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Enron Mail |
look at the Oakland Trib article on Lockyer, if you haven't seen it
----- Forwarded by Sandra McCubbin/NA/Enron on 05/24/2001 11:28 AM ----- =09Gus Perez =0905/24/2001 10:33 AM =09=09=20 =09=09 To: Ann M Schmidt/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Bryan Seyfried/LON/ECT@ECT, Eliz= abeth=20 Linnell/NA/Enron@Enron, filuntz@aol.com, James D Steffes/NA/Enron@Enron,=20 Janet Butler/ET&S/Enron@ENRON, Jeannie Mandelker/HOU/ECT@ECT, Jeff=20 Dasovich/NA/Enron@Enron, Joe Hartsoe/Corp/Enron@ENRON, John=20 Neslage/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, John Sherriff/LON/ECT@ECT,=20 Joseph Alamo/NA/Enron@Enron, Karen Denne/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Lysa=20 Akin/PDX/ECT@ECT, Mark Palmer/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Mark=20 Schroeder/Enron@EnronXGate, Markus Fiala/LON/ECT@ECT, Michael R=20 Brown/LON/ECT@ECT, Mona L Petrochko/NA/Enron@Enron, Nicholas=20 O'Day/AP/Enron@Enron, Peggy Mahoney/HOU/EES@EES, Peter Styles/LON/ECT@ECT,= =20 Richard Shapiro/NA/Enron@Enron, Rob Bradley/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Sandra=20 McCubbin/NA/Enron@Enron, Shelley Corman/ET&S/Enron@ENRON, Stella=20 Chan/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Steven J Kean/NA/Enron@Enron, Sus= an=20 J Mara/NA/Enron@Enron, Mike Roan/ENRON@enronXgate, Alex=20 Parsons/EU/Enron@Enron, Andrew Morrison/LON/ECT@ECT, lipsen@cisco.com, Jane= l=20 Guerrero/Corp/Enron@Enron, Shirley A Hudler/HOU/ECT@ECT, Kathleen=20 Sullivan/NA/Enron@ENRON, Tom Briggs/NA/Enron@Enron, Linda=20 Robertson/NA/Enron@ENRON, Lora Sullivan/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Jennifer=20 Thome/NA/Enron@Enron, jkradin@marathon-com.com,=20 rlichtenstein@marathon-com.com, syamane@marathon-com.com,=20 ken@kdscommunications.com, hgovenar@govadv.com, sgovenar@govadv.com,=20 bhansen@lhom.com, Carin Nersesian/NA/Enron@Enron, Robert=20 Neustaedter/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, John Shelk/NA/Enron@Enron,= =20 Chris Holmes/HOU/EES@EES, Evan Hughes/HOU/EES@EES, Roberta=20 Staehlin/HOU/EES@EES, Lamar Frazier/HOU/EES@EES, Mary Schoen/NA/Enron@Enron= ,=20 Ban Sharma/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT =09=09 cc:=20 =09=09 bcc:=20 =09=09 Subject: Energy Issues -thurs Please see the following articles: Sac Bee, Thurs, 5/24: Davis to push backup diesel Sac Bee, Thurs, 5/24: Bush-Davis meeting set for energy crisis Sac Bee, Thurs, 5/24: Energy Digest: GOP unveils plan to help utility Sac Bee, Thurs, 5/24: Few escape blame for crisis in poll Sac Bee, Thurs, 5/24: New views emerging on power More elected officials support the concept of planned blackouts Sac Bee, Thurs, 5/24: Californians' priorities for solving the crisis are= =20 outlined in a Field Poll Sac Bee, Thurs, 5/24: Offshore drilling waits in the wings SD Union, Thurs, 5/24: Bush, Davis to meet, discuss state's energy crisis SD Union, Thurs, 5/24: California Democrats seek price caps on electricity SD Union, Thurs, 5/24: Mexico: No limit on number of new plants to be built SF Chron, Thurs, 5/24: Potential governor candidate launches Northern=20 California tour SF Chron, Thurs, 5/24: POLL: Californians dissatisfied with government=20 handling of energy crisis SF Chron , Thurs, 5/24: Energy crisis to cast long shadow=20 A look at what energy crisis means to future SF Chron , Thurs, 5/24: Chronicle readers' suggestions for coping with=20 California's energy crisis=20 SF Chron, Thurs, 5/24: Davis to order 1-hour notice of blackouts=20 SF Chron, Thurs, 5/24: Californians angry across the board in energy crisis= =20 SF Chron, Thurs, 5/24: Council lowers hurdles to renewable energy=20 SF Chron, Thurs, 5/24: New tips on power squeezing=20 Mercury News, Thurs, 5/24: House panel calls off vote on Calif power bill Mercury News, Thurs, 5/24: Davis proposal for more diesel power draws=20 environmental criticism Individual.com, Thurs, 5/24: Filing for Hayward Project Includes Request fo= r=20 Expedited Review Individual.com, Thurs, 5/24: California Governor Signs Bill to Speed Up=20 Approval for Power Plants Oakland Tribune, Thurs, 5/24: Lockyer: Probe may spark suit=20 Criminal charges could follow evidence of price gouging=20 NY Times, Thurs, 5/24:=20 WSJ, Thurs, 5/24:=20 ___________________________________________________________________________= ___ _________________________ Davis to push backup diesel By Chris Bowman Bee Staff Writer (Published May 24, 2001)=20 In a major reversal of environmental policy, Gov. Gray Davis will announce = a=20 plan to relieve California's overloaded electricity grid this summer by=20 paying businesses to run their high-polluting backup generators in advance = of=20 anticipated blackouts, a top energy adviser to the governor said Wednesday.= =20 "The backup generators will help us get through the summer," said S. David= =20 Freeman, who recently resigned as general manager of the Los Angeles=20 Department of Water and Power to lead Davis' drive for energy conservation.= =20 Freeman said he would leave it to Davis to disclose details of the plan.=20 "The governor will announce what he's going to do," he said Wednesday in a= =20 wide-ranging interview on energy issues with The Bee.=20 Roger Salazar, the governor's deputy press secretary, would not confirm whe= n=20 or whether Davis would make such an announcement.=20 "I don't know that the governor has signed off on anything like that,"=20 Salazar said.=20 Under the plan, participating businesses would turn on backup generators an= d=20 simultaneously disconnect from the electricity grid when power supplies are= =20 at Stage 3 -- nearly depleted.=20 The state would pay the companies for the much-needed power that would be= =20 saved by converting to diesel generation.=20 Deploying diesel-powered generators -- the dirtiest of internal combustion= =20 engines -- to forestall blackouts is another sign of the governor's struggl= e=20 to get more megawatts flowing through California.=20 Earlier this week Davis lowered his estimate of the amount of new power tha= t=20 will come on line this summer from 5,000 megawatts to 4,000 megawatts. A=20 megawatt is enough power for 750 to 1,000 households.=20 The diesel plan also marks a significant turnabout in the Davis=20 administration's policy.=20 The governor and his appointees at the state Air Resources Board uniformly= =20 have rejected such proposals from industries, utilities and the operator of= =20 the state's electricity grid, arguing that routine use of the backup diesel= s=20 would endanger public health.=20 San Diego Gas & Electric has one such proposal scheduled for a vote today b= y=20 the Davis-appointed state Public Utilities Commission.=20 Environmentalists who have been catching word of the Davis plan this week= =20 argue that it would shatter the governor's repeated promises to stand firm = on=20 air quality standards during the energy crisis.=20 A letter signed Wednesday by several of the state's leading environmental= =20 organizations, including the American Lung Association of California, urged= =20 Davis to reconsider.=20 "Given your awareness of the public health threats of diesel emissions,=20 please stop and have these proposals considered in a more thoughtful and=20 public manner," the letter states.=20 Freeman argued, however, that the additional health threat from non-emergen= cy=20 use of diesel generators is "marginal" compared with the health and safety= =20 problems triggered by power outages.=20 "This is a no-brainer," Freeman said. "You've got human lives at stake here= .=20 This is a scary situation."=20 Freeman cited, for example, people on life-support systems that could go aw= ry=20 in blackouts.