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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 05/24/2001 10:33 AM =09 To: Ann M Schmidt/Corp/Enron@ENRON, = Bryan Seyfried/LON/ECT@ECT, Elizabeth Linnell/NA/Enron@Enron, filuntz@aol.c= om, James D Steffes/NA/Enron@Enron, Janet Butler/ET&S/Enron@ENRON, Jeannie = Mandelker/HOU/ECT@ECT, Jeff Dasovich/NA/Enron@Enron, Joe Hartsoe/Corp/Enron= @ENRON, John Neslage/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, John Sherriff/LON= /ECT@ECT, Joseph Alamo/NA/Enron@Enron, Karen Denne/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Lysa A= kin/PDX/ECT@ECT, Mark Palmer/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Mark Schroeder/Enron@EnronXG= ate, Markus Fiala/LON/ECT@ECT, Michael R Brown/LON/ECT@ECT, Mona L Petrochk= o/NA/Enron@Enron, Nicholas O'Day/AP/Enron@Enron, Peggy Mahoney/HOU/EES@EES,= Peter Styles/LON/ECT@ECT, Richard Shapiro/NA/Enron@Enron, Rob Bradley/Corp= /Enron@ENRON, Sandra McCubbin/NA/Enron@Enron, Shelley Corman/ET&S/Enron@ENR= ON, Stella Chan/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, Steven J Kean/NA/Enron= @Enron, Susan J Mara/NA/Enron@Enron, Mike Roan/ENRON@enronXgate, Alex Parso= ns/EU/Enron@Enron, Andrew Morrison/LON/ECT@ECT, lipsen@cisco.com, Janel Gue= rrero/Corp/Enron@Enron, Shirley A Hudler/HOU/ECT@ECT, Kathleen Sullivan/NA/= Enron@ENRON, Tom Briggs/NA/Enron@Enron, Linda Robertson/NA/Enron@ENRON, Lor= a Sullivan/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Jennifer Thome/NA/Enron@Enron, jkradin@maratho= n-com.com, rlichtenstein@marathon-com.com, syamane@marathon-com.com, ken@kd= scommunications.com, hgovenar@govadv.com, sgovenar@govadv.com, bhansen@lhom= .com, Carin Nersesian/NA/Enron@Enron, Robert Neustaedter/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@= ENRON_DEVELOPMENT, John Shelk/NA/Enron@Enron, Chris Holmes/HOU/EES@EES, Eva= n Hughes/HOU/EES@EES, Roberta Staehlin/HOU/EES@EES, Lamar Frazier/HOU/EES@E= ES, Mary Schoen/NA/Enron@Enron, Ban Sharma/ENRON_DEVELOPMENT@ENRON_DEVELOPM= ENT cc: bcc: Subject: Energy Issues -thurs=09 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 o= utlined 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 Calif= ornia tour SF Chron, Thurs, 5/24: POLL: Californians dissatisfied with government hand= ling 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 Cali= fornia'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 envir= onmental criticism Individual.com, Thurs, 5/24: Filing for Hayward Project Includes Request fo= r Expedited Review Individual.com, Thurs, 5/24: California Governor Signs Bill to Speed Up App= roval 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) In a major reversal of environmental policy, Gov. Gray Davis wi= ll announce a plan to relieve California's overloaded electricity grid this= summer by paying businesses to run their high-polluting backup generators = in advance of anticipated blackouts, a top energy adviser to the governor s= aid Wednesday. "The backup generators will help us get through the summer,= " said S. David Freeman, who recently resigned as general manager of the Lo= s Angeles Department of Water and Power to lead Davis' drive for energy con= servation. Freeman said he would leave it to Davis to disclose details of = the plan. "The governor will announce what he's going to do," he said Wedn= esday in a wide-ranging interview on energy issues with The Bee. Roger Sal= azar, the governor's deputy press secretary, would not confirm when or whet= her Davis would make such an announcement. "I don't know that the governor= has signed off on anything like that," Salazar said. Under the plan, part= icipating businesses would turn on backup generators and simultaneously dis= connect from the electricity grid when power supplies are at Stage 3 -- nea= rly depleted. The state would pay the companies for the much-needed power = that would be saved by converting to diesel generation. Deploying diesel-p= owered generators -- the dirtiest of internal combustion engines -- to fore= stall blackouts is another sign of the governor's struggle to get more mega= watts flowing through California. Earlier this week Davis lowered his esti= mate of the amount of new power that will come on line this summer from 5,0= 00 megawatts to 4,000 megawatts. A megawatt is enough power for 750 to 1,00= 0 households. The diesel plan also marks a significant turnabout in the Da= vis administration's policy. The governor and his appointees at the state = Air Resources Board uniformly have rejected such proposals from industries,= utilities and the operator of the state's electricity grid, arguing that r= outine use of the backup diesels would endanger public health. San Diego G= as & Electric has one such proposal scheduled for a vote today by the Davis= -appointed state Public Utilities Commission. Environmentalists who have b= een catching word of the Davis plan this week