    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [July 3, 1996]
    [Page 1071]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on the Western Power Outage
    July 3, 1996

    Memorandum for the Secretary of Energy

    Subject: Western Power Outage

        Yesterday, there was an unexplained power failure in the Western
    power grid, disrupting electric service to hundreds of thousands of
    customers in 15 Western states. The outages had a ripple effect as power
    stations across the vast grid automatically shut down as the result of
    experiencing a surge. The outages caused numerous problems throughout
    the region, including disruptions of train service, traffic problems,
    loss of air conditioning, interruption of telephone service, and
    interference with water supplies.
        I direct you to provide to me a report within 30 days, that:
            1.  Analyzes the cause of yesterday's outage;
            2.  Describes the extent and duration of the outage;
            3.  Analyzes whether the outage could have been prevented and
                whether the Western Systems Coordinating Council (WSCC)
                electric reliability system responded as anticipated to the
                initial outage;
            4.  Makes recommendations for any operational or regulatory
                changes at WSCC; and
            5.  Assesses the adequacy of existing North American electric
                reliability systems and makes recommendations for any
                operational or regulatory changes.
        I have directed that these steps be taken to assure the reliability
    of the Nation's electricity infrastructure. A steady supply of power is
    a vital factor in both the local and national economies and is essential
    for the safety of all Americans. The swift implementation of this
    directive will assure that these interests will be protected.

                                                          William J. Clinton