=20 But Sandra Spelliscy, attorney for the environmentalist Planning and=20 Conservation League, countered, "If the health impacts are so marginal, why= =20 has the governor's own air quality enforcement agency opposed this?"=20 Industries ranging from hospitals to food processing plants and data=20 management centers have diesel-powered generators -- some the size of=20 locomotives -- that kick on when a storm or earthquake knocks out power.=20 Unlike diesel-powered trucks and buses, most diesel standby generators run= =20 with little or no pollution controls because they are intended only for=20 emergencies.=20 Though the latest models run cleaner and more efficiently, most generators = in=20 use today produce about 500 times more emissions of smog-forming nitrogen= =20 oxides per megawatt-hour as a new natural gas-fired power plant, according = to=20 air board engineers. Further, the diesels spew high amounts of breathable= =20 soot particles that can cause cancer, the engineers say.=20 Davis' plan would limit the use of the generators to days when the grid=20 operator declares a Stage 3 alert, meaning the power supplies are running l= ow=20 and rolling blackouts may be ordered to keep the state's entire grid from= =20 collapsing, according to Freeman.=20 Salazar, the governor's spokesman, said only, "Any backup generation=20 involving diesel will have to be used as a last resort to prevent blackouts= ."=20 Environmentalists who are trying to head off the plan said it would have th= e=20 state paying participating businesses at least 35 cents per kilowatt-hour,= =20 roughly three times the rate consumers typically pay for electricity. Freem= an=20 would not confirm the pay rate.=20 The Davis administration has offered generators willing to sell new power= =20 exclusively to the state 50 percent discounts on the air emission credits= =20 they would need to comply with smog rules.=20 For operators of existing power plants, the governor has agreed to have=20 taxpayers pay the entire cost of polluting above allowable limits in order = to=20 keep the lights on.=20 The latest plan to pay companies to run the dirty diesels during energy=20 alerts further loosens the environmental reins.=20 The Bee's Chris Bowman can be reached at (916) 321-1069 or cbowman@sacbee.c= om .=20 Bush-Davis meeting set for energy crisis By David Whitney Bee Washington Bureau (Published May 24, 2001)=20 WASHINGTON -- President Bush will meet next week with Gov. Gray Davis to ta= lk=20 about California's worsening electricity crisis amid a shifting political= =20 dynamic on Capitol Hill that increasingly favors some controls on West Coas= t=20 wholesale electricity prices.=20 Details for the Bush-Davis meeting were still being worked out Wednesday, b= ut=20 the fact that the Republican president is meeting with the Democratic=20 governor, who is often mentioned as a possible challenger in 2004, was seen= =20 as a sign that the White House is facing increasing political heat on the= =20 energy issue.=20 "California is a very big state," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.= =20 "It represents one-sixth of the United States. It's the sixth-largest econo= my=20 in the world. And the president is very pleased to sit and talk with Govern= or=20 Davis. It's important."=20 Davis' spokesman, Steve Maviglio, said electricity price caps will be at th= e=20 top of the governor's agenda for the meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday. But= =20 Fleischer did not commit the president to that kind of meeting.=20 In his first visit to the state since the campaign last year, the president= =20 will spend Monday night in Los Angeles and Tuesday night in Fresno.=20 Until now, the White House has steadfastly refused to meet with any elected= =20 Democrat from California about the energy crisis despite repeated pleas fro= m=20 the Democratic congressional delegation.=20 Price controls have become the mantra of California Democratic lawmakers an= d=20 a handful of Republicans, but the Bush administration has flatly dismissed= =20 them as counterproductive to increasing power generation in the=20 megawatt-short state.=20 In recent weeks, however, there has been a developing shift in the attitude= =20 toward price controls on Capitol Hill. Bush's two nominees to the Federal= =20 Energy Regulatory Commission, whose names were forwarded to the Senate floo= r=20 Wednesday for confirmation, declined to rule out price controls once they a= re=20 seated on the panel.=20 And the apparent decision by Vermont Sen. James Jeffords to abandon the=20 Republican Party would put Democrats in control of the Senate, moving Sen.= =20 Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, a price-control advocate, to the helm of the k= ey=20 Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.=20 California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a committee Democrat, said Wednesday that= =20 she has talked to Bingaman and that he committed to moving her legislation = to=20 temporarily peg wholesale prices to the cost of production.=20 Four Republican House members from California have also endorsed some form = of=20 price-control legislation.=20 On Wednesday, Rep. Doug Ose, R-Sacramento, announced that he is introducing= a=20 bill that, while not technically a price cap, would give greater price reli= ef=20 for West Coast consumers than federal regulators or the Bush administration= =20 have been willing to offer.=20 Ose, chairman of the House Government Reform Committee's energy subcommitte= e,=20 said his bill would extend throughout the West a price-mitigation plan=20 approved last month by the FERC. But instead of that plan taking effect onl= y=20 during power emergencies as the commission directed, it would operate aroun= d=20 the clock under Ose's bill to peg spot market prices at the cost of=20 production of the least-efficient plant selling into the California market.= =20 Ose said his bill would encourage generators to sell their power through=20 long-term contracts rather than on the volatile spot market.=20 "I am looking for a middle ground," Ose said.=20 The Bee's David Whitney can be reached at (202) 383-0004 or=20 dwhitney@mcclatchydc.com.=20 Energy Digest: GOP unveils plan to help utility By Jim Sanders Bee Capitol Bureau (Published May 24, 2001)=20 State Assembly efforts to develop a bipartisan proposal to help Southern=20 California Edison pay off massive debts and avoid bankruptcy hit a dead end= =20 Wednesday when Republicans released a plan of their own.=20 The move could force Democrats to sidestep Republicans and vote along party= =20 lines on an alternative to Gov. Gray Davis' proposed $2.76 billion state=20 purchase of power lines.=20 Assembly Republican leader Dave Cox of Fair Oaks said Wednesday's split was= =20 necessary because there are few differences between the governor's plan and= =20 the Democrats' plan.=20 The Republican plan rejects the notion of purchasing transmission lines or= =20 hydroelectric facilities.=20 Key components call for dedicating a portion of consumer rates to allow=20 Edison to pay off $3.5 billion in debts. In return, ratepayers would receiv= e=20 either an equity stake in future power plants or the right to purchase=20 electricity at discount rates. Few escape blame for crisis in poll By Dan Smith Bee Deputy Capitol Bureau Chief (Published May 24, 2001)=20 Utility companies and out-of-state power generators continue to get the=20 lowest marks for their performance in California's energy crisis, but Gov.= =20 Gray Davis' grades have slipped dramatically over the past five months,=20 according to a Field Poll released Wednesday.=20 And Californians, it turns out, blame plenty of people for the state's powe= r=20 woes -- except themselves.