argue that it would shatter t= he governor's repeated promises to stand firm on air quality standards duri= ng the energy crisis. A letter signed Wednesday by several of the state's = leading environmental organizations, including the American Lung Associatio= n of California, urged Davis to reconsider. "Given your awareness of the p= ublic health threats of diesel emissions, please stop and have these propos= als considered in a more thoughtful and public manner," the letter states. = Freeman argued, however, that the additional health threat from non-emerge= ncy use of diesel generators is "marginal" compared with the health and saf= ety problems triggered by power outages. "This is a no-brainer," Freeman s= aid. "You've got human lives at stake here. This is a scary situation." Fr= eeman cited, for example, people on life-support systems that could go awry= in blackouts. But Sandra Spelliscy, attorney for the environmentalist Pla= nning and Conservation League, countered, "If the health impacts are so mar= ginal, why has the governor's own air quality enforcement agency opposed th= is?" Industries ranging from hospitals to food processing plants and data = management centers have diesel-powered generators -- some the size of locom= otives -- that kick on when a storm or earthquake knocks out power. Unlike= diesel-powered trucks and buses, most diesel standby generators run with l= ittle or no pollution controls because they are intended only for emergenci= es. Though the latest models run cleaner and more efficiently, most genera= tors in use today produce about 500 times more emissions of smog-forming ni= trogen oxides per megawatt-hour as a new natural gas-fired power plant, acc= ording to air board engineers. Further, the diesels spew high amounts of br= eathable soot particles that can cause cancer, the engineers say. Davis' p= lan would limit the use of the generators to days when the grid operator de= clares a Stage 3 alert, meaning the power supplies are running low and roll= ing blackouts may be ordered to keep the state's entire grid from collapsin= g, according to Freeman. Salazar, the governor's spokesman, said only, "An= y backup generation involving diesel will have to be used as a last resort = to prevent blackouts." Environmentalists who are trying to head off the pl= an said it would have the state paying participating businesses at least 35= cents per kilowatt-hour, roughly three times the rate consumers typically = pay for electricity. Freeman would not confirm the pay rate. The Davis adm= inistration has offered generators willing to sell new power exclusively to= the state 50 percent discounts on the air emission credits they would need= to comply with smog rules. For operators of existing power plants, the go= vernor has agreed to have taxpayers pay the entire cost of polluting above = allowable limits in order to keep the lights on. The latest plan to pay co= mpanies to run the dirty diesels during energy alerts further loosens the e= nvironmental reins. The Bee's Chris Bowman can be reached at (916) 321-10= 69 or cbowman@sacbee.com . =09 Bush-Davis meeting set for energy crisis By David Whitney Bee Washington Bu= reau (Published May 24, 2001) WASHINGTON -- President Bush will meet next = week with Gov. Gray Davis to talk about California's worsening electricity = crisis amid a shifting political dynamic on Capitol Hill that increasingly = favors some controls on West Coast wholesale electricity prices. Details f= or the Bush-Davis meeting were still being worked out Wednesday, but the fa= ct that the Republican president is meeting with the Democratic governor, w= ho is often mentioned as a possible challenger in 2004, was seen as a sign = that the White House is facing increasing political heat on the energy issu= e. "California is a very big state," said White House spokesman Ari Fleisc= her. "It represents one-sixth of the United States. It's the sixth-largest = economy in the world. And the president is very pleased to sit and talk wit= h Governor Davis. It's important." Davis' spokesman, Steve Maviglio, said = electricity price caps will be at the top of the governor's agenda for the = meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday. But Fleischer did not commit the president= to that kind of meeting. In his first visit to the state since the campai= gn last year, the president will spend Monday night in Los Angeles and Tues= day night in Fresno. Until now, the White House has steadfastly refused to= meet with any elected Democrat from California about the energy crisis des= pite repeated pleas from the Democratic congressional delegation. Price co= ntrols have become the mantra of California Democratic lawmakers and a hand= ful of Republicans, but the Bush administration has flatly dismissed them a= s counterproductive to increasing power generation in the megawatt-short st= ate. In recent weeks, however, there has been a developing shift in the at= titude toward price controls on Capitol Hill. Bush's two nominees to the Fe= deral Energy Regulatory Commission, whose names were forwarded to the Senat= e floor Wednesday for confirmation, declined to rule out price controls onc= e they are seated on the panel. And the apparent decision by Vermont Sen. = James Jeffords to abandon the Republican Party would put Democrats in contr= ol of the Senate, moving Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, a price-control = advocate, to the helm of the key Senate Energy and Natural Resources Commit= tee. