contracts which will ensure that Southern California consumers 
continue to enjoy emissions-free hydropower from Hoover Dam for another 
50 years. Hoover power is a low-cost, reliable energy resource, and is 
critical to helping keep Southern California's energy costs as low as 
possible. The bill, the ``Hoover Power Allocation Act,'' was signed 
into law by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2011.
  My personal and professional respect and admiration for Mr. Carnahan 
runs deep, and I wish him happiness and good health in his retirement. 
The wise counsel, determination, and good Scotch-Irish sense-of-humor, 
which he has provided to me and others in Congress for many years on 
behalf of public power--will be fondly remembered.

                          ____________________