Table Of Content

CaliforniaStateArchives StateGovernmentOralHistoryProgram OralHistoryInterview With B B Blevins CaliforniaEnergyCommission 1977 1995 CaliforniaDepartmentOFConservation 1995 1997 CaliforniaEnvironmentalProtectionAgency 1997 2004 (DepartmentOFWaterResources 2001) (CaliforniaPowerauthority 2002) Julys 2003 January 16 2004 By ChristopherJ Castaneda DepartmentofHistory California StateUniversity Sacramento TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEW HISTORY i BIOGRAPHICALSUMMARY n SESSION 1 July8 2003 [Tape 1 Side A] 1 BominKnoxville Tennessee parents background Amencan MissionaryAssociation discussion ofhisname father scareer mthemilitaryatFordOrd movebacktoEast Tennessee inOakRidge developing interest mhistory archaeology andthe environment nuclearpower energyand theTVA influence ofDr William Bass interestinmusic totheUniversity ofNewMexico campus unrest studying anthropology influenceofDr Louis Binford descnption offield school experiences [Tape 1 Side B] 26 Value ofsocial science and observationskills discussion ofsocial protest more archaeological projects retums home m1976 accepts employmentwith OakRidge Associated Universities (ORAU) energyprogram moves toDavis Californiatopresent ORAUprograms goes ontheroad speakingtoCaliforniahigh school students about energy asked tointerviewforaposition atthenewCaliforniaEnergyCommission (CBC) retums toTennessee acceptspositionwith CECandretums to California description ofCEC works onEnergyResourceHandbook earlyCEC programs PetroleumIndustryInformation ReportingAct the CEC and petroleum supplyissues in thelate1970s oddevengasoline sales plan [Tape2 SideA] 51 Continuingdiscussion ofCalifornia s1979 gasoline shortage crisis EmergencyServices Act andStateEmergencyPlan more on the odd evengasoline sales program early commissioners attheCEC eachcommissionerbystatute hasadifferentprofessional perspective commissioners appointed byGovemorJerryBrown discussion ofenergy planmng and forecasting buildingand appliance standards opponents oftheCEC need for energyplannmgandconservation more onbuilding standards and conservation relationship ofCEC with federal energyagencies role ofOfficeofPlanning and Research [Tape 2 Side B] 76 Blevins becomes advisor to Charles Imbrecht role ofthe Chairman from second advisor tofirst advisor impressions ofCharlesImbrecht andhismanagementstyle alternative energyandglobalclimatechange CECdelegationstoothercountnes S David Freeman atSMUD CECgovernance issues unique charactenstics oftheCECs building SESSION 2 January 16 2004 [Tape3 Side A] 92 Cahfomiainitiative regarding nuclearpowerplants andnuclearwaste storage utility companysupport for coal and nuclearpower CEC and energydemand forecasting SunDesertnuclearpowerplant compositionofCEC and expertiseofeach commissioner onginal bias ofthe CEC CEC focus onwaste and conservation economic growth and energyconservation CharlesImbrecht sview ofnuclearpower events related totheshut down ofRancho Seco PG&E ssupportofDiablo Canyon nuclearpowerplant SMUDs useofcogeneration afterRanchoSecoshut down bnnginginterstatenatural gas toCahfomia enhancedoilrecoveryoperations in Bakersfield area roles ofChairmanImbrecht and CommissionBilas inbnnging mterstate pipelines toCahfomia conflictbetweenCECandCPUC oninterstategas pipeline issue CPUC sfocus ondeterminingreasonable costs forprojects [Tape3 SideB] Hy Interstate gas pipelines KemRiverPipelme andPacific Gas Transmission recogmtion ofneed for more natural gas supply role ofFERC conceptof greenenergy role ofJerryBrown and Wilson Clark Office ofAppropnate Technology renewable energy* geothermal sources wind farms problemofendangered species bemg killedbywindturbines solarpowerandphotovoltaic cells Luz Corporationand solar thermalplants flexible fueled vehicles Chairman Imbrecht s mterest in cars natural gas and altemative fuel vehicle groups the CEC and apphmce standards building standards andaluminum framed vs vmyl windows [Tape4 SideA] 140 Developmentofthe Advisor sroleattheCEC BlevinsbecomesImbrecht s advisor organizationofthe CEC role ofthe Executive Director process ofchoosingan Executive Director CommissionerArturo Gandara supports Blevins for Executive Director Imbrechtwas opposedto BlevinsasExecutiveDirector Blevinsbecomes [Tape 4 Side A (cont)] Executive Directorofthe CEC later more on the evolutionofthe advisor s role discussion ofmanagementstyle