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Sac Bee, Fri, 5/25: More outage notice ordered: Davis tells utilities to gi= ve=20 added warning of possible blackouts. Sac Bee, Fri, 5/25: For seniors, the heat can kill, doctors warn Sac Bee, Fri, 5/25: House panel debates energy price controls SD Union, Fri, 5/25: Exec reacts hotly to California claim SD Union, Fri, 5/25: State power regulators aim to keep more power on grid SD Union, Fri, 5/25: Slater asks Sempra to purchase generators=20 SD Union, Fri, 5/25: President will find Californians upset at his energy= =20 stance SD Union, Fri, 5/25: POLL: Californians dissatisfied with government handli= ng=20 of energy crisis SD Union, Fri, 5/25: California PUC to earmark more electricity for grid SD Union, Fri, 5/25: Davis proposal for more diesel power draws environment= al=20 criticism LA Times, Fri, 5/25: Davis Orders 3-Tiered Warnings of Blackouts LA Times, Fri, 5/25: PUC to Reassess Rate Hikes LA Times, Fri, 5/25: We Aren't That Desperate (Editorial) LA Times, Fri, 5/25: Energy Crisis as Political Payback (Editorial) LA Times, Fri, 5/25: Energy Antics: Oh, Behave! (Editorial) SF Chron, Fri, 5/25: An air of discontent over diesel backups=20 Emissions rules ignore emergency generators SF Chron, Fri, 5/25: Early-warning system for summer blackouts=20 Media alerts, Web sites would give information=20 SF Chron , Fri, 5/25: Energy crisis to cast long shadow=20 A look at what energy crisis means to future=20 Mercury News, Fri, 5/25: Governor vulnerable, poll shows=20 Mercury News, Fri, 5/25: California power regulators aim to keep more power= =20 on grid=20 Mercury News, Fri, 5/25: PUC reviews baseline formula for setting rates=20 Mercury News, Fri, 5/25: Regulators: Companies pushed up price of power=20 Mercury News, Fri, 5/25: California power regulators aim to keep more power= =20 on grid=20 OC Register, Fri, 5/25: Long Beach obtains lien on Edison's assets=20 Energy Insight, Fri, 5/25: Reliant pushes regional 'negawatt' plan Individual.com, Fri, 5/25: Reliant Energy to lower Calif. peaking unit powe= r=20 prices Individual.com, Fri, 5/25: Shaklee Corporation Headquarters Model for Energ= y=20 Efficiency and Ecology Efforts; Bay Area Company Wins State Award CEO Adds= =20 Hybrid Gas-Electric Vehicles to Fleet NY Times, Fri, 5/25: Power Trader Tied to Bush Finds Washington All Ears=20 LA Times, Fri., 5/25: THE ENERGY CRISIS Davis Orders 3-Tiered Warnings of= =20 Blackouts=20 SF., The Examiner, Fri., 5/25: Legislature hangs Davis out to dry=20 By Nick Driver Of The Examiner Staff=20 Democratic and Republican legislators are vying to scuttle Gov. Gray Davis'= =20 plan to buy transmission lines from electric utilities and replace it with= =20 one of their own.=20 The confusion in Sacramento sidelines what was an imminent deal for a San= =20 Diego-area utility, and throws further in doubt any future deal to purchase= =20 PG&E lines through bankruptcy proceedings.=20 And all this is happening before President Bush arrives Tuesday to tout his= =20 own transmission line deal.=20 A week ago, Davis finally found a term-limited senator, Richard Polanco,=20 D-Los Angeles, to sponsor legislation to purchase Southern California Ediso= n=20 lines. Now, the governor's office admits that talks will not proceed until= =20 the Legislature agrees on how to finance the buyout of SoCal Edison's lines= .=20 Some Assembly Democrats have proposed an innovative alternative to the Davi= s=20 plan, giving the state a five-year option to purchase all power lines for= =20 $1.2 billion. While a much lower price, the bill would also lower Edison's= =20 debt by forcing power marketers to accept 75 percent of the $3.5 billion ow= ed=20 them.=20 Under the terms of that proposal, the state would still have to loan Edison= =20 money -- around $1 billion -- and would guarantee SoCal Edison's sale of a= =20 further $2 billion in bonds. The state would also receive a conservation=20 easement on 21,000 acres of Sierra Nevada watershed land.=20 As in the Davis bill, SoCal Edison would sell the state relatively low-cost= =20 electricity for 10 years from one of its power plants, and force parent=20 company Edison International to repay $400 million in transfers.=20 A Republican plan labeled "Plan R" now making its way through the halls of= =20 the legislature is similar to its Democratic sister, except it allows the= =20 state to take stock in all new plants SoCal Edison is forced to build.=20 The Democratic bill's sponsors, Assemblymen John Dutra, D-Fremont; Joe=20 Nation, D-San Rafael; and Joe Canciamilla, D-Pittsburg; believe they can=20 persuade Edison's board of directors to approve their deal, even though it = is=20 not as attractive as the governor's offer. Edison refused to comment on the= =20 plan.=20 Republicans led by Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Northridge, were trying a= =20 different strategy Wednesday. The minority party's "Plan R" has not been=20 introduced as official legislation, but instead floated among Republicans a= nd=20 Democrats alike to get momentum before introduction.=20 Both groups say their bills represent SoCal Edison's only real alternative = to=20 bankruptcy, and that the beleaguered utility may soon join its northern=20 neighbor, PG&E, in bankruptcy.=20 So far, Edison has been able to renegotiate debts with power generators=20 charging high wholesale prices. PG&E declared bankruptcy April 6.=20 A governor's office staffer said the legislative impasse had diverted all= =20 attention away from any deal-making, but that the two sides continued to me= et=20 frequently.=20 Another adviser, Joe Fichera, said "there are lots of moving parts" to the= =20 deal to purchase all of San Diego Gas and Electric's transmission lines, bu= t=20 that he continued to meet with company representatives, including an all-da= y=20 meeting Monday. In San Diego, a spokesman for SDG&E referred all calls to t= he=20 governor's office.=20 But the sponsor of the Davis bill, Polanco, is not one of the legislature's= =20 power brokers, and most lawmakers said the $2.76 billion memorandum of=20 understanding is now in serious jeopardy.=20 A bankruptcy could lead to even greater chaos, including the threat of an= =20 increase in blackouts. The governor and business leaders have said the=20 economy would suffer as the likelihood of blackouts and service outages=20 rises.=20 Legislators, policy wonks and consumer groups continue to argue over the ne= ed=20 and desirability of the state owning the aging lines that snake across the= =20 state, especially if the bulk of them -- now owned by Pacific Gas and=20 Electric Co. -- are still not for sale.=20 Critics such as Senate President John Burton, D-San Francisco, one of the= =20 bill's strongest proponents three months ago, now say the state should not = be=20 in the business of replacing or upgrading dilapidated lines at a cost of=20 upwards of $1 billion.=20 Others see the state as the best candidate for improving a system long=20 neglected by utilities.=20 "State ownership of the transmission grid would be a better way to help gri= d=20 problems such as connecting wind generators," said Joe Ito, an energy analy= st=20 at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories. "It has been extremely difficult to buil= d=20 new transmission capacity over the last 10 years, especially into bottlenec= ks=20 like San Francisco."=20 Bush unveiled his Energy Plan last week, including a key plank that would= =20 allow the federal government to use eminent domain to purchase private land= =20 and build more transmission lines. Bush arrives Tuesday for talks with Davi= s=20 on this and other solutions to the energy crisis.=20 The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights derides both presidential a= nd=20 legislative attempts to create more consumer-friendly deals, labeling them= =20 "Bailout Lite."