=20 Every player in the power drama gets poor marks except "residential energy= =20 consumers," which 39 percent of poll respondents say are doing a good or ve= ry=20 good job to improve the energy situation. Only 22 percent think they are=20 doing a poor or very poor job.=20 Public opinion of residential consumers' efforts has improved since January= ,=20 when 32 percent thought they were doing a poor job and only 26 percent gave= =20 them high marks.=20 "The public sees themselves as conserving energy," said Field Poll Director= =20 Mark DiCamillo. "That's the only positive movement in the survey."=20 For Davis, who faces re-election next year, the movement is far from=20 positive.=20 In the January poll, the Democratic governor received good marks from 41=20 percent of those surveyed, average grades from 31 percent and poor ratings= =20 from only 22 percent.=20 But when the Field Institute conducted its recent poll between May 11 and= =20 Sunday, opinions about Davis flip-flopped. After months of energy angst, a= =20 handful of power blackouts and two rate increases, only 27 percent think=20 Davis is doing a good job, while 38 percent gave him failing grades. The po= ll=20 also shows that Californians believe the crisis will continue by an average= =20 of a year and a half, well through the upcoming re-election battle.=20 "All the rhetoric Davis used with some positive effect early on is not goin= g=20 over well any more," DiCamillo said. "The public is starting to view this a= s=20 a long-term problem, not some temporary policy shift."=20 Still, Davis fares far better than his adversaries in the crisis -- Preside= nt=20 Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the energy industry.=20 The public's view of energy interests, which was pretty dim in January, dro= ps=20 even lower in the May poll. Utility companies received bad ratings from hal= f=20 the public in January, but 57 percent now believe they are doing a poor or= =20 very poor job. Out-of-state energy generators, whom Davis has accused of=20 gouging ratepayers, fell from 44 percent low ratings in January to 55 perce= nt=20 in the May poll.=20 Bush, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the state Public Utiliti= es=20 Commission are not far behind, drawing poor grades from more than half the= =20 public. Cheney, the architect of Bush's energy proposal, received low ratin= gs=20 from 43 percent. The January Field Poll did not ask about Bush and Cheney= =20 because they had not yet taken office.=20 Davis has repeatedly bashed FERC for not imposing wholesale price caps on= =20 electricity, and has called Cheney "grossly misinformed" on the state's=20 energy problems. Cheney, in turn, has called Davis' energy proposals=20 "harebrained" and "goofy."=20 The state Legislature receives poor marks from 41 percent of those polled,= =20 while only 16 percent believe it is doing a good job.=20 The Bee's Dan Smith can be reached at (916) 321-5249 or smith@sacbee.com.= =20 New views emerging on power More elected officials support the concept of planned blackouts By John Hill Bee Capitol Bureau=20 (Published May 23, 2001) If Californians are to be left in the dark, they should at least know when = to=20 break out the candles or send the workers home.=20 That's the growing sentiment among a range of elected officials, including= =20 Gov. Gray Davis, who are pushing the idea of planning power blackouts and= =20 giving businesses and residents ample warning.=20 On Tuesday, the Democratic governor's office said Davis supports longer=20 public notice than the 24 hours called for under a proposal by the Californ= ia=20 Independent System Operator, which runs the state's power grid.=20 Assemblyman Mike Briggs, R-Fresno, introduced a bill that would lay out a= =20 blackout schedule for the summer. Businesses could make plans for the=20 possible blackout days and also be assured that on all other days the light= s=20 would stay on.=20 Briggs called his plan an improvement on the existing system in which "ever= y=20 day is a potential blackout day."=20 A Senate committee, meanwhile, discussed planned blackouts as part of a=20 strategy to gain leverage over electricity generators by declaring that the= =20 state will not pay above a certain amount for power. The state would ask=20 Washington and Oregon to join the so-called "buyers' cartel."=20 If the power generators refused to sell at the lower prices, the state woul= d=20 gut it out with planned blackouts.=20 "Let's use the blackouts against the generators," Michael Shames, head of t= he=20 San Diego-based Utility Consumers' Action Network, told the Energy, Utiliti= es=20 and Communications Committee. But Shames and others stressed the need for= =20 warnings of at least 12 hours and blackouts no longer than 90 minutes.=20 "Absent that management of blackouts, we don't see how the buyers' cartel= =20 could work," Shames said.=20 On a visit to Chicago on Monday, Davis said he talked to officials about th= e=20 city's system for giving the public warning days before possible power=20 blackouts, with definite notice right before.=20 "There is no reason to keep that secret from the public when their safety i= s=20 likely to be jeopardized," Davis told reporters Tuesday. The governor said = he=20 plans to meet in the next few days with managers at ISO to explore the idea= =20 of a system like Chicago's.=20 The grid operator announced Monday that it will try to give the public at= =20 least a half-hour notice of outages, but many officials said Tuesday the=20 public needs even more warning. Davis aides said the governor's plan will g= o=20 beyond ISO's.=20 There are potential pitfalls. Criminals might make their own plans, taking= =20 advantage of deactivated alarms. And some say that a schedule of blackouts= =20 might increase the number of outages.=20 If people have been warned that a blackout is coming, and a last-minute=20 supply of electricity makes it unnecessary, grid managers would have to=20 decide whether to call it off, said Dorothy Rothrock, vice president of the= =20 California Manufacturers & Technology Association.=20 If they did, it would add uncertainty to future warnings, she said, possibl= y=20 leading them to order unnecessary blackouts.=20 "Obviously, there are trade-offs," Rothrock said.=20 Still, the idea of planning blackouts seems to be gaining ground as a way f= or=20 the state to get back some control of the energy crisis, sorely lacking in= =20 recent months.=20 "It would help us as Californians to say, 'The hell with you, George Bush,= =20 we're going to handle this ourselves,' " said Jim Overman, 68, of Elk Grove= .=20 Overman said he has been burning up the phone lines trying to persuade anyo= ne=20 who will listen that scheduled blackouts will make everyone's lives easier.= =20 Briggs said he has been told by constituents, including irrigators and food= =20 processors, that scheduled blackouts are the way to go.=20 Irrigators would know that they shouldn't plan on getting water on a day th= at=20 their electronic gates might be closed.=20 Businesses could tell workers to stay home on a blackout day, or arrange fo= r=20 backup power generators, he said.=20 "We would be very interested in it," said Ed Yates, senior vice president o= f=20 the California League of Food Processors.=20 Power blackouts are chaotic for processing plants, Yates said, requiring so= me=20 plants to be re-sterilized and shutting down operations for more than a day= .=20 Some processors might choose to close on days when they faced a blackout, h= e=20 said, losing revenue but avoiding the loss of thousands of pounds of food.= =20 "It doesn't solve the problem, but it helps manage a very difficult=20 situation," he said.=20 Briggs said that his plan would result in possible blackout days every two= =20 weeks. The plan would assume that a certain number of customers would have = to=20 turned off to keep the grid operating. If the electricity shortage went abo= ve=20 that amount, people might still face unanticipated blackouts, Briggs said.