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a committee Democrat, said Wednesda= y that she has talked to Bingaman and that he committed to moving her legis= lation to temporarily peg wholesale prices to the cost of production. Four= Republican House members from California have also endorsed some form of p= rice-control legislation. On Wednesday, Rep. Doug Ose, R-Sacramento, annou= nced that he is introducing a bill that, while not technically a price cap,= would give greater price relief for West Coast consumers than federal regu= lators or the Bush administration have been willing to offer. Ose, chairma= n of the House Government Reform Committee's energy subcommittee, said his = bill would extend throughout the West a price-mitigation plan approved last= month by the FERC. But instead of that plan taking effect only during powe= r emergencies as the commission directed, it would operate around the clock= under Ose's bill to peg spot market prices at the cost of production of th= e least-efficient plant selling into the California market. Ose said his b= ill would encourage generators to sell their power through long-term contra= cts rather than on the volatile spot market. "I am looking for a middle gr= ound," Ose said. The Bee's David Whitney can be reached at (202) 383-0004= or dwhitney@mcclatchydc.com . =09 Energy Digest: GOP unveils plan to help utility By Jim Sanders Bee Capitol = Bureau (Published May 24, 2001) State Assembly efforts to develop a bipart= isan proposal to help Southern California Edison pay off massive debts and = avoid bankruptcy hit a dead end Wednesday when Republicans released a plan = of their own. The move could force Democrats to sidestep Republicans and v= ote along party lines on an alternative to Gov. Gray Davis' proposed $2.76 = billion state purchase of power lines. Assembly Republican leader Dave Cox= of Fair Oaks said Wednesday's split was necessary because there are few di= fferences between the governor's plan and the Democrats' plan. The Republi= can plan rejects the notion of purchasing transmission lines or hydroelectr= ic facilities. Key components call for dedicating a portion of consumer ra= tes to allow Edison to pay off $3.5 billion in debts. In return, ratepayers= would receive either an equity stake in future power plants or the right t= o purchase electricity at discount rates.=09 Few escape blame for crisis in poll By Dan Smith Bee Deputy Capitol Bureau = Chief (Published May 24, 2001) Utility companies and out-of-state power ge= nerators continue to get the lowest marks for their performance in Californ= ia's energy crisis, but Gov. Gray Davis' grades have slipped dramatically o= ver the past five months, according to a Field Poll released Wednesday. An= d Californians, it turns out, blame plenty of people for the state's power = woes -- except themselves. Every player in the power drama gets poor marks= except "residential energy consumers," which 39 percent of poll respondent= s say are doing a good or very good job to improve the energy situation. On= ly 22 percent think they are doing a poor or very poor job. Public opinion= of residential consumers' efforts has improved since January, when 32 perc= ent thought they were doing a poor job and only 26 percent gave them high m= arks. "The public sees themselves as conserving energy," said Field Poll D= irector Mark DiCamillo. "That's the only positive movement in the survey." = For Davis, who faces re-election next year, the movement is far from posit= ive. In the January poll, the Democratic governor received good marks from= 41 percent of those surveyed, average grades from 31 percent and poor rati= ngs from only 22 percent. But when the Field Institute conducted its recen= t poll between May 11 and Sunday, opinions about Davis flip-flopped. After = months of energy angst, a handful of power blackouts and two rate increases= , only 27 percent think Davis is doing a good job, while 38 percent gave hi= m failing grades. The poll also shows that Californians believe the crisis = will continue by an average of a year and a half, well through the upcoming= re-election battle. "All the rhetoric Davis used with some positive effec= t early on is not going over well any more," DiCamillo said. "The public is= starting to view this as