=20 "The sponsors want to try and trim away some of the fat," said Doug Heller,= a=20 spokesman for the group. "But it's all fat." Legislature hangs Davis out to dry=20 ___________________________________________________________________________= ___ __________________________ More outage notice ordered: Davis tells utilities to give added warning of= =20 possible blackouts. By John Hill Bee Capitol Bureau (Published May 25, 2001)=20 Gov. Gray Davis, invoking his emergency powers, ordered California's=20 utilities Thursday to give customers more warning of rolling blackouts.=20 Davis' plan calls for a 48-hour notice that power blackouts are likely to= =20 occur, a 24-hour notice that certain neighborhoods will probably be hit and= a=20 one-hour notice to those neighborhoods that the lights are about to go off.= =20 But the plan was short on details and left many questions unanswered. Among= =20 them: how customers will be notified, whether forecasts made a day or more = in=20 advance will lead to false alarms, and how much the governor's proposal wil= l=20 improve on what utilities already are doing.=20 "If blackouts are going to occur, there's no reason to keep the public in t= he=20 dark," Davis said at a news conference, flanked by law enforcement official= s=20 who bolstered his contention that notice will make the streets safer.=20 The Democratic governor said his plan is meant to improve on the current=20 system, in which notification has been haphazard. Utilities recently were= =20 given two minutes' notice by the California Independent System Operator,=20 which manages the power grid, that blackouts were needed to avoid a=20 systemwide collapse.=20 "A two-minute warning may work for the National Football League, but it won= 't=20 work for California consumers and the businesses of this state," Davis said= .=20 Davis called on the utilities, the state Public Utilities Commission, the= =20 Office of Emergency Services and others to come up with a plan for the=20 warnings in the next few weeks.=20 The board of the California Independent System Operator, which had been=20 scheduled to approve a more modest blackout plan Thursday, scrapped that=20 scheme in favor of the governor's. The board told its staff to report back = by=20 June 11.=20 "We are committed to putting as much information out there as possible and= =20 letting people use it as they see fit," ISO spokesman Gregg Fishman said.= =20 ISO board members cited a report last week that power blackouts could cost= =20 the state's economy $21.8 billion and 135,000 jobs. Some types of businesse= s,=20 such as high-technology companies and Central Valley food processors, have= =20 been clamoring for more warning to avoid losses.=20 Although some have raised concerns about criminals taking advantage of powe= r=20 blackouts, Davis said warnings would help police make the streets safer by= =20 setting up stop signs or beefing up patrols of the darkened neighborhoods. = He=20 said there have been 60 to 70 traffic accidents during blackouts in=20 Sacramento alone.=20 "The so-called bad guys are not sitting there waiting for a blackout," Davi= s=20 said.=20 The utilities already give some warnings to customers, but say they have be= en=20 hamstrung by a lack of notice from the Independent System Operator. The ISO= ,=20 in turn, is at the mercy of an electrical supply and demand balance sheet= =20 that changes by the second.=20 "The ISO is managing a very dynamic system where things can change in a=20 matter of seconds," said a spokesman for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Ron= =20 Low. "They could find additional power to bring into California or they cou= ld=20 find they lost a resource."=20 Grid operators also cautioned that the predictions will be rough guesses, n= ot=20 guarantees.=20 "We can tell you Monday what we know the facts are for Wednesday, but in th= e=20 intervening two days the facts might be different," Fishman said.=20 Davis said that even if one-hour warnings have been given, the blackout wil= l=20 be called off if the ISO can find last-minute power. "Obviously, if we can= =20 avoid a blackout, we want to," he said.=20 But the longer the warning, the more room for error.=20 "To the extent that you increase the notification, you lower the=20 probability," said John DiStasio, assistant general manager of customer=20 services at Sacramento Municipal Utility District.=20 There are also questions about the best way to let people know.=20 PG&E officials told the ISO board Thursday that customers want more notice,= =20 but have different ideas of how best to get it. Some said e-mail notice=20 wouldn't work because they're not on their computers all day. If the blacko= ut=20 is about to occur, many customers would rather be notified by pager or an= =20 automated phone call. Many customers would like to get notification through= =20 the mass media, much like they get weather news, but are uncertain where to= =20 go.=20 PG&E now notifies large businesses and customers with medical conditions wi= th=20 automated phone calls, Low said, but the system takes 15 to 20 minutes. For= =20 the utility to start giving these customers an hour's notice, he said, it= =20 would have to get a warning from ISO well before an hour.=20 "The more time in advance we receive the notice, the more customers we will= =20 be able to reach," he said.=20 SMUD is already telling customers on its Web page whether they are next in= =20 line for a blackout, DiStasio said. To comply with Davis' directive, the=20 utility could use the Web site to notify these customers that a blackout wa= s=20 expected within 24 hours.=20 The utility also is notifying about 900 customers by pager, he said.=20 But the best hope for notifying large numbers of people at the last minute,= =20 he said, is probably television and radio.=20 The Bee's John Hill can be reached at (916) 326-5543 or jhill@sacbee.com. More outage notice ordered: Davis tells utilities to give added warning of= =20 possible blackouts. By John Hill Bee Capitol Bureau (Published May 25, 2001)=20 Gov. Gray Davis, invoking his emergency powers, ordered California's=20 utilities Thursday to give customers more warning of rolling blackouts.=20 Davis' plan calls for a 48-hour notice that power blackouts are likely to= =20 occur, a 24-hour notice that certain neighborhoods will probably be hit and= a=20 one-hour notice to those neighborhoods that the lights are about to go off.= =20 But the plan was short on details and left many questions unanswered. Among= =20 them: how customers will be notified, whether forecasts made a day or more = in=20 advance will lead to false alarms, and how much the governor's proposal wil= l=20 improve on what utilities already are doing.=20 "If blackouts are going to occur, there's no reason to keep the public in t= he=20 dark," Davis said at a news conference, flanked by law enforcement official= s=20 who bolstered his contention that notice will make the streets safer.=20 The Democratic governor said his plan is meant to improve on the current=20 system, in which notification has been haphazard. Utilities recently were= =20 given two minutes' notice by the California Independent System Operator,=20 which manages the power grid, that blackouts were needed to avoid a=20 systemwide collapse.=20 "A two-minute warning may work for the National Football League, but it won= 't=20 work for California consumers and the businesses of this state," Davis said= .=20 Davis called on the utilities, the state Public Utilities Commission, the= =20 Office of Emergency Services and others to come up with a plan for the=20 warnings in the next few weeks.=20 The board of the California Independent System Operator, which had been=20 scheduled to approve a more modest blackout plan Thursday, scrapped that=20 scheme in favor of the governor's. The board told its staff to report back = by=20 June 11.=20 "We are committed to putting as much information out there as possible and= =20 letting people use it as they see fit," ISO spokesman Gregg Fishman said.