companngImbrecht andBlevms background to Califorma s deregulation plan work oftheCPUC beliefmmarket forces results of InvestorOwned Utilities (lOUs) selling theirpowerplants apparent overpayments for thoseplantsbypowercompames [Tape 4 SideB] 165 ImpactofCharles ImbrechtontheCEC Imbrecht sbackground descnption ofthe CEC whenImbrecht first amvedthere m1983 Imbrecht smanagement style and method ofarticulatingenergyissues producingtheCEC sstateenergyplanreport creating theCEC seal oppositiontotheCEC sexistence funding for andearly growthof the CEC backgroundtoplantopromotealternativefuelschoolbuses Imbrecht asanationalspokesman forenergyissues episodeofCommissionerBob Mussetterandhis photograph visiting the new CPUC offices in San Francisco with ChairmanImbrecht ChairmanImbrechtand alcohol mistreatment bythe press [Tape 5 Side A] 188 Blevms appointment to the Department ofConservation decision to leave the CEC accepting first gubematonal appointment asChiefDeputy learning anewsystem atthe DepartmentofConservation becomesActingDirector organizationofthe DepartmentofConservation beveragecontainerrecyclingprogram movestothe positionofUndersecretaryoftheCaliformaEnvironmentalProtection Agency(CalEPA) theCECandCalEPAregardingnewenvironmentaltechnologies discussionofthe role ofthe DepartmentofPesticideRegulation appearance ofelectncpowersupply problems [Tapes SideB] 211 Interaction with Pete Wilson serves as his dnver on one ofWilson sSenate campaign tours learnsspecialdnvingrules discussing alternative fuelswithMr andMrs Wilson Wilson laterremembers that Blevms returnedhislostglasses observations of GovernorWilson slast cabinetmeeting organization ofCalEPAand its newbuilding partoftheGovernor sEnergyWorkingGroup askedtoassistwiththeCalifornia EnergyResources Schedulingunit(CERS) attheDepartmentofWaterResources (DWR) meeting with GovernorDavis regarding mtenm work forRayHartatCERS issue ofCERS consultants and Form700 difficulty ofrunning an electncity purchasing operation dunng the energycrisis problems with California selectncity deregulationplan [Tape6 SideA] 238 Work atCERS winds down creationofthe CaliforniaPowerAuthonty discussion of S David Freeman descnbingthedifferent styles ofCharlesImbrechtandS David Freeman agrees to assistwith the formation ofthe CaliforniaPowerAuthonty deposedbyattorneys for powergenerators regardingpowercnsisclaims role ofthe CaliforniaPowerAuthonty returns toCalEPA reflections onworking instate agencies involved withtheenvironmentandresource management [Tape6 SideB] 255 Concludingremarks INTERVIEWfflSTORY Interviewer/Editor ChnstopherJames Castaneda ProfessorofHistory CSUSacramento Director Oral HistoryProgram CSU Sacramento B A RiceUmversity Houston Texas MA UmversityofHouston PhD UniversityofHouston Interview Timeand Place July 8 2003 The conference room m Tahoe Hall CSU Sacramento Sessionoftwo and one halfhours January 16 2004 The conference room m Tahoe Hall CSU Sacramento Sessionoffive hours and one halfhours Transcnbmg/Editmg TechmTypeTranscnpts transcnbed theinterviewaudiotapes ChnstopherJ Castanedacheckedtheverbatim manuscnptoftheinterviewagainsttheonginaltape recordings editedforpunctuation paragraphing andspelling Castanedaprepared the tableofcontents biographicalsummary andinterviewhistory Castanedaalso made theediting corrections andprepared thefinal transcnpt Mr Blevmsreviewedtheverbatimtranscnpt Tape and Interview Records Theonginaltaperecordings oftheinterview areintheuniversityarchives atCSU Sacramento on90 minute cassettetapes Mastertapes arepreservedattheCaliforma StateArchives BIOGRAPHICALSUMMARY B B (ByronBruce)Blevinswas bom mKnoxville TennesseeonJanuary 9 1953 He grewupinTennessee andwenttohighschoolinOakRidgewherehebecameinterestedin archaeology historyand theenvironment He attended theUniversityofNewMexico and received aBA inAnthropology Afterreturning to Tennessee he worked for the OakRidge Associated Universities and traveled toCalifomiatomake presentations onenergytohigh school students In1977 B B Blevins beganworking for the CaliforniaEnergyCommission (CEC) whereheserved asananalyst andthenprogram manager from 1977to 1983 In1983 he became AdvisortotheChairman andremained mthispositionuntil1992 From1992 through 1995 Blevins servedas ExecutiveDirectorofthe CEC In 1995 B B BlevinsmovedtotheCaliforniaDepartmentofConservationwherehe served astheChiefDeputyDnectorandActingDirector Heremained