a long-term problem, not some temporary policy sh= ift." Still, Davis fares far better than his adversaries in the crisis -- = President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the energy industry. The pu= blic's view of energy interests, which was pretty dim in January, drops eve= n lower in the May poll. Utility companies received bad ratings from half t= he public in January, but 57 percent now believe they are doing a poor or v= ery poor job. Out-of-state energy generators, whom Davis has accused of gou= ging ratepayers, fell from 44 percent low ratings in January to 55 percent = in the May poll. Bush, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the st= ate Public Utilities Commission are not far behind, drawing poor grades fro= m more than half the public. Cheney, the architect of Bush's energy proposa= l, received low ratings from 43 percent. The January Field Poll did not ask= about Bush and Cheney because they had not yet taken office. Davis has re= peatedly bashed FERC for not imposing wholesale price caps on electricity, = and has called Cheney "grossly misinformed" on the state's energy problems.= Cheney, in turn, has called Davis' energy proposals "harebrained" and "goo= fy." The state Legislature receives poor marks from 41 percent of those po= lled, while only 16 percent believe it is doing a good job. The Bee's Dan= Smith can be reached at (916) 321-5249 or smith@sacbee.com . =09 New views emerging on power More elected officials support the conc= ept of planned blackouts By John Hill Bee Capitol Bureau (Published May 23= , 2001) If Californians are to be left in the dark, they should at least k= now when to break out the candles or send the workers home. That's the gro= wing sentiment among a range of elected officials, including Gov. Gray Davi= s, who are pushing the idea of planning power blackouts and giving business= es and residents ample warning. On Tuesday, the Democratic governor's offi= ce said Davis supports longer public notice than the 24 hours called for un= der a proposal by the California Independent System Operator, which runs th= e state's power grid. Assemblyman Mike Briggs, R-Fresno, introduced a bill= that would lay out a blackout schedule for the summer. Businesses could ma= ke plans for the possible blackout days and also be assured that on all oth= er days the lights would stay on. Briggs called his plan an improvement on= the existing system in which "every day is a potential blackout day." A S= enate committee, meanwhile, discussed planned blackouts as part of a strate= gy to gain leverage over electricity generators by declaring that the state= will not pay above a certain amount for power. The state would ask Washing= ton and Oregon to join the so-called "buyers' cartel." If the power genera= tors refused to sell at the lower prices, the state would gut it out with p= lanned blackouts. "Let's use the blackouts against the generators," Michae= l Shames, head of the San Diego-based Utility Consumers' Action Network, to= ld the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee. But Shames and other= s stressed the need for warnings of at least 12 hours and blackouts no long= er than 90 minutes. "Absent that management of blackouts, we don't see how= the buyers' cartel could work," Shames said. On a visit to Chicago on Mon= day, Davis said he talked to officials about the city's system for giving t= he public warning days before possible power blackouts, with definite notic= e right before. "There is no reason to keep that secret from the public wh= en their safety is likely to be jeopardized," Davis told reporters Tuesday.= The governor said he plans to meet in the next few days with managers at I= SO to explore the idea of a system like Chicago's. The grid operator annou= nced Monday that it will try to give the public at least a half-hour notice= of outages, but many officials said Tuesday the public needs even more war= ning. Davis aides said the governor's plan will go beyond ISO's. There are= potential pitfalls. Criminals might make their own plans, taking advantage= of deactivated alarms. And some say that a schedule of blackouts might inc= rease the number of outages. If people have been warned that a blackout is= coming, and a last-minute supply of electricity makes it unnecessary, grid= managers would have to decide whether to call it off, said Dorothy Rothroc= k, vice president of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association.