= =20 ISO board members cited a report last week that power blackouts could cost= =20 the state's economy $21.8 billion and 135,000 jobs. Some types of businesse= s,=20 such as high-technology companies and Central Valley food processors, have= =20 been clamoring for more warning to avoid losses.=20 Although some have raised concerns about criminals taking advantage of powe= r=20 blackouts, Davis said warnings would help police make the streets safer by= =20 setting up stop signs or beefing up patrols of the darkened neighborhoods. = He=20 said there have been 60 to 70 traffic accidents during blackouts in=20 Sacramento alone.=20 "The so-called bad guys are not sitting there waiting for a blackout," Davi= s=20 said.=20 The utilities already give some warnings to customers, but say they have be= en=20 hamstrung by a lack of notice from the Independent System Operator. The ISO= ,=20 in turn, is at the mercy of an electrical supply and demand balance sheet= =20 that changes by the second.=20 "The ISO is managing a very dynamic system where things can change in a=20 matter of seconds," said a spokesman for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Ron= =20 Low. "They could find additional power to bring into California or they cou= ld=20 find they lost a resource."=20 Grid operators also cautioned that the predictions will be rough guesses, n= ot=20 guarantees.=20 "We can tell you Monday what we know the facts are for Wednesday, but in th= e=20 intervening two days the facts might be different," Fishman said.=20 Davis said that even if one-hour warnings have been given, the blackout wil= l=20 be called off if the ISO can find last-minute power. "Obviously, if we can= =20 avoid a blackout, we want to," he said.=20 But the longer the warning, the more room for error.=20 "To the extent that you increase the notification, you lower the=20 probability," said John DiStasio, assistant general manager of customer=20 services at Sacramento Municipal Utility District.=20 There are also questions about the best way to let people know.=20 PG&E officials told the ISO board Thursday that customers want more notice,= =20 but have different ideas of how best to get it. Some said e-mail notice=20 wouldn't work because they're not on their computers all day. If the blacko= ut=20 is about to occur, many customers would rather be notified by pager or an= =20 automated phone call. Many customers would like to get notification through= =20 the mass media, much like they get weather news, but are uncertain where to= =20 go.=20 PG&E now notifies large businesses and customers with medical conditions wi= th=20 automated phone calls, Low said, but the system takes 15 to 20 minutes. For= =20 the utility to start giving these customers an hour's notice, he said, it= =20 would have to get a warning from ISO well before an hour.=20 "The more time in advance we receive the notice, the more customers we will= =20 be able to reach," he said.=20 SMUD is already telling customers on its Web page whether they are next in= =20 line for a blackout, DiStasio said. To comply with Davis' directive, the=20 utility could use the Web site to notify these customers that a blackout wa= s=20 expected within 24 hours.=20 The utility also is notifying about 900 customers by pager, he said.=20 But the best hope for notifying large numbers of people at the last minute,= =20 he said, is probably television and radio.=20 The Bee's John Hill can be reached at (916) 326-5543 or jhill@sacbee.com. For seniors, the heat can kill, doctors warn By Carrie Peyton and Nancy Weaver Teichert Bee Staff Writers (Published May 25, 2001)=20 As summer slouches toward Sacramento amid a drumbeat of calls to conserve= =20 electricity, doctors and advocates for the elderly are sounding a=20 counter-theme.=20 Heat can kill. And most often, it kills seniors.=20 Year after year, heat waves around the United States are deadlier than=20 hurricanes or floods, tornadoes or earthquakes, according to the National= =20 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.=20 In California, a single Los Angeles heat wave killed more than twice as man= y=20 people as the 1906 San Francisco quake, according to research assembled by= =20 the state Energy Commission.=20 And national weather disaster statistics show that more than two-thirds of= =20 those felled by the heat in recent years were age 60 or older.=20 "Heat and the elderly are not a good combination," said Dr. Cheryl Phillips= ,=20 a Sutter Medical Group geriatrician. "It's a real concern this year."=20 As people age, their bodies begin to lose the ability to sense when they ar= e=20 thirsty or to bounce back quickly from dehydration, she said.=20 The very people who are most vulnerable to heat also often have a tradition= =20 of thrift and public spiritedness that might lead them to use less=20 electricity than is safe, doctors and energy officials fear.=20 "Their conservation ethic was from the '40s and '50s, when we didn't have a= ir=20 conditioning as prevalent as we do now, and they were much younger. So they= =20 probably feel like, 'I can do this, this is important,' and they're not=20 recognizing the change in their body," said Claudia Chandler of the Energy= =20 Commission.=20 The California Department of Aging is concerned enough that it will soon=20 begin a special outreach to warn seniors about the dangers of hot=20 temperatures, especially when air conditioning may be low or turned off=20 because of high utility bills.=20 In a public education campaign aimed at the 3.6 million Californians who ar= e=20 65 or older, officials will preach conservation, preparedness for outages a= nd=20 the need for drinking eight glasses of water each day.=20 Relatively simple steps can keep people safe -- if they are alert to the=20 danger.=20 Some are as obvious as staying out of the sun and moving less on the hottes= t=20 days.=20 Others are more arcane. People of all ages need to be aware that certain=20 medications, including some anti-depressants and diuretics, can increase=20 their sensitivity to heat. So can too much alcohol, too much weight, heart= =20 disease and other illnesses.=20 Allergies and heart problems underscore Margueritte Ranney's juggling act. = At=20 72, she has already had to refinance her house to keep up with rising bills= =20 on a fixed income. She does her laundry with cold water, shuts off unneeded= =20 appliances and opens the door each morning to cool her home.=20 But when the day's heat builds, Ranney faces a stark choice. It's "very, ve= ry=20 rough," she said -- but she puts her health first. She closes up her=20 two-bedroom home and turns on her evaporative cooler.=20 "If I had to turn off my cooler it would be pretty bad," she said. "If I ha= ve=20 to turn it off I have problems."=20 People who want to cut back on air conditioning while still protecting thei= r=20 health should use portable fans at home, spray themselves with small mister= s,=20 and take "cool breaks" to an air conditioned movie theater or store.=20 And seniors, especially, should "drink lots of water. Don't wait until you'= re=20 thirsty. Drink constantly on hot days," said Phillips.=20 Two heat-moderating mechanisms weaken with age, she said, and doctors still= =20 don't understand precisely why.=20 In some ways, the human body is like a glass of salty water. Sweat makes th= e=20 water level drop and the salt level rise, and in young people two hormones = --=20 aldosterone and angiotensin -- kick in to restore the balance.=20 Those hormones are "the ones that signal to the brain, 'dang I'm thirsty,' = "=20 said Phillips. They also tell the kidneys to hold onto water.=20 But as people age, their sensitivity to both hormones declines, making it= =20 easier for seniors to get seriously dehydrated.=20 Then things can get even more dangerous, because older bodies don't recover= =20 as quickly from dehydration. The dizziness and confusion that come in later= =20 stages of overheating can trigger bone-breaking falls in a person who is=20 already frail.