Washington Utility Lights Up the Sky for Sacramento

KENNEWICK, Wash. — The Bonneville Power Administration today began supplying electricity to Sacramento, where voters this week shut down the Rancho Seco nuclear power plant.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District asked to buy 350 megawatts--enough electricity to supply Tacoma--from the Northwest, said Sharon Blair, a spokeswoman for the federal power agency.

She said it is not known how long Sacramento will buy Bonneville power because the city is still trying to figure out how to cope with loss of the 15-year-old nuclear plant.

Bonneville power is available because of high spring river runoff, but the utility could not promise to keep Sacramento supplied over the long run, Blair said.