= If they did, it would add uncertainty to future warnings, she said, possi= bly leading them to order unnecessary blackouts. "Obviously, there are tra= de-offs," Rothrock said. Still, the idea of planning blackouts seems to be= gaining ground as a way for the state to get back some control of the ener= gy crisis, sorely lacking in recent months. "It would help us as Californi= ans to say, 'The hell with you, George Bush, we're going to handle this our= selves,' " said Jim Overman, 68, of Elk Grove. Overman said he has been bu= rning up the phone lines trying to persuade anyone who will listen that sch= eduled blackouts will make everyone's lives easier. Briggs said he has bee= n told by constituents, including irrigators and food processors, that sche= duled blackouts are the way to go. Irrigators would know that they shouldn= 't plan on getting water on a day that their electronic gates might be clos= ed. Businesses could tell workers to stay home on a blackout day, or arran= ge for backup power generators, he said. "We would be very interested in i= t," said Ed Yates, senior vice president of the California League of Food P= rocessors. Power blackouts are chaotic for processing plants, Yates said, = requiring some plants to be re-sterilized and shutting down operations for = more than a day. Some processors might choose to close on days when they f= aced a blackout, he said, losing revenue but avoiding the loss of thousands= of pounds of food. "It doesn't solve the problem, but it helps manage a v= ery difficult situation," he said. Briggs said that his plan would result = in possible blackout days every two weeks. The plan would assume that a cer= tain number of customers would have to turned off to keep the grid operatin= g. If the electricity shortage went above that amount, people might still f= ace unanticipated blackouts, Briggs said. One question is public safety. S= ome are queasy about burglars knowing when blackouts will occur. But pluses= include the ability to arrange for temporary stop signs at road intersecti= ons, or families being able to arrange for a sick relative to be moved. "I= f the police have only five minutes notice, they can't get to difficult int= ersections to direct traffic, they can't help paramedics, fire departments = and ambulances get where they have to be," Davis said. The manufacturers' = association and other business groups haven't endorsed the idea yet, but sa= y it's worth a look. "It's preferable to random, rolling blackouts," Rothr= ock said. The Bee's John Hill can be reached at (916) 326-5543 or jhill@sa= cbee.com =09 Californians' priorities for solving the crisis are outlined in a F= ield Poll * Related graphic By Dan Smith Bee Deputy Capitol Bureau Chief = (Published May 23, 2001) Californians have some clear ideas on how to sol= ve the energy crisis: build more nuclear power plants, cap the wholesale pr= ice of electricity and relax air-quality standards to allow older plants to= be upgraded. And, according to a Field Poll released Tuesday, they're not= so hot on the recently approved $13.4 billion bond authorization to pay fo= r electricity, or the idea of Gov. Gray Davis seizing power plants through = eminent domain. Poll architects said responses may be somewhat colored by = respondents' unfamiliarity with all the issues or skepticism on the causes = of the state's power woes. Nearly 60 percent said it essentially is an arti= ficial crisis created by power companies to make money. But on one longsta= nding issue -- nuclear power -- the poll showed a clear preference and a dr= amatic shift in public opinion. In the highest recorded support for nuclea= r power in California since before the Three Mile Island disaster in 1979, = 59 percent say they favor more nuclear plants in the state to provide elect= ricity. Support among registered voters grows to 61 percent, with 33 perce= nt opposed. Among Democrats, 53 percent support more nuclear plants, and th= ree-fourths of Republicans and 55 percent of others agree. "The change in = attitude is very significant because they know this issue," Field Poll Dire= ctor Mark DiCamillo said. Californians' support for nuclear power reached = nearly 70 percent in the mid-1970s in the aftermath of a nationwide energy = crisis. But it plummeted to 37 percent in 1979 after the partial meltdown a= t Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant and fell to 33 percent in 1984 -- = the last time Field surveyed the question. In 1989, voters demanded that t= he Sacramento Municipal Utility District's Rancho Seco nuclear plant be shu= t down. The utility complied and has spent more than $200 million decommiss= ioning it during the past 12 years. Although the poll results are in line = with some private surveys done recently by nuclear-energy advocates, oppone= nts say the Field Poll opinions could be misleading because the issue has b= een dormant for so long. Not since the late '70s has an application for a n= uclear plant been filed in the United States. Only two operate in Californi= a -- San Onofre in San Diego County and Diablo Canyon in San Luis Obispo. = "When the (poll) questions are on issues that people haven't thought about = that much lately, you do get some aberrant results," said Bill Magavern, a = lobbyist for the Sierra Club. "People right now are obviously concerned