=20 The good news is, there isn't much danger of getting overheated during=20 rolling blackouts or by setting a thermostat at 78 degrees instead of 72,= =20 said Phillips.=20 "I'm really not so worried about the power outages. For an hour and a half,= =20 people will do fine," the doctor said. "I'm worried about the power bills.= =20 Elders on fixed incomes who have to decide between food and the power bill,= =20 will say 'heck, I'm turning the air conditioner off.' "=20 It's a serious worry, according to Gloria Jackson of Sacramento County's=20 Department of Health and Human Services.=20 About three or four seniors contact her each week because they are facing a= =20 cutoff of their utilities for unpaid bills, said Jackson, the county's=20 liaison to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.=20 Struggling to pay high energy bills on Social Security or other fixed=20 incomes, the seniors end up owing from $100 to $370 in overdue bills, she= =20 said. A few have voluntarily had their PG&E gas service disconnected so the= y=20 will have enough to pay SMUD for electricity.=20 With incomes of about $700 a month, seniors may pay rent of $400 to $500 an= d=20 then have to figure out how to pay for utilities, prescriptions and food.= =20 "Some of them are borrowing money to pay their utilities," Jackson said.=20 Others have pawned jewelry.=20 "I'm very worried," about the coming summer, Jackson said.=20 Barbara Gillogly, coordinator of gerontology programs at American River=20 College, encouraged neighbors and relatives to check regularly on older=20 people who are living alone, especially when temperatures are high.=20 And relatives need to be alert to the illnesses and medications that can ma= ke=20 seniors especially vulnerable to heat.=20 Chandler, who cared for her aging father while he had Alzheimer's and was= =20 taking medications, including an anti-depressant, still remembers the summe= r=20 day nearly a decade ago that brought that lesson home to her.=20 "I came home, and he was in an incredibly stressed state," she recalled. "H= e=20 was beet red, his skin was fiery to touch and his eyes had started to glaze= =20 over."=20 The temperature of about 100 degrees had been enough to nearly overcome her= =20 father, and Chandler had to help him into a wading pool to bring his body= =20 temperature down.=20 "It was really scary. I almost lost my dad that day," she said.=20 The Bee's Carrie Peyton can be reached at (916) 321-1086 or=20 cpeyton@sacbee.com.=20 House panel debates energy price controls By Les Blumenthal Bee Washington Bureau (Published May 25, 2001)=20 WASHINGTON -- The House Energy and Commerce Committee delayed consideration= =20 of a major energy bill Thursday as Republicans and Democrats met privately = to=20 explore a possible compromise placing price controls on soaring wholesale= =20 electric rates on the West Coast.=20 The negotiations hinted at a possible watershed change in the Republicans'= =20 staunch opposition to price controls. An earlier effort to include such=20 controls in the bill turned contentious and was defeated on a mostly partis= an=20 vote in subcommittee.=20 But Republicans sought a compromise after President Bush announced he would= =20 meet with California Gov. Gray Davis during a trip to the state next week.= =20 Davis has advocated price controls and has been outspoken in criticizing th= e=20 Bush administration and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for opposi= ng=20 them.=20 The committee talks also came as the possibility of Senate passage of price= =20 controls brightened considerably with the decision of Sen. James Jeffords o= f=20 Vermont to bolt the Republican Party. Jeffords' move handed the chairmanshi= p=20 of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to Sen. Jeff Bingaman,= =20 D-N.M., who has already included price controls in his version of an energy= =20 bill.=20 Republicans on the House Energy Committee were optimistic a deal could be= =20 struck, but Democrats said the talks were in the very early stages. GOP=20 members from California and other Western states were facing increased=20 political pressure to negotiate.=20 "We may be on the verge of a very solid, bipartisan agreement," said Rep.= =20 Billy Tauzin, R-La., the committee chairman.=20 But Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Atherton, said of a deal: "It's in its infancy, a=20 premature baby at best. It's been a good give-and-take. Was a deal struck?= =20 No."=20 Neither side would discuss the details of a potential compromise, though=20 there were some indications it might involve imposing a so-called cost-base= d=20 rate structure on up to 80 percent of the wholesale electricity power=20 marketers sell, allowing the remaining 20 percent to be sold at competitive= =20 market rates.=20 William Massey, one of two Democrat commissioners at the FERC, said tempora= ry=20 federal price controls are legally justified and necessary to avert "an=20 impending energy-driven economic disaster on the West Coast."=20 Massey has so far been overruled in his efforts to impose temporary price= =20 controls, but two new commissioners whose nominations are on the Senate flo= or=20 could change the equation.=20 "The question is should we ignore a tool that is in our toolbox and has bee= n=20 in our toolbox for years that we can use on a temporary basis -- let's say= =20 for the next 18 months -- to get prices under control," he said Wednesday.= =20 The Bee's Les Blumenthal can be reached at (202) 383-0008 or=20 lblumenthal@mcclatchydc.com. Exec reacts hotly to California claim By Joe Cantlupe=20 COPLEY NEWS SERVICE=20 May 24, 2001=20 WASHINGTON -- A top El Paso Corp. executive strongly denounced as "inaccura= te=20 and implausible" allegations by California officials that the Houston-based= =20 company willfully withheld supplying natural gas through its pipeline to=20 bolster profits.=20 The company official testified yesterday before a Federal Energy Regulatory= =20 Commission administrative law judge examining charges that the Houston-base= d=20 conglomerate cost California billions of dollars.=20 The company "did not have a financial incentive to withhold pipeline capaci= ty=20 in order to increase natural gas prices in California," said Ralph Eads,=20 president of El Paso Merchant Energy, which markets natural gas on pipeline= s=20 from Texas and New Mexico into California.=20 Merchant is a division of El Paso Corp., which operates a key pipeline that= =20 supplies about one-sixth of California's natural gas. Eads is a corporate= =20 executive vice president.=20 He said that although Merchant earned more than $180 million in pre-tax=20 profits in selling natural gas in the past year, the company lost potential= ly=20 hundreds of millions of dollars more by entering into long-term contracts= =20 under what is known as a "hedging" strategy.=20 During afternoon testimony yesterday, Eads repeatedly denied suggestions by= =20 an attorney for the California Public Utilities Commission that the company= =20 kept gas capacity "out of the hands of other marketers" to drive up profits= =20 between November and March.=20 The California PUC lawyer, Harvey Morris, suggested that Merchant failed to= =20 aggressively market its natural gas and knew that it would only use 50=20 percent of capacity.=20 Not so, said Eads.=20 "We bought capacity to use it," he testified.=20 In testimony filed with FERC, Eads said: "The allegations made against=20 Merchant by the (California Public Utilities Commission) and supporter=20 interveners are not only inaccurate, they are also implausible."=20 California officials have accused El Paso Corp. and its gas marketing compa= ny=20 of using its marketing muscle to drive up the price of gas sold in Californ= ia=20 by more than $3.7 billion. Two financially troubled state utilities --=20 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison -- have joined = in=20 the state's case against El Paso.