= =20 One question is public safety. Some are queasy about burglars knowing when= =20 blackouts will occur. But pluses include the ability to arrange for tempora= ry=20 stop signs at road intersections, or families being able to arrange for a= =20 sick relative to be moved.=20 "If the police have only five minutes notice, they can't get to difficult= =20 intersections to direct traffic, they can't help paramedics, fire departmen= ts=20 and ambulances get where they have to be," Davis said.=20 The manufacturers' association and other business groups haven't endorsed t= he=20 idea yet, but say it's worth a look.=20 "It's preferable to random, rolling blackouts," Rothrock said.=20 The Bee's John Hill can be reached at (916) 326-5543 or jhill@sacbee.com Californians' priorities for solving the crisis are outlined in a Field Pol= l =01=07?Related graphic=20 By Dan Smith Bee Deputy Capitol Bureau Chief=20 (Published May 23, 2001) Californians have some clear ideas on how to solve the energy crisis: build= =20 more nuclear power plants, cap the wholesale price of electricity and relax= =20 air-quality standards to allow older plants to be upgraded.=20 And, according to a Field Poll released Tuesday, they're not so hot on the= =20 recently approved $13.4 billion bond authorization to pay for electricity, = or=20 the idea of Gov. Gray Davis seizing power plants through eminent domain.=20 Poll architects said responses may be somewhat colored by respondents'=20 unfamiliarity with all the issues or skepticism on the causes of the state'= s=20 power woes. Nearly 60 percent said it essentially is an artificial crisis= =20 created by power companies to make money.=20 But on one longstanding issue -- nuclear power -- the poll showed a clear= =20 preference and a dramatic shift in public opinion.=20 In the highest recorded support for nuclear power in California since befor= e=20 the Three Mile Island disaster in 1979, 59 percent say they favor more=20 nuclear plants in the state to provide electricity.=20 Support among registered voters grows to 61 percent, with 33 percent oppose= d.=20 Among Democrats, 53 percent support more nuclear plants, and three-fourths = of=20 Republicans and 55 percent of others agree.=20 "The change in attitude is very significant because they know this issue,"= =20 Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo said.=20 Californians' support for nuclear power reached nearly 70 percent in the=20 mid-1970s in the aftermath of a nationwide energy crisis. But it plummeted = to=20 37 percent in 1979 after the partial meltdown at Pennsylvania's Three Mile= =20 Island plant and fell to 33 percent in 1984 -- the last time Field surveyed= =20 the question.=20 In 1989, voters demanded that the Sacramento Municipal Utility District's= =20 Rancho Seco nuclear plant be shut down. The utility complied and has spent= =20 more than $200 million decommissioning it during the past 12 years.=20 Although the poll results are in line with some private surveys done recent= ly=20 by nuclear-energy advocates, opponents say the Field Poll opinions could be= =20 misleading because the issue has been dormant for so long. Not since the la= te=20 '70s has an application for a nuclear plant been filed in the United States= .=20 Only two operate in California -- San Onofre in San Diego County and Diablo= =20 Canyon in San Luis Obispo.=20 "When the (poll) questions are on issues that people haven't thought about= =20 that much lately, you do get some aberrant results," said Bill Magavern, a= =20 lobbyist for the Sierra Club. "People right now are obviously concerned abo= ut=20 electricity, but they haven't really thought about what it would be like to= =20 have a nuclear power plant in the neighborhood."=20 The Field Poll results lend support to at least one aspect in the national= =20 energy plan recently released by President Bush, who called for more nuclea= r=20 power plants nationwide.=20 But poll respondents were even more insistent that the Federal Energy=20 Regulatory Commission should impose caps on wholesale energy prices despite= =20 opposition from the Bush administration. The poll showed 70 percent of all= =20 adults and 68 percent of registered voters -- including 57 percent of Bush'= s=20 fellow Republicans -- support the price controls.=20 "It really does expose the Bush administration to long-term serious problem= s=20 in California if they're perceived as not willing to help the state in this= =20 regard," DiCamillo said. "The public really thinks (price caps) should be= =20 imposed."=20 Republicans in the survey support price caps despite Bush opposition, and= =20 Democrats narrowly oppose the move by Democratic lawmakers and Davis to=20 authorize the largest bond sale in national history to pay for power=20 purchases.=20 Among all adults, 38 percent approve of the move, and 52 percent oppose it.= =20 Democrats disapprove of the bonds by a 46 percent to 44 percent margin.=20 Californians' desire for clean air is softening in the face of the energy= =20 crunch, respondents said.=20 By a margin of 51 percent to 41 percent, poll respondents say they would=20 maintain air-quality standards rather than relax them to build plants. That= =20 support is down from a Field survey in January, when 59 percent said they'd= =20 rather maintain standards. Moreover, a majority (53 percent) say they would= =20 relax air-quality standards to get older plants back in operation, an=20 increase from 47 percent in January.=20 Slight majorities support a state-run public power authority (54 percent) a= nd=20 state-owned power transmission lines (51 percent), but DiCamillo said that= =20 some poll respondents were probably not familiar with all the implications = of=20 those moves.=20 Responses to the idea of Davis seizing power plants if prices continue to= =20 rise this summer fell somewhat down partisan lines, with Democrats in favor= ,=20 50 percent to 42 percent, and Republicans opposed, 52 percent to 32 percent= .=20 Overall, the idea was rejected by 48 percent of adults and favored by 44=20 percent.=20 A strong majority of registered voters, 56 percent, oppose additional=20 offshore oil and gas drilling to ease the energy crunch, and 38 percent fav= or=20 it.=20 The Bee's Dan Smith can be reached at (916) 321-5249 or smith@sacbee.com. Offshore drilling waits in the wings (Published May 23, 2001) WASHINGTON -- The release today of a piece of President Bush's energy polic= y=20 has California lawmakers squirming.=20 A natural gas advisory panel is set to unveil a 56-page report looking at= =20 whether moratoriums on offshore oil and gas development should be lifted. I= t=20 will also name specific sites for possible drilling.=20 Rep. Anna Eschoo, D-Palo Alto, said Tuesday that if the Bush administration= =20 tries to undo moratoriums protecting more than 170 million acres off the=20 California coast, it would be like "targeting a missile at us."=20 So far, the Bush administration hasn't taken any direct action. The energy= =20 policy he released last week calls for more oil and gas development, but it= s=20 only recommendation about offshore drilling was that the secretaries of=20 interior and commerce re-examine current laws and executive orders "to=20 determine if changes are needed."=20 Today's report is to urge selection of five of the most promising gas=20 prospects in offshore areas covered by moratoriums in a pilot program aimed= =20 at eventual drilling. The report doesn't say where those five pilot areas= =20 should be. But Reps. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, and Mike Thompson, D-Napa= ,=20 are fearful that Morro Bay in San Louis Obispo County and the Eel River Bas= in=20 in Humboldt County in their districts are likely choices.