Oral history interview with Randy W. Hardy

Collection

Identifier: SR 2764

Staff Only

Oral history interview with Randy W. Hardy

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Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Randy W. Hardy was conducted by Michael O’Rourke from June 11 to September 10, 2002. The interview was conducted as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project, which documented the history and purpose of the Northwest Power Planning Council, now known as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The interview was conducted in two sessions; a transcript is available.

In the first interview session, conducted in Portland, Oregon, on June 11, 2002, Hardy discusses his family background and early life in a military family. He speaks at length about his career in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, and shares his opinion about the war. He talks about his graduate studies in public affairs at the University of Washington, about his marriage to Jane Van Leuven, and about his reasons for leaving the Navy. He discusses his work with the Federal Energy Administration in the late 1970s.

In the second interview session, conducted in Spokane, Washington, on September 10, 2002, Hardy continues to discuss his work with the Federal Energy Administration in the late 1970s, and talks about the passage of the 1980 Northwest Power Act. He speaks at length about the development and failure of the Washington Public Power Supply System, talks about the management of the Bonneville Power Administration in the 1980s, and about the relationship between the Northwest Power Planning Council and the BPA. He then speaks at length about his work as executive director of the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee. He also talks about serving as superintendent of Seattle City Light, shares his thoughts about the NWPPC’s model conservation standards, and speaks at length about his service as CEO of the BPA in the 1990s. He also discusses the effects of the deregulation of electric utilities, talks about how changing state politics in the 1990s affected the work of the NWPPC, and speculates about the future of energy utilities in the Pacific Northwest. He closes the interview by talking about his activities since leaving the BPA in 1997.

Dates

Creation: 2002 June 11-September 10

Creator

Hardy, Randall W. (Interviewee, Person)
O'Rourke, Michael (Filmmaker) (Interviewer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

Randall “Randy” Webster Hardy was born in Lake City, Florida, in 1944. His father was a naval officer and the family moved often during his childhood. In 1966, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and then spent ten years in the U.S. Navy; he remained in the naval reserves for an additional 15 years. In 1972, he earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Washington. In 1974, he and Jane Van Leuven were married. From 1975 to 1982, he held various positions with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Administration, and the Bonneville Power Administration, then served as executive director of the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1991, he served as superintendent of Seattle City Light. From 1991 to 1997, he was CEO of the BPA. In 2002, he began an energy consulting business.

Historical note

The Northwest Power Planning Council is a four-state regional planning body formed by Congress through the Northwest Power Act of 1980 to develop and maintain regional conservation and electric power plans and a fish and wildlife program. The council is composed of two representatives from each member state: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The mission of the council is "to preserve the benefits of the Columbia River for future generations." The body was originally known as the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council; the name was shortened to Northwest Power Planning Council in October 1981, and in 2003, the name was changed to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (6 audiocassettes (5 hr., 9 min., 54 sec.) + transcript (136 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Randy W. Hardy conducted by Michael O'Rourke from June 11 to September 10, 2002, as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council Oral History Project. Hardy served as the executive director of the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee from 1982 to 1984, and as CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration from 1991 to 1997.