=20 Testimony before Judge Curtis L. Wagner Jr. is expected to continue into ne= xt=20 week. Wagner plans to make a recommendation to FERC this summer.=20 State power regulators aim to keep more power on grid By Karen Gaudette ASSOCIATED PRESS=20 May 24, 2001=20 SAN FRANCISCO =01) California's biggest power users, from factories to farm= s,=20 now can sign up for even more programs that offer cheaper electricity in=20 exchange for less power use =01) potentially cutting the state's energy-buy= ing=20 costs by lowering demand.=20 The state Public Utilities Commission also decided Thursday to begin=20 re-examining the calculation that determines which residential customers of= =20 the state's two largest utilities will see their bills rise under a recent= =20 record rate increase.=20 Last year, voluntary blackouts by so-called interruptible customers kept as= =20 much as 3,000 megawatts on the state's power grid, enough electricity to=20 power more than 2 million homes.=20 By being first in line for blackouts or cutting use, these customers also= =20 help managers of the state's power grid leave more power to residents and= =20 services necessary for public health and safety, such as fire stations,=20 hospitals and military bases.=20 The PUC hopes even more customers will participate this year, meaning less= =20 high-priced electricity the state would have to buy to keep homes and=20 businesses humming.=20 "'Negawatts' are our cheapest source of power," said PUC Commissioner Richa= rd=20 Bilas. The state already has paid $6 billion to buy electricity for the=20 customers of the state's three largest utilities.=20 The PUC will allow big customers to sign up for more than one program to=20 stretch the state's meager supply of electricity. One program promises not = to=20 subject the customers to rolling blackouts if they slash their power use by= =20 up to 15 percent while blackouts are rolling through the rest of the state.= =20 Another program offers customers 10 cents for every kilowatt hour they don'= t=20 use during one of a trio of four-hour blocks between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.=20 The PUC also will re-examine how it determines baseline, a varying level of= =20 residential power use upon which recent record rate hikes are allocated, to= =20 determine if it is still accurate and fair since its last update nearly a= =20 decade ago.=20 "It is time to conduct that review," said Commissioner Jeff Brown, adding= =20 that a new calculation for baseline would not be available until winter at= =20 earliest, long after customers begin paying the biggest rate hike in=20 California history.=20 Baseline is 50 percent to 60 percent of the average amount of electricity= =20 used by residential customers in the same climatic and geographical area. I= t=20 provides a certain amount of electricity at the lowest price utilities=20 charge. Customers are now charged progressively more when their electric us= e=20 rises above 30 percent of their baseline.=20 Ratepayers throughout the state say baselines are unfair, since they don't= =20 take household size or the growing number of electronic gadgets into accoun= t.=20 However, while changing the baseline may spare more customers, it would als= o=20 make remaining customers pay even more. Slater asks Sempra to purchase generators=20 May 24, 2001=20 San Diego County Supervisor Pam Slater is asking Sempra Energy to provide $= 15=20 million for the purchase of portable generators to be used during rolling= =20 blackouts this summer.=20 Slater's request was made in a letter sent yesterday to Sempra President=20 Steven Baum and comes one day after the Board of Supervisors turned down a= =20 similar request.=20 A coalition of businesses asked supervisors Tuesday to pay for the=20 generators, but supervisors rejected the request, saying the county cannot= =20 legally spend taxpayers' dollars on energy generation.=20 Slater's letter to Baum said that Sempra does not face that restriction. Sh= e=20 added: "It is incumbent upon Sempra Energy to supply enough energy for the= =20 San Diego region to reduce the possibility of rolling blackouts."=20 A Sempra official said the company will not pay for the generators and said= =20 it already is spending $2 billion on power plants and natural gas pipelines= =20 on the West Coast to address the energy crisis President will find Californians upset at his energy stance By John Marelius=20 UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER=20 May 24, 2001=20 When George W. Bush arrives in California next week for the first time as= =20 president, he will find a solid majority of residents who believe he is doi= ng=20 a bad job of dealing with the state's mounting energy woes.=20 A new Field Poll also finds that Californians who were once willing to give= =20 Gov. Gray Davis the benefit of the doubt now disapprove of the way he is=20 handling the crisis as well.=20 The nonpartisan, statewide public opinion survey asked Californians to rate= =20 how 11 individuals or entities are doing on the energy front.=20 The strongly negative appraisal of Bush ranks up there with out-of-state=20 electricity generators, public utilities and regulatory agencies that have= =20 long been portrayed as the villains in the crisis.=20 "It's incredible to me that Bush is rated in that league," said Mark=20 DiCamillo, associate director of the Field Poll. "I think that's an ominous= =20 sign of the mood Californians are in vis-a-vis the federal government=20 dragging its feet on providing any short-term relief."=20 He said the numbers seem to signal that the Democratic portrayal of Bush as= a=20 captive of "big oil" and more sympathetic to corporate energy interests tha= n=20 consumers is taking hold with the public.=20 "It's starting to stick," he said. "It does seem to be an issue that the=20 Republican administration is vulnerable on."=20 The Field Poll conducted telephone interviews with a representative sample = of=20 1,015 adult Californians between May 11 and Sunday. Statistically, such a= =20 poll is considered accurate 95 percent of the time within a margin of error= =20 of 3.2 percentage points.=20 The poll found Californians are pessimistic about the prospects of a reliab= le=20 supply of electricity being guaranteed anytime soon. On the average, they= =20 said they expected the crisis to last 18 more months, which would take it= =20 beyond November 2002, when Davis faces a re-election bid.=20 "That's obviously something the Davis administration hopes would not play= =20 out," said DiCamillo.=20 In January, the Field Poll showed Davis' energy efforts were favorably=20 regarded by Californians. At the time, 41 percent said Davis was doing a go= od=20 job managing the energy situation, while 31 percent critiqued his performan= ce=20 as fair and 22 percent as poor.=20 Now, only 27 percent regard the governor's handling of the situation=20 favorably, compared with 32 percent who rate it as fair and 38 percent as= =20 poor.=20 Californians' appraisal of Bush's performance on the energy front is=20 considerably more harsh, with 54 percent saying he is doing a poor job and= =20 only 22 percent saying he is doing a good job. (Bush had not yet taken offi= ce=20 when the January poll was conducted.)=20 Other entities ranked in order of their negative rating: Private electric= =20 utilities, 57 percent; out-of-state energy providers, 55 percent; Federal= =20 Energy Regulatory Commission, 52 percent; California Public Utilities=20 Commission, 52 percent; Vice President Dick Cheney, 43 percent; state=20 Legislature, 41 percent; Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, 37 percent;= =20 industrial and business energy consumers, 34 percent.=20 The only entity Californians regard positively for dealing with the=20 electricity problems turns out to be Californians themselves.=20 Residential energy consumers were rated as doing a good job, 39 percent, to= =20 33 percent fair and 22 percent poor. That is almost the reverse of January= =20 when residential users were rated only 26 percent good, 36 percent fair and= =20 32 percent poor.