Man questions recent operation of Kerr Dam

Editor,

Have any newspapers’ investigative journalist written about the current status of the three turbine generators in Kerr Dam? A little bird told me that only two of them are active; the third being offline. Apparently, after some maintenance, it was turned back on without the “oilers” turned on and burnt out the bearings, destroying the turbine. You don’t run an engine without oil or constant lubrication, especially turbines.

When was the last time that happened under the previous “owners”/operators of the dam and the FERC license? Are we no longer concerned?

I understand that the remaining two turbines are running full speed with no possible downtime for maintenance. What happens when one of them has a problem requiring service or repair? What is the status of repair or replacement of that damaged turbine? Is it a secret that the public has a “no need to know” status? Shouldn’t we be told or made aware of the condition and status of our local “power source”?

Seems to me, Mr. John Q. Public, that owning a FERC license to operate a public utility and owning the utility are two entirely different concepts, separate and mutually exclusive. An Act of Congress required the irrigators of this valley to repay the federal government for the cost of the “power” (Kerr Dam) and then they would have the right to manage and operate it. Seems a bit ambiguous that in 1985, the power distribution entity was peeled off and erroneously given to a local sovereign nation under PL 93-638 of 1975. It was intended for a project that was created for and serviced Tribes exclusively and Mission Valley Power never fit that bill. Neither does Kerr Dam.

And now we have silence. Seems strange that no one is interested in nor reporting the status of our power grid.

-Michael Gale, Ronan