This oral history interview with Kai Lee was conducted by Michael O’Rourke at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, from May 26-27, 1999. 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. Access to the interview audio recording is restricted until 2042. An edited transcript is open for research.

In the first interview session, conducted on May 26, 1999, Lee discusses his family background and early life in New York, including his Chinese heritage. He talks about his college education, particularly at the University of California at Berkeley, and about his marriage. He speaks about teaching political science and environmental studies at the University of Washington from 1973 to 1990, describes his experiences during a 1977 White House fellowship, and discusses the development of his interest in energy issues. He talks about his involvement in the development of the Washington Public Power Supply System, and about how energy demand projections in the 1970s led to the passage of the 1980 Northwest Power Act. He then discusses representing Washington on the Northwest Power Planning Council from 1983 to 1987. He speaks about a paper he wrote about the failure of WPPSS nuclear power plants 4 and 5, “Path Along the Ridge”; about his efforts to represent all Washingtonians; and about his relationship with Native tribes in the region. He talks about other council members, particularly Dan Evans and Ed Sheets, and discusses opposition to the council’s Model Home Standards. He speaks at length about his role in the development of the council’s fish and wildlife plan, and reflects on the plan’s successes and failures.

In the second interview session, conducted on May 27, 1999, Lee continues to discuss representing Washington on the Northwest Power Planning Council, and briefly reviews many of the topics discussed in session 1. He speaks further about the development of the council’s fish and wildlife plan, and about other council members and staff. He also shares his thoughts about nuclear power. He talks about serving on the Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology, describes taking a sabbatical in Kyoto, Japan, to write the book “Compass and Gyroscope,” and shares his reasons for leaving the University of Washington to teach at Williams College. He closes the interview by reflecting on the accomplishments of the NWPPC.