=20 "It's conservation," said DiCamillo. "The public has changed its habits sin= ce=20 January. They think they're doing as good a job as can be expected, but all= =20 the others are just not up to it."=20 POLL: Californians dissatisfied with government handling of energy crisis May 24, 2001=20 SAN FRANCISCO =01) Over the past four months, Californians have developed= =20 increasingly negative feelings toward state and federal officials and=20 agencies involved in California's energy crisis, according to a Field Poll= =20 released Thursday.=20 A large number of those surveyed are also fearful that Pacific Gas &=20 Electric's bankruptcy filing will make it more difficult for the company to= =20 provide service to its customers.=20 Fifty-seven percent of those questioned in May by the Field Institute, a Sa= n=20 Francisco-based nonpartisan polling organization, gave California's private= =20 electric utilities a poor rating. That's more than the 40 percent of=20 respondents who rated the utilities performance as poor in January.=20 The same negative feelings held true for out-of-state energy providers.=20 Fifty-five percent of respondents this month rated their performance as poo= r,=20 a noticeable increase from the 44 percent of respondents who gave them a po= or=20 rating in January.=20 Specifically, those surveyed were asked to rate the job being done by=20 officials and groups working to improve the energy situation in the state.= =20 The poll found that:=20 =01) The percentage of those surveyed who gave the state Public Utilities= =20 Commission a poor rating rose from 42 percent in January to 52 percent in= =20 May.=20 =01) 41 percent of those surveyed gave the state legislature a poor rating = in=20 May, as opposed 36 percent in January.=20 =01) 38 percent gave Gov. Gray Davis a poor rating in May for his handling = of=20 the state's energy woes, a sharp increase from 22 percent who gave him a po= or=20 rating in January.=20 The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also drew negative ratings from=20 respondents. In May, 52 percent said FERC was doing a poor job, as opposed = to=20 40 percent who gave the commission a rating of poor in January.=20 Those surveyed were also asked if PG&E's bankruptcy would make it more=20 difficult for the company to supply electricity to customers, and 49 percen= t=20 said they thought it would.=20 The poll, which questioned 1,015 California adults between May 11 and May 2= 0,=20 has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, the institute= =20 said. California PUC to earmark more electricity for grid By Karen Gaudette ASSOCIATED PRESS=20 May 24, 2001=20 SAN FRANCISCO =01) State power regulators are considering expanding the men= u of=20 programs that offer cheaper energy to customers who voluntarily cut their= =20 power use. It's part of an effort to muddle through an energy-strapped summ= er=20 in California with a meager supply of megawatts.=20 The state Public Utilities Commission could also begin looking into whether= =20 baseline, a level of residential power use upon which recent record rate=20 hikes are allocated, is accurate and fair.=20 In March, the PUC released a package of so-called interruptible load=20 programs, which offer discounted electric bills to factories, schools and= =20 other big users if they agree to be first in line for rolling blackouts.=20 By cutting their use, these customers help managers of the state's power gr= id=20 leave more power to residents and services necessary for public health and= =20 safety, such as fire stations, hospitals and military bases.=20 Loretta Lynch, PUC president, said the commission hopes to boost=20 participation by allowing customers who participated in interruptible=20 programs earlier in the year to also join new programs.=20 Under one such program, businesses could avoid surprise blackouts by opting= =20 for dimmed lights and reduced power during the duration of outages througho= ut=20 the state.=20 The PUC is also considering funding interruptible programs for the state's= =20 three largest investor-owned utilities as they go into effect, rather than= =20 forcing utilities to wait for retroactive funding a year later.=20 The commission also plans to examine whether the PUC should change how=20 residential customers' baselines are calculated to better reflect household= =20 size and a spike in electronic gadgets.=20 Baseline is a certain amount of electricity guaranteed at the lowest price= =20 utilities charge. Customers who exceed their baselines by more than 30=20 percent are subject to rate hikes.=20 "I think it's clear that baselines were set too low and didn't reflect actu= al=20 electricity usage," Lynch said.=20 Mindy Spatt, spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network, warned that=20 potentially changing baseline would simply push the rate hikes onto differe= nt=20 customers.=20 "If you think about the rate increase as sort of a balloon, if you push on = it=20 someplace it's going to pop out somewhere else," Spatt said.=20 Lynch said the commission would likely postpone many orders affecting vario= us=20 aspects of the natural gas industry in favor of meshing them together in a= =20 "comprehensive gas strategy."=20 "I don't think they anticipate any problems with natural gas this summer or= =20 winter," Lynch said.=20 A PUC investigation into whether natural gas and electricity generators and= =20 sellers illegally drove up prices by withholding energy during times of=20 highest demands continues.=20 "What we saw was a pattern of individual behavior which all tracked around= =20 the same time which I believe contributed to the high prices," Lynch said.= =20 Davis proposal for more diesel power draws environmental criticism ASSOCIATED PRESS=20 May 24, 2001=20 LOS ANGELES =01) California would get a little power and a lot of pollution= from=20 a proposal being considered by Gov. Gray Davis that would pay owners of=20 backup generators to produce electricity.=20 The proposal, one of several options the governor is considering, would pay= =20 for diesel power =01) which at its dirtiest is 500 times more polluting tha= n the=20 cleanest natural gas power plants =01) when electricity supplies are stretc= hed.=20 "If backup generators were to be used, it would only be as a last resort to= =20 avoid blackouts," said Davis spokesman Roger Salazar. "Unfortunately, we ar= e=20 in an emergency situation. Everything is on the table."=20 California's persistent power shortage has led to rolling blackouts around= =20 the state several times this year, with more anticipated when hot summer=20 weather prompts people to use air conditioning.=20 If all of the state's backup generators ran full time, they would produce= =20 about 425 tons of nitrogen dioxide per day. That's more than nine times the= =20 pollution power plants produced on an average day in 1999, according to sta= te=20 Air Resources Board data.=20 And the state would get only about 550 megawatts of electricity =01) barely= 1=20 percent of the state's peak power needs =01) from the backup generators. Th= at=20 would be enough to power about 550,000 homes.=20 "They could have a huge negative effect on air quality," said Ellen Garvey,= =20 executive officer for the Bay Area Air Quality Management Agency. "It's one= =20 thing to run these generators during blackouts and emergency conditions, bu= t=20 using them for other purposes could be devastating."=20 Business groups that support the proposal include the League of Food=20 Processors, the California Manufacturers and Technology Association and San= =20 Diego Gas & Electric.=20 "These generators could go a long way to taking some demand off the electri= c=20 grid and putting some supply back into the power system," said Gino DiCaro,= =20 spokesman for the manufacturers and technology association.