=20 -- David Whitney Bush, Davis to meet, discuss state's energy crisis=20 By Finlay Lewis COPLEY NEWS SERVICE=20 May 23, 2001=20 WASHINGTON =01) After weeks of holding California and its electricity crisi= s at=20 arm's length, President Bush will plunge into the problem next week during = a=20 two-day visit to the state that will include a possible energy summit with= =20 California Gov. Gray Davis.=20 White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters Wednesday that the= =20 state's energy crisis will be "at the top of the list" when the president a= nd=20 the governor meet. The president's aides said that the time and place for t= he=20 meeting are still being worked out.=20 Bush's visit to the state will be his first since last fall's campaign. Wit= h=20 their party enjoying only a slim majority in the U.S. House, some Californi= a=20 Republicans have expressed dismay over their state's absence from the=20 president's extensive post-inaugural travel schedule, fearing that the ener= gy=20 crisis could cost some GOP lawmakers their seats in next year's elections.= =20 Fleischer's announcement Wednesday of the meeting with Davis and its emphas= is=20 on energy caught many by surprise because the White House had given no hint= =20 until then that the president would address the issue during his upcoming= =20 trip to California.=20 However, Davis called the White House on Tuesday night proposing a meeting= =20 with the president specifically to discuss energy.=20 He followed up with two letters on Wednesday expressing the need for quicke= r=20 action on the energy front: "Californians can't afford to wait four or five= =20 years for a permanent solution. We need relief today."=20 In the longer of two letters, Davis wrote: "You and I don't agree on=20 everything. But here's something we do have in common: we both inherited an= =20 energy mess. And the people that elected us expect us to clean it up."=20 Davis also offered in the letters to "introduce" Bush to "business owners a= nd=20 everyday citizens who have been personally affected by this energy crisis."= =20 Fleischer said Wednesday that Bush would meet with "business leaders and=20 energy consumers."=20 Asked who initiated the meeting with Davis, Fleischer suggested the=20 president's schedule had been drawn up independently of Davis' suggestions.= =20 "This is a case of they both want to meet with each other, and we're very= =20 pleased to be able to make it work out," he said.=20 As for the meeting with the business leaders, Fleischer said, "The presiden= t=20 has several events on his schedule that already include business leaders an= d=20 energy consumers, and so it very well may happen that we're each suggesting= =20 similar things, which would be a healthy sign."=20 Bush's itinerary also includes a stop on Tuesday at the Camp Pendleton Mari= ne=20 Corps Base designed to showcase his order directing the military to cut the= ir=20 energy use by 10 percent at California facilities.=20 Fleischer said that the president wanted "to talk about how the federal=20 government is going to be a strong partner to the state of California in th= e=20 cause of energy conservation to help ease the burden in California as they = go=20 through the summer months when demand is high and blackouts are most at=20 risk."=20 The White House released an outline of the president's California itinerary= =20 on Tuesday afternoon. It indicated that the visit would not give prominent= =20 attention to the state's energy woes.=20 Fleischer declined to say whether the president would expand on his energy= =20 plan in any way while in California.=20 Davis and other California Democrats have been sharply critical of the Bush= =20 administration for failing to take decisive action to help alleviate the=20 electricity shortage's toll on the state and its citizens.=20 They are backing legislation due to come to a key vote on Thursday before t= he=20 House Energy and Commerce Committee that would cap electricity rates in the= =20 state. The administration and most of the state's Republican lawmakers oppo= se=20 the measure.=20 Last week, Bush showcased an administration task force report on the nation= 's=20 energy challenges that stressed long-range solutions focused mainly on=20 increasing the supply of fossil fuels and an expanded role for nuclear powe= r.=20 The report also suggested incentives to encourage energy conservation and= =20 greater fuel efficiency.=20 Bush's trip will begin on Monday when he flies from a Memorial Day event in= =20 Arizona to Los Angeles where he will spend the night. He will return to=20 Washington on Wednesday night after a visit to the Fresno area.=20 Bush assumed office despite losing the nation's most populous state by a=20 decisive margin and then launched into the most ambitious travel schedule o= f=20 any modern president. It included stops in 27 states =01) not California. (Lewis reported from Washington and Sweeney from Sacramento.=20 California Democrats seek price caps on electricity By Finlay Lewis COPLEY NEWS SERVICE=20 May 22, 2001=20 WASHINGTON =01) Accusing power generators of price gouging, a group of=20 California House Democrats vowed Tuesday to try again this week to legislat= e=20 price caps in order to bring down the energy bills in the state.=20 Rep. Henry Waxman, a Los Angeles Democrat and author of the price-cap=20 measure, said he would offer the measure as an amendment on Thursday. At th= at=20 time the House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to complete work on a bi= ll=20 designed to reduce the number of blackouts expected in California this summ= er=20 due to shortages in the supply of electrical power.=20 Waxman and other Democrats seized on Republican fund-raising events on Mond= ay=20 and Tuesday nights involving President Bush and Vice President Cheney,=20 charging the Republican administration with exacerbating the California=20 situation by doing the bidding of the oil and gas industry in return for=20 campaign contributions.=20 "This is a contrived crisis in order to wreck our environmental protection= =20 laws," Waxman said. "It is a contrived crisis in order to produce 1000=20 percent increases in profits for some of these generators."=20 On the agenda when the committee meets Thursday will be a bill by Rep. Joe= =20 Barton, R-Texas, that would allow California Gov. Gray Davis to temporarily= =20 waive some air pollution limits to increase power production in the state= =20 when blackouts are imminent.=20 It also would include:=20 federal help to ease a power transmission bottleneck in the Central Valle= y;=20 mandated power savings at federal facilities;=20 state discretion in adjusting daylight savings time;=20 an easing of the ties of some small, independent power generators to larg= e=20 utilities.=20 Earlier this month, a subcommittee chaired by Barton rejected Waxman's=20 price-cap amendment as some California Republicans complained that the idea= =20 of limiting power rates was politically inspired and would do nothing to=20 solve California's crisis.=20 The Bush administration and the energy industry oppose price caps, saying= =20 that such an approach would distort the market and worsen the electricity= =20 shortage in California and many other western states by discouraging=20 exploration and production.=20 Waxman's plan would require federal regulators in many cases to tie wholesa= le=20 power rates to production costs, plus a "reasonable" profit.=20 At the press conference, Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, derided Republican= =20 opposition to price caps.