abo= ut electricity, but they haven't really thought about what it would be like= to have a nuclear power plant in the neighborhood." The Field Poll result= s lend support to at least one aspect in the national energy plan recently = released by President Bush, who called for more nuclear power plants nation= wide. But poll respondents were even more insistent that the Federal Energ= y Regulatory Commission should impose caps on wholesale energy prices despi= te opposition from the Bush administration. The poll showed 70 percent of a= ll adults and 68 percent of registered voters -- including 57 percent of Bu= sh's fellow Republicans -- support the price controls. "It really does exp= ose the Bush administration to long-term serious problems in California if = they're perceived as not willing to help the state in this regard," DiCamil= lo said. "The public really thinks (price caps) should be imposed." Republ= icans in the survey support price caps despite Bush opposition, and Democra= ts narrowly oppose the move by Democratic lawmakers and Davis to authorize = the largest bond sale in national history to pay for power purchases. Amon= g all adults, 38 percent approve of the move, and 52 percent oppose it. Dem= ocrats disapprove of the bonds by a 46 percent to 44 percent margin. Calif= ornians' desire for clean air is softening in the face of the energy crunch= , respondents said. By a margin of 51 percent to 41 percent, poll responde= nts say they would maintain air-quality standards rather than relax them to= build plants. That support is down from a Field survey in January, when 59= percent said they'd rather maintain standards. Moreover, a majority (53 pe= rcent) say they would relax air-quality standards to get older plants back = in operation, an increase from 47 percent in January. Slight majorities su= pport a state-run public power authority (54 percent) and state-owned power= transmission lines (51 percent), but DiCamillo said that some poll respond= ents were probably not familiar with all the implications of those moves. = Responses to the idea of Davis seizing power plants if prices continue to r= ise this summer fell somewhat down partisan lines, with Democrats in favor,= 50 percent to 42 percent, and Republicans opposed, 52 percent to 32 percen= t. Overall, the idea was rejected by 48 percent of adults and favored by 44= percent. A strong majority of registered voters, 56 percent, oppose addit= ional offshore oil and gas drilling to ease the energy crunch, and 38 perce= nt favor it. The Bee's Dan Smith can be reached at (916) 321-5249 or smith= @sacbee.com . =09 Offshore drilling waits in the wings (Published May 23, 2001) WA= SHINGTON -- The release today of a piece of President Bush's energy policy = has California lawmakers squirming. A natural gas advisory panel is set to= unveil a 56-page report looking at whether moratoriums on offshore oil and= gas development should be lifted. It will also name specific sites for pos= sible drilling. Rep. Anna Eschoo, D-Palo Alto, said Tuesday that if the Bu= sh administration tries to undo moratoriums protecting more than 170 millio= n acres off the California coast, it would be like "targeting a missile at = us." So far, the Bush administration hasn't taken any direct action. The e= nergy policy he released last week calls for more oil and gas development, = but its only recommendation about offshore drilling was that the secretarie= s of interior and commerce re-examine current laws and executive orders "to= determine if changes are needed." Today's report is to urge selection of = five of the most promising gas prospects in offshore areas covered by morat= oriums in a pilot program aimed at eventual drilling. The report doesn't sa= y where those five pilot areas should be. But Reps. Lois Capps, D-Santa Bar= bara, and Mike Thompson, D-Napa, are fearful that Morro Bay in San Louis Ob= ispo County and the Eel River Basin in Humboldt County in their districts a= re likely choices. -- David Whitney =09 Bush, Davis to meet, discuss state's energy crisis =09 By Finlay Lewis COPLEY NEWS SERVICE May 23, 2001 WASHINGTON - After weeks= of holding California and its electricity crisis at arm's length, Presiden= t Bush will plunge into the problem next week during a two-day visit to the= state that will include a possible energy summit with California Gov. Gray= Davis. White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters Wednesday= that the state's energy crisis will be "at the top of the list" when the p= resident and the governor meet. The president's aides said that the time an= d place for the meeting are still being worked out. Bush's visit to the st= ate will be his first since last fall's campaign. With their party enjoying= only a slim majority in the U.S. House, some California Republicans have e= xpressed dismay over their state's absence from the president's extensive