=20 Most of the state's 17,200 backup generators are small units that run on=20 diesel fuel and lack pollution controls. Some are rentals, and others can b= e=20 found at hospitals, office buildings, sewage treatment plants and universit= y=20 labs.=20 Unlike backup generators intended for home use, which are not regulated,=20 industrial-sized units are limited in the number of hours they can operate.= =20 But since the state's power crunch began, regional air-quality regulators= =20 have issued emergency rules allowing them to run more frequently.=20 Diesel engines produce carcinogenic soot and oxides of nitrogen =01) a buil= ding=20 block of asthma-inducing smog.=20 Davis Orders 3-Tiered Warnings of Blackouts=20 By DAN MORAIN and NANCY VOGEL, Times Staff Writers=20 ?????SACRAMENTO--In a significant policy change aimed at minimizing busines= s=20 and consumer disruptions, Gov. Gray Davis ordered state officials Thursday = to=20 enact a three-tier blackout warning system. ?????Forecasts of blackouts will be issued 48 hours beforehand, Davis said.= =20 General areas will be identified in warnings issued 24 hours before likely= =20 outages. Precise locations will be announced an hour before the power is cu= t,=20 he said.=20 ?????Business executives, police and consumers have complained that the=20 current warning system--in which blackouts can come with less than 10=20 minutes' warning--does not give them sufficient time to save information on= =20 computers, shut down assembly lines, safeguard traffic intersections and=20 otherwise prevent financial loss and mayhem when the power goes out. ?????In the past, state grid operators only gave short notice because they= =20 often found enough power at the last minute to avert blackouts. They said= =20 they did not want to repeatedly alarm people. Utility officials have said= =20 they feared that advance warning would leave neighborhoods vulnerable to=20 looters and burglars. ?????But crime has not been a problem during California's six days of=20 blackouts so far this year. And with experts predicting dozens of days of= =20 forced outages this summer, state and utility leaders say Californians are= =20 better off prepared. ?????"If blackouts are going to occur," Davis said, "there is no reason to= =20 keep the public in the dark. We all deserve as much advance notice as=20 possible." ?????Utility customers will be notified through company Web sites and radio= =20 and television announcements. Starting with June utility bills, Southern=20 California Edison customers will be given "block" numbers that allow them t= o=20 learn through the Edison Web site, www.sce.com, if they are scheduled for= =20 rotating blackouts on days of short supply. ?????Under the governor's order, Edison spokesman Brian Bennett said,=20 consumers can expect 24-hour warnings about general areas--Santa Monica or= =20 Santa Ana, for example--that might be targeted for hourlong blackouts. ?????At 60 minutes before a blackout is triggered, Bennett said, the warnin= gs=20 delivered through radio, television and the Internet will get much more=20 precise. "For example," he said, "One hour before, we'll say Main Street in= =20 Santa Monica . . . will be affected." ?????Leaders of the agency responsible for deciding when blackouts must be= =20 triggered said Thursday they intend to launch the governor's order by June= =20 15. And if Californians redouble their conservation efforts when they hear = of=20 blackout warnings, they said, the governor's order will ultimately help the= =20 state avoid blackouts. ?????"I think we're going to save power, potentially lives; we're going to= =20 help save jobs and California's economy," said Carl Guardino, a member of t= he=20 board that oversees the California Independent System Operator, which manag= es=20 75% of the state's transmission system. ?????Davis announced his order at a news conference attended by law=20 enforcement officials, including Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who= =20 said he intends to unveil a more detailed plan for the county today.=20 ?????For some, the decision to give warning was an acknowledgment that the= =20 state is failing to solve the energy crisis. ?????"It obviously says we're surrendering to the electricity crisis," said= =20 Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Northridge. "Here we've arrived in the 21st century,= =20 with all the electronics, and we don't have the power to run them." ?????Utility spokesmen lauded the plan, but said that much of the=20 responsibility rests with Cal-ISO, which is the only entity that has the=20 ability to track supplies. ?????"If the ISO only gives us 60-minutes warning, our customers will get= =20 something less than 60-minutes notice," said John Nelson, spokesman for=20 Pacific Gas & Electric. ?????As it works now, Cal-ISO informs utilities of pending blackouts. The= =20 utility, in turn, informs county offices of emergency services. Using=20 computerized calling, e-mail and manual dialing, the utilities also inform= =20 law enforcement, major industrial users, people on life support and other= =20 consumers for whom electricity is vital, Nelson said. ?????Californians at large are expected to learn of the warnings through th= e=20 media and the Cal-ISO Web site, www.caiso.com. ?????Also on Thursday, Davis met with officials of California's publicly=20 owned utility districts and came away, he said, with promises that they wou= ld=20 sell excess power to the state at prices significantly lower than on the sp= ot=20 market. Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times PUC to Reassess Rate Hikes=20 Energy: State regulators vote to reexamine baselines used to determine how= =20 much customers will pay for power. Consumers say allotments are too low.=20 By TIM REITERMAN, Times Staff Writer=20 ?????SAN FRANCISCO--Nine days after structuring the largest electricity rat= e=20 increase in California history, state regulators on Thursday launched a=20 reexamination of the unpopular baselines used to determine how much each=20 residential customer will pay. ?????If the indicators are revised upward, as most expect, that would grant= =20 some customers relief from the rate hike but could necessitate future ones = to=20 generate enough revenue for power purchases. ?????The energy crisis put the esoteric term "baseline" on the minds of=20 millions of utility customers. During recent hearings on a $5.7-billion rat= e=20 increase, the California Public Utilities Commission heard a chorus of=20 complaints from consumers who said their baseline was unrealistically low,= =20 exposing them unfairly to the rate hike. ?????"The most visible and controversial issue, other than the overall=20 increase ordered, was the methodology used to spread the increased revenue= =20 requirement to residential customers," the PUC said in voting unanimously t= o=20 reassess baselines. ?????On March 27, the PUC approved rate increases for Southern California= =20 Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. but exempted people in a low-income= =20 program and customers consuming less than 130% of their baseline, which is= =20 50% to 60% of average residential usage, with allowances for climate and=20 season. But other customers will pay more, depending on how much their=20 consumption exceeds the baseline. ?????Reassessment of the baselines, commissioners said, will not be complet= ed=20 for the summer, when new rate hikes go into full swing, but it could be don= e=20 by winter. Public hearings are scheduled for July. ?????Several commissioners acknowledged that an upward adjustment in=20 baselines would bring in less money from utility customers and could create= a=20 funding shortfall for future power purchases. ?????"There is no question [the baseline] is out of whack," Commissioner=20 Richard Bilas said later. "But if the revenue base falls, where do you get= =20 the money? Another rate increase. This is the problem." ?????Thousands of consumers contacted the PUC about