atthis agencyuntil 1997whenGovernorPeteWilsonappointedhimasUndersecretaryoftheCahfomia EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(CalEPA) helaterwas promoted toDeputySecretaryfor BusinessAssistanceandProgramDevelopment During Cahfomiasenergyshortage Governor GrayDavisappointed Blevinstodirect Cahfomia selectncitypurchasingprogram attheDepartmentofWater Resources (Julyand August 2001) and thentoassist S David Freemaninforming the CaliformaPowerAuthonty (2002) Afterservinginthesetemporaryposts Blevinsreturnedto CalEPA Inadditionto thesepositions BlevinshasrepresentedCahfomia ontheInterstateOil and Gas Compact Commission andthe US OuterContinental ShelfPolicyAdvisory Committee He has also served onthe boards ofthe National Renewable Energy Laboratorys ScienceandIndustryAdvisoryBoard theCahfomia CouncilonDefense IndustryConversionandTechnologyAssessment the CaliforniaNatural GasVehicle AdvisoryBoardandtheCenterforCleanAirPolicy In 1994 heservedasamemberofthe GermanMarshall Fund StudyTouronGlobal Climate Change InJanuary2004 GovemorArnold Schwarzeneggerappointed BB asCommissionerof theCahfomiaEnergyCommissionfora60dayterm B B Blevins isahistonan who specializes inthehistory ofthe SouthernAppalachian region and he isthe Chairmanand ChiefExecutive Officerofthe Grandview Hentage Foundation He is mamed andhas two sons 11 [Session 1 July 8 2003] [BeginTape 1 Side A] CASTANEDA This isanoralhistoryinterviewofMr B B Blevins fortheState Government OralHistoryProgram anditisJuly8 2003 Wearein theconference room attheDepartment ofHistory CSU[Cahforma StateUmversity] Sacramento Mr Blevms thank you for taking the time to do this interview BLEVINS Mypleasure CASTANEDA We like tostartthese interviews withyou talking about your backgroundandgettingasense ofyouryears growing upand influences onyou SoI dlike tostartoffbyaskingyouwhere you were bom and I guess we 11 startfrom there BLEVINS Iwas bominKnoxville Tennessee onJanuary 9 1953 The only thing Ithink thatwas unique about itwasthatmymotherhadafemale OB/GYNinl953 CASTANEDA Wereyourparents from Knoxville ongmally'? BLEVINS Myfather and his family are from the southwestempartofVirgima HegrewupmaplacecalledGatesCity Virgima whichsitsonthe borderofTennesseeandVirginia andhisfamilyhadbeenmthatarea for nearlytwo hundredyears Mymother sfamily shegrew upina placecalled Granview Tennessee which sets ontheeastem edge of theCumberlandPlateau Itsacommunitywhere thetopographyof Tennessee is such that asyou re in Nashville and move toward the east there saplateauarea ThenwhenyoureachtheTennesseeRiver Valley itdropsstraightoffforabouteighthundred feet This commumty satnght onthe hp ofthat plateau Itsdistinctionwasthatin 1884 theAmericanMissionary Association establishedone oftheir schools m Granview It was the first place that twelve grades ofeducation were offered between Atlanta Georgia and Cmcinnati Ohio It resulted m a lot ofthe locals movingintotheareasotheirchildrencouldgoto schoolthere and alsoa lotofprofessorscomingfromtheNortheast to teach atthis school and theseprofessors were coming from IvyLeague schools— Dartmouth Pnnceton Yale Harvard TheAmencan MissionaryAssociation interestinglyenough wasa remarkable organization thatno one has seemedto have written a popularhistoryof but it was formed as a result oftheAmistadslave shipincident Theattorneywhorepresented thesupposedslaves through thelegal proceeding basicallyafterthatproceeding wasover recognized that allthe missionary associations in the United States wereabitschizoid mthattheyeitherwereadamantly againstslavery becauseoftheChnstiamtyaspects ofthmgs ortheotherhalfdidn t wantto rocktheboat Whathedidwashe managedtoorgamzeallthe hardcoreanti slaverycomponents ofthevanety ofmissionary associations into asingleassociation Thatbecame the Amencan MissionaryAssociation Theirimtial purposewas to educate slaves evenbefore the Civil War and thatbranchedout into Native Amencans m the far West m the late 1800s andalso actually specifically in Californiathe Amencan Missionary Association operated a school for Chinese railwayworkersinSacramentointheearly mid 1800s Oneoftheotherthingstheydidwastheyestablishedschoolsin the mostruralparts ofthesouthernAppalachianregions andGranview happened tobeoneofthoseschools Soonmymother ssideofthe family I msortofaproductoflocals andfolks thatemigratedfrom places likeNew York mto the area ofan association with the school