=20 Referring to wholesale power generators, Filner argued, "They were making= =20 money at $30 a megawatt; now they are charging up to $2,000. Believe me: Th= ey=20 can make money off the market with a cost-base rate. They have done it for= =20 100 years. They can continue doing it."=20 Rep. Jane Harman, D-Redondo Beach, said that California Republicans on the= =20 energy committee would suffer politically if they give into pressure from= =20 party leaders to oppose the price-cap bill.=20 "There are no party affiliations for rate payers," said Harman, a committee= =20 member. "Republicans and Democrats have both seen the gouging of their rate= s=20 in California."=20 Mexico: No limit on number of new plants to be built=20 Energy chief says 'anyone who requests a permit will get it' By Diane Lindquist=20 UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER=20 May 22, 2001=20 Mexican Energy Secretary Ernesto Martens said yesterday that Mexico won't s= et=20 any limit on the number of power plants in Baja California supplying=20 electricity north of the border.=20 "Since there's a window of opportunity here because of the need in Californ= ia=20 for electricity, anyone who requests a permit will get it," Martens said=20 after speaking at the Institute of the Americas' 10th annual Latin American= =20 Energy Conference in La Jolla.=20 Power plant construction in Baja California has become one of the most=20 immediate solutions to California's electricity shortfalls. At least three= =20 plants being built in Baja California in the next four years will send=20 electricity north of the border, where blackouts have interrupted normal=20 activity.=20 One facility, a Sempra Energy Corp. power plant near Mexicali, will export= =20 all of its electrical output to consumers north of the border. The San Dieg= o=20 company's project gained quick approval from Mexican authorities because th= e=20 facility is not subject to restrictions imposed on private companies that= =20 supply electricity to the Mexican market.=20 Other Mexican energy officials have said several other enterprises are=20 interested in building similar facilities in Baja California.=20 Such a mushrooming of projects is prompting concern on both sides of the=20 border that the plants might have harmful effects on natural resources and= =20 public health and safety.=20 In his speech, Martens emphasized Mexico's commitment to preserving the=20 environment and local communities.=20 But afterward, he said Mexico will approve any number of Baja California=20 projects to serve California consumers.=20 "I don't see any limit. The only limit is the ability of the interconnectin= g=20 lines to transmit the electricity that is produced," he said.=20 With a capacity of only 400 megawatts each, the two transmission=20 interconnections linking the electricity grids of California and Baja=20 California will not be able to transmit all of the 1,500 megawatts of=20 electricity for the California market produced by the new Baja California= =20 plants -- let alone any additional facilities.=20 Sempra, whose San Diego Gas & Electric subsidiary owns both the=20 interconnecting lines, plans to upgrade the interconnector near Mexicali,= =20 spokesman Michael Clark said yesterday. The improvement will transmit=20 electricity from Sempra's plant in Baja California to the company substatio= n=20 in Imperial Valley. The other connection links San Diego and Tijuana.=20 Clark said he doesn't know how the other companies building Baja California= =20 plants plan to transmit their electricity. Representatives of the firms cou= ld=20 not be reached yesterday.=20 Even if the companies find a way to send electricity across the border, the= =20 California grid system presents another obstacle.=20 To prepare for the possibility of more demands on the Southern California= =20 grid, the Imperial Irrigation District is analyzing what capacity it has fo= r=20 transmitting supplies on its lines and how to assess tariffs for the servic= e.=20 "It's become very important because of our proximity to Mexico," said=20 district spokesman Ron Hull.=20 The ability to transmit electricity is only one force limiting plant=20 construction in Baja California. Another is the supply of fuel to drive the= =20 facilities.=20 Sempra again is a key player in this area. It plans to build a North Baja= =20 Pipeline that will supply natural gas to its own and two other power plants= =20 in Baja California and the proposed Otay Mesa plant in San Diego. The=20 pipeline won't provide fuel for any other facilities.=20 "It's fully subscribed," said Clark. "In the future if there is enough=20 demand, the compression could be increased."=20 Energy Secretary Martens, however, hinted at the possibility of new natural= =20 gas supplies in Baja California. He said Mexico wants liquified natural gas= =20 facilities to be built in Rosarito Beach and Ensenada.=20 While several companies have expressed an interest in such an operation,=20 Martens' comments were the first to indicate that two, and not one, might b= e=20 approved for Baja California.=20 Potential governor candidate launches Northern California tour=20 ALEXA HAUSSLER, Associated Press Writer Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ,2001 Associated Press=20 URL:=20 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2001/05/24/s= tate1 726EDT0229.DTL&type=3Dnews=20 (05-24) 00:01 PDT LIVERMORE, Calif. (AP) --=20 Republican William E. Simon Jr. says he won't decide until the first week o= f=20 June whether to jump into the race for governor, although he appeared to be= =20 campaigning for the job this week.=20 Trailed by a group of reporters Wednesday, the wealthy Pacific Palisades=20 investment banker visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and took a= =20 few jabs at both Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and his potential GOP primary= =20 opponent, Secretary of State Bill Jones.=20 "I think there's a leadership crisis in Sacramento," said Simon, who=20 criticized Davis' handling of the state's power crisis.=20 "You have the same elected people today trying to figure out a solution to= =20 the crisis that got us into the crisis," Simon said.=20 Pressed to explain how he would end the crisis that has brought rolling=20 blackouts and soaring power bills, Simon said he still is preparing his own= =20 plan.=20 The son of Ford administration Treasury Secretary William E. Simon insisted= =20 he has yet to make a final decision on whether to run in 2002, adding he=20 would make up his mind by June 4 after consulting with his family.=20 Asked if he has any ties to companies profiting from the power crisis, Simo= n=20 said he owns a "small piece" of a Texas-based company that makes equipment= =20 used in extracting or processing oil and natural gas.=20 Before founding his investment banking firm with his father in 1988 he was = an=20 assistant U.S. attorney in New York.=20 Simon started forming a campaign team in March, including John Herrington,= =20 former U.S. energy secretary under President Reagan and former chairman of= =20 the state Republican Party.=20 Of potential primary opponent Jones, Simon said: "He seems like a perfectly= =20 nice fellow. ... I just don't think that he provides the contrast to Gray= =20 Davis that I do."=20 ,2001 Associated Press POLL: Californians dissatisfied with government handling of energy crisis= =20 Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ,2001 Associated Press=20 URL:=20 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2001/05/24/s= tate0 922EDT0156.DTL&type=3Dnews=20 (05-24) 06:22 PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --=20 Over the past four months, Californians have developed increasingly negativ= e=20 feelings toward state and federal officials and agencies involved in=20 California's energy crisis, according to a Field Poll 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 * 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 * 41 percent of those surveyed gave the state legislature a poor rating in= =20 May, as opposed 36 percent in January.