the last rate increase= =20 and hundreds complained about difficulty in achieving their baseline=20 allotments, even when they worked hard to conserve. ?????Baselines have been used to chart utility bills for the past=20 quarter-century, and they are periodically updated. ?????The levels vary by area and utility. They are not adjusted by househol= d=20 size. And, critics say, they do not accurately reflect power needs of homes= =20 with computers, VCRs and microwaves. ?????"We heard lots of customers complain it's not fair," said Mindy Spatt,= =20 spokeswoman for Toward Utility Rate Reform. "For example, if you have lots = of=20 children who do not contribute income but use electricity, you could be at = a=20 disadvantage." ?????Living below baseline may not be easy for many. Spatt, whose baseline= =20 for her San Francisco home is 258 kilowatt hours, goes so far as to dry her= =20 laundry on a clothesline, but was slightly above 130% of baseline in March. ?????Bilas' home in Mendocino County has a baseline of about 280 kilowatt= =20 hours and he says he consumes more than 500. "I don't know how anyone can= =20 live on the baseline," he said. But he added, "I have a hot tub I can turn= =20 off." Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times=20 We Aren't That Desperate=20 ?????Who hasn't stood at a street corner and recoiled from the noxious, hot= ,=20 sooty, exhaust spewing from a diesel bus or truck? As bad as that is, the= =20 exhaust of standby diesel-fueled electric power generators is worse. These= =20 smelly, noisy machines are typically used by large businesses as emergency= =20 power backups--in earthquakes, for instance. They have virtually no polluti= on=20 controls and pose a health risk.=20 ?????Under normal circumstances these generators might almost never be used= .=20 But Gov. Gray Davis is considering issuing an executive order to pay owners= =20 of these backup generators to run them constantly during Stage 3 power=20 alerts, the highest alert before rolling blackouts. This is an agonizing=20 choice, but the health risk--these generators pour out nitrogen dioxide, a= =20 chief smog ingredient--tips the balance against them. A Davis spokesman say= s=20 the generators, an estimated 17,200 of them statewide, would be run only as= a=20 last resort. But if the aim was to avert blackouts, they could be running f= or=20 hours at a time. As The Times' Gary Polakovic reported Thursday, the=20 generators are concentrated in areas, including Los Angeles, that already= =20 have severe air quality problems.=20 ?????Environmentalists are protesting, saying it would be better and more= =20 practical to pay companies to conserve power. The governor also has a plan = to=20 cut 20% from the bills of homeowners and businesses that reduce power use b= y=20 20%. That program, if pursued aggressively and in combination with other=20 incentives now being offered, would probably save as much power as the dies= el=20 generators could make. To use these units in an attempt to stave off=20 blackouts is too desperate and could cause more harm than it prevents.=20 Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times=20 Energy Crisis as Political Payback=20 ?????Re "All We Need Fear Is Bush's Tale of Doom," May 23: Arianna=20 Huffington's analysis is perfect and, coupled with Paul Conrad's cartoon=20 ("OPEC oil production executive Cheney"), addresses the so-called energy=20 crisis for what it really is: political payback, greed and obscene profits = in=20 spite of the massive windfalls the energy and oil companies continue to rea= p.=20 ?????Dan Pellow=20 ????? Los Angeles=20 ????? *=20 ?????The California Public Utilities Commission is releasing information it= =20 has known for many months about the well-orchestrated manipulation of=20 California's electricity market ("PUC Allegations Detailed," May 19). To PU= C=20 President Loretta Lynch: You knew about this collusion months ago, so why d= id=20 you wait so long to divulge it? To Gov. Gray Davis: Your indecisiveness in= =20 this matter has just about bankrupted the state; you should have used your= =20 eminent domain authority to take back the power plants months ago, but now= =20 you've run out of money (ours). To President Bush: Your loyalty to the Exxo= ns=20 and Enrons of the world will subject California's and the nation's economie= s=20 to a great setback. The real culprit is greed. When you let the fox in the= =20 henhouse, do you really expect him to eat only a few chickens?=20 ?????Barry C. Olsan=20 ????? Ontario=20 ????? *=20 ?????Davis' declaration of "war" against the companies that supply our ener= gy=20 is unconscionable. What supplier would want to risk capital serving a marke= t=20 that treats him as an enemy?=20 * * * ?????Beatrice W. Forbes=20 ????? Palos Verdes Estates=20 ????? *=20 ?????Funny that Republicans blame Bush's predecessor, Bill Clinton, for the= =20 nation's energy problems but not Davis' predecessor, Pete Wilson, for=20 California's.=20 ?????Saul Davis=20 ????? Studio City=20 ????? *=20 ?????Gas prices are over $2 a gallon. Electricity prices are out of control= .=20 Natural gas is low, and the threat of rolling blackouts lurks around every= =20 corner, with no end in sight. Geez. I miss Bill Clinton.=20 ?????Brian Frieson=20 ????? Gardena=20 ????? *=20 ?????There is much to disagree with in the Bush energy plan, but it's hard = to=20 fault the concept of integrating the various transmission grids under feder= al=20 control to more efficiently distribute power. What's troublesome, however, = is=20 the seemingly deliberate manner in which renewable energy sources and=20 conservation are being marginalized. If the feds control a national grid,= =20 might they not find ways to make it most difficult for alternative power=20 generators to access it?=20 ?????Phillip Cutler=20 ????? Costa Mesa=20 ????? *=20 ?????Re "Lockyer Fires Earthy Attack at Energy Exec," May 23: Rape is a=20 heinous crime; it is not a legally sanctioned form of punishment. This=20 distinction seems to have eluded California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer when he= =20 suggested that Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth Lay deserved to be locked in a= =20 jail cell with an amorous inmate. Lockyer's comment reflects an=20 all-too-common belief that people who are incarcerated deserve to be raped = as=20 part of their punishment. California deserves an attorney general who=20 understands the difference between legal incarceration and state-sanctioned= =20 torture. Lockyer should resign.=20 ?????Robert Shannon=20 ????? South Pasadena=20 ????? *=20 ?????Lockyer's comment to the energy robber barons, "If we catch them,=20 they're going to be prosecuted," is nothing but an empty threat. Despite al= l=20 the evidence that the energy moguls are guilty, we all know what will happe= n.=20 Essentially, nothing. Or at most, they'll admit to no wrongdoing, pay a sma= ll=20 fine and make some innocuous statement about putting this all behind us.=20 ?????Trent D. Sanders=20 ????? La Canada=20 ????? *=20 ?????Peter H. King writes about an energy problem in 1948 (May 20). On June= =20 27, 1924, my mother wrote in her diary: "Electricity and service cut by 25%= =20 due to shortage."=20 ?????Sarah M. Duncan=20 ????? San Gabriel=20 ?????=20 Copyright 2001 Los Angeles Times=20 Energy Antics: Oh, Behave!=20 ?????Admit it: The only comic relief in this energy crisis has been watchin= g=20 our leaders go at suppliers and each other like pro wrestlers or Jerry=20 Springer guests.=20 ?????In his State of the State address last January, Gov. Gray Davis accuse= d=20 the big private electric power generators of legalized highway robbery and= =20 threatened to seize their plants if necessary. Then he really got angry,=20 calling them "the biggest snakes in the world." This past week, Atty. Gen.= =20 Bill Lockyer boosted the rhetoric a notch by declaring he would like
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