=20 * 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.=20 ,2001 Associated Press ?=20 Energy crisis to cast long shadow=20 A look at what energy crisis means to future=20 Mark Simon Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ,2001 San Francisco Chronicle=20 URL:=20 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2001/05= /24/M NS121240.DTL&type=3Dnews=20 What we need to do is tune in, turn off and drop out.=20 Tune in to how you use energy. Turn off those things that use electricity.= =20 And drop out of the power grid by using alternative power sources and=20 alternatives to power sources.=20 That's the only thing we can do in the short term.=20 In the long term, you can almost see what will be coming down the pike.=20 As the state's energy problems worsen, as the state throws its surplus down= a=20 rathole, as our own utility bills skyrocket and as blackouts roll across th= e=20 state, someone will write a statewide ballot initiative and get it on the= =20 ballot.=20 It will do two things.=20 First, it will undo the deregulation of the state's energy industry. It wil= l=20 try to put everything back the way it was.=20 Second, it will punish the producers of power and energy.=20 It will levy some new fee or tax or it will regulate the industry as a publ= ic=20 utility or it will require that the state take over the industry entirely.= =20 Huge amounts of money will be spent against it. Opponents will outspend=20 supporters by a substantial amount.=20 TV ads will run constantly, predicting dire consequences if the initiative = is=20 approved.=20 We'll be told it will be bad for business. Labor leaders will tell us that = it=20 will cost jobs. Experts will say it will have no effect on the problem, or= =20 make the problem worse.=20 All of that will probably be true.=20 The initiative will pass easily.=20 It will pass because it will appear to address what are widely understood a= s=20 the two main causes of the current energy crisis -- a badly bungled=20 deregulation and unbelievably greedy energy producers.=20 It will pass because the initiative's authors will understand that most of = us=20 are furious about the way this mess was created and that we're eager to tak= e=20 it out on the industry leaders we see as the leading villains.=20 It will pass precisely because all the people who will tell us it shouldn't= =20 are the people who got us into this disaster in the first place, and we won= 't=20 believe them.=20 It's much harder to say whether the energy crisis will have more immediate= =20 political repercussions for some of the elected officials we might blame fo= r=20 the problem -- such as the state Legislature and Gov. Davis, who could have= =20 done something about this a year ago and chose not to.=20 Yes, the latest polls make it clear that Californians are furious with Davi= s=20 and the Legislature.=20 But elections for office are not yes/no propositions -- you don't get to vo= te=20 up or down on Davis.=20 They are a contest between two major party candidates, which means election= s=20 are always a matter of comparisons -- Davis compared with his opponent.=20 Someone has to come along and convince voters he or she can do the job bett= er=20 than Davis.=20 There might, indeed, be such people. It's unlikely one of those people will= =20 appear on the ballot in 2002, however.=20 The current political landscape is heavily populated with profiles in=20 discouragement -- people who, fearful of losing, lack the nerve to run=20 against a well-financed incumbent.=20 The great irony here is that voters thought term limits would solve that=20 problem -- rather than being stuck with a well-financed incumbent, we'd for= ce=20 him out of office.=20 In reality, we're stuck with the well-financed incumbent until his term=20 limits are up -- in six or eight years.=20 That does nothing to solve the problems that might arise in those six to=20 eight years. It has done nothing to embolden would-be candidates. Now, they= =20 just meekly wait their turn.=20 And it has made a shambles of the legislative process by populating the=20 Capitol with people who don't know what they're doing, only where they're= =20 going next. Meanwhile, the people who do know what they're doing have been= =20 kicked out office.=20 It's no coincidence that the deregulation mess was made in a Legislature fu= ll=20 of people elected during the term-limit era.=20 A statewide initiative, brave candidates, ending term limits -- those are a= ll=20 things that will happen in the future.=20 Right now, it's time to tune in, turn off and drop out.=20 Tune in to what you are doing as an individual consumer -- cast a critical= =20 eye at your own habits.=20 Turn off your appliances, your lights, your air conditioner and reduce your= =20 individual energy consumption. It's much easier than it appears.=20 Energy consumption has dropped in my household by more than a third by=20 switching off some lights, converting to fluorescent light bulbs, turning= =20 down the refrigerator and connecting some appliances to a power strip, so= =20 that they truly are turned off.=20 Finally, drop out of the power grid. Look for other ways to power your home= =20 -- most notably solar power, which is readily available.=20 Find other alternatives to high-consumption appliances, such as clothesline= s.=20 Drop out.=20 They can't gouge you if they can't get to you.=20 Simon can be seen 7:30 p.m. Fridays on The Chronicle's "Peninsula This Week= "=20 on cable Channel 26, and at other times on local access channels. You can= =20 reach him at (650) 299-8071, by fax at (650) 299-9208, or e-mail at=20 msimon@sfchronicle.com. Write him c/=20 Power tips=20 Chronicle readers' suggestions for coping with California's energy crisis= =20 Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ,2001 San Francisco Chronicle=20 URL:=20 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2001/05= /24/M N59652.DTL&type=3Dnews=20 I live in Sacramento, where we do use air-conditioning in the summer. I=20 covered two skylights with aluminum foil to keep the heat out. Two east-=20 facing windows have exterior roll-up blinds. . . . I adjusted my pool pump= =20 from six hours per day to two hours from 6 to 8 a.m. This saves electricity= =20 and puts the usage in the morning, which is not the peak usage. I keep my= =20 computer power strip and music/VCR power strip switched off. This alone sav= es=20 about one kilowatt hour per day. I replaced four of my most used lights wit= h=20 fluorescent bulbs. You really don't need to change all of your bulbs, just= =20 the ones that are on for several hours per day. So far, I've cut about=20 one-third of my usage, with very little lifestyle change.=20 Martin R. Fraser=20 Sacramento=20 Household air conditioners are energy guzzlers. Consider, instead, the meri= ts=20 of an evaporative cooler (a.k.a. swamp cooler), ideal in low-humidity local= es=20 such as California. They consume only about 25 percent of what it would tak= e=20 to operate an air conditioner.=20 Martha Kimmich=20 Walnut Creek=20 The suggestion that a frost-free refrigerator's compressor will run less if= =20 ice cubes are put in Tupperware because it won't waste energy trying to=20 "defrost" trays of ice cubes is pure nonsense. The duration of the defrost= =20 cycle is controlled by a timer, which turns on a heater for a fixed duratio= n=20 of time daily. Putting ice in Tupperware will, in fact, prevent the cubes= =20 from "evaporating" (technically - sublimating) as they do when left in thei= r=20 trays for long periods, and as such is a good idea - but not because the=20 compressor will run less.=20 Jack Petit=20 The five major league baseball teams in California need to move to a day-= =20 only schedule for the rest of the year. That will also mean no Monday night= =20 games for the NFL teams this fall or winter. . . . No more private and publ= ic=20 tennis clubs leaving their lights on their courts late into the night. . . = .=20 Attempt to combine or limit the venues in which public meetings are held.= =20 Often these halls are overly well-lighted, with only a few citizens=20 attending. Reduce hours amusement parks are opened, and reduce the amount o= f=20 lighting in underused areas. Limit the hours movie theaters are open. The= =20 matinees are sparsely attended, but use a lot of power to light and cool th= e=20 theater.=20 Hugh Cavanaugh=20 When is San Francisco going to catch up with the rest of America and begin = to=20 install high-density sodium vapor lamps (the "yellow light") in place of al= l=20 of its outside public lighting? They use one-third the energy of "white=20 light" and put out three times the light. Also, if the state would give=20 building owners a tax incentive to install "motion sensor"-controlled=20 lighting systems, all these empty office buildings' lights could safely be= =20 shut off at night when these large buildings are empty.=20 Rollin W. Roberts=20 Require that all businesses keep their doors shut when open for business. O= ne=20 day recently on upper Market Street when it was 55 degrees and windy, I too= k=20 a tally and 60 percent of the businesses had their doors open.=20 Bill Choisser=20 San Francisco=20 After your dishwasher has completed the wash cycle, open the door, pull out= =20 the racks and there will be a big whoosh of steam. The hot temperature of t= he=20 dishes and glasses themselves (from the wash cycle) creates instant=20 evaporation. In a minute your dishes are dry and cool. The only reason for = a=20 drying cycle is because they're enclosed.=20 Dan Lucas=20 (One reader) wrote she turns off all her large appliances, including TV/VCR= ,=20 at the breaker box, when not in use. These appliances do not use power when= =20 the switches are off, except maybe a clock. Most circuit breakers are not= =20 rated for switching purposes. They are for over-current protection only. Ov= er=20 time you will damage them with continual on/off switching.=20 Tom DeMerritt=20 Send your comments and suggestions to Energy Desk, San Francisco Chronicle,= =20 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103; or send e-mail to=20 energysaver@sfchronicle.com.=20 Davis to order 1-hour notice of blackouts=20 Plan also in works to give law enforcement even earlier alerts=20 Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ,2001 San Francisco Chronicle=20 URL:=20 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2001/05= /24/M N2963.DTL&type=3Dnews=20 Sacramento -- Gov. Gray Davis will issue an executive order today requiring= =20 that Californians be given at least one hour's notice before blackouts hit,= =20 according to a top administration official.=20 The one-hour notice is double what the California Independent System=20 Operator, managers of the state's electrical grid, proposed earlier this=20 week. The ISO board is scheduled to discuss its plan at a meeting today.=20 Details of Davis' plan were still being worked out, said the administration= =20 official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. But any plan would have = to=20 order the ISO to give more notice of potential blackouts.=20 Davis also hopes to give 48-hour and then 24-hour notices of probable=20 blackout scenarios. Administration officials said the two-day notice would = go=20 to law enforcement, while everyone would get a 24-hour warning.=20 Business groups welcomed the executive order.=20 "We need to plan, we need to make adjustments in business schedules," said= =20 Jeanne Cain, vice president for government relations for the California=20 Chamber of Commerce. "There are concerns about employee safety issues. The= =20 more notice we have, the better we can accommodate the blackout."=20 Carl Guardino, an ISO board member and president of the Silicon Valley=20 Manufacturing Group, has been pushing for an advanced notification plan and= =20 working with the governor.=20 "Sixty minutes is twice as good" as 30 minutes, he said.=20 With little doubt that blackouts will hit this summer, lawmakers have been= =20 searching for a way to make them easier on residents and businesses.=20 "As much notice as possible would be helpful. It's helpful to have some=20 advance notice for planning purposes, but small businesses will still be hu= rt=20 by the blackouts," said Shirley Knight, assistant state director of the=20 National Federation of Independent Business.=20 "Most small businesses are in the service sector so they're open during the= =20 day, which means small-business owners aren't going to be able to recoup=20 those blackout costs like a manufacturer might be able to," Knight said.=20 But one consumer group said Davis should be doing more to stop the blackout= s=20 from happening in the first place.=20 "It's like saying you're going to know a half hour earlier that an earthqua= ke=20 is coming," said Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer=20 Rights. "We should be stopping blackouts by standing up to the energy=20 generators, rather than giving us an extra 30 minutes."=20 'POWER WATCH'=20 The Independent System Operator's proposed plan for forecasting potential= =20 blackouts envisions a system that would provide a 24-hour notice of high-= =20 demand days. A "Power Watch" would be declared whenever a Stage 1 or Stage = 2=20 alert is likely, while a "Power Warning" would be issued whenever there is = at=20 least a 50 percent chance of a Stage 3 alert, when electricity reserves dro= p=20 below 1.5 percent.=20 Until now, the agency has refused to give more than a few minutes' warning = of=20 blackouts, saying it did not want to alarm people when there was still a=20 chance that a last-minute purchase of power could stave off blackouts.=20 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said it would welcome the advance notice to be= =20 able to notify customers who rely on electricity for life-critical equipmen= t=20 and large businesses.=20 "We welcome advance notice from the ISO that would allow us to communicate = to=20 customers about pending rotating outages," said Ron Low, a spokesman for=20 PG&E. The public safety aspect must be taken into account, said one consumer grou= p.=20 "Blackouts have serious consequences, not just economic," said Mindy Spatt,= =20 spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network in San Francisco. "They create= =20 public safety hazards, and all of those issues cannot be addressed from=20 warnings. But knowing in advance is better."=20 E-MAIL ALERTS The ISO also has been working to upgrade its Web site to provide the most= =20 current information about how much electricity is being used and how much i= s=20 available. It will also establish a system this summer through which that= =20 information can be sent in an hourly e-mail.=20 This information may make it easier for larger users of electricity to plan= =20 their operations.=20 Enlightening advice to prepare for blackouts Here's some advice from PG&E a= nd=20 local utilities about how to prepare for blackouts:=20 -- Have a flashlight and radio with fresh batteries available. If you light= =20 candles, observe the usual safety precautions.=20 -- If the lights go out, check with neighbors to determine if your home alo= ne=20 is affected. It may be a downed power line or some other problem, in which= =20 case you should alert PG&E or your city electrical bureau.=20 -- Unplug or turn
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