p= ost-inaugural travel schedule, fearing that the energy crisis could cost so= me GOP lawmakers their seats in next year's elections. =09 Fleischer's announcement Wednesday of the meeting with Davis and its emphas= is on energy caught many by surprise because the White House had given no h= int until then that the president would address the issue during his upcomi= ng trip to California. However, Davis called the White House on Tuesday ni= ght proposing a meeting with the president specifically to discuss energy. = He followed up with two letters on Wednesday expressing the need for quick= er action on the energy front: "Californians can't afford to wait four or f= ive years for a permanent solution. We need relief today." In the longer o= f two letters, Davis wrote: "You and I don't agree on everything. But here'= s something we do have in common: we both inherited an energy mess. And the= people that elected us expect us to clean it up." Davis also offered in t= he letters to "introduce" Bush to "business owners and everyday citizens wh= o have been personally affected by this energy crisis." Fleischer said Wed= nesday that Bush would meet with "business leaders and energy consumers." = Asked who initiated the meeting with Davis, Fleischer suggested the preside= nt's schedule had been drawn up independently of Davis' suggestions. "This= is a case of they both want to meet with each other, and we're very please= d to be able to make it work out," he said. As for the meeting with the bu= siness leaders, Fleischer said, "The president has several events on his sc= hedule that already include business leaders and energy consumers, and so i= t very well may happen that we're each suggesting similar things, which wou= ld be a healthy sign." Bush's itinerary also includes a stop on Tuesday at= the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base designed to showcase his order direct= ing the military to cut their energy use by 10 percent at California facili= ties. Fleischer said that the president wanted "to talk about how the fede= ral government is going to be a strong partner to the state of California i= n the cause of energy conservation to help ease the burden in California as= they go through the summer months when demand is high and blackouts are mo= st at risk." The White House released an outline of the president's Califo= rnia itinerary on Tuesday afternoon. It indicated that the visit would not = give prominent attention to the state's energy woes. Fleischer declined to= say whether the president would expand on his energy plan in any way while= in California. Davis and other California Democrats have been sharply cri= tical of the Bush administration for failing to take decisive action to hel= p alleviate the electricity shortage's toll on the state and its citizens. = They are backing legislation due to come to a key vote on Thursday before = the House Energy and Commerce Committee that would cap electricity rates in= the state. The administration and most of the state's Republican lawmakers= oppose the measure. Last week, Bush showcased an administration task forc= e report on the nation's energy challenges that stressed long-range solutio= ns focused mainly on increasing the supply of fossil fuels and an expanded = role for nuclear power. The report also suggested incentives to encourage e= nergy conservation and greater fuel efficiency. Bush's trip will begin on = Monday when he flies from a Memorial Day event in Arizona to Los Angeles wh= ere he will spend the night. He will return to Washington on Wednesday nigh= t after a visit to the Fresno area. Bush assumed office despite losing the= nation's most populous state by a decisive margin and then launched into t= he most ambitious travel schedule of any modern president. It included stop= s in 27 states - not California. (Lewis reported from Washington and Sween= ey from Sacramento. =09 California Democrats seek price caps on electricity By Finlay Lewis COPLEY NEWS SERVICE=20 May 22, 2001=20 WASHINGTON - Accusing power generators of price gouging, a group of Califor= nia House Democrats vowed Tuesday to try again this week to legislate 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 measu= re, said he would offer the measure as an amendment on Thursday. At that ti= me the House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to complete work on a bill= designed to reduce the number of blackouts expected in California this sum= mer due to shortages in the supply of electrical power.=20 Waxman and other Democrats seized on Republican fund-raising events on Mond= ay and Tuesday nights involving President Bush and Vice President Cheney, c= harging the Republican administration with exacerbating the California situ= ation by doing the bidding of the oil and gas industry in return for campai= gn contributions.=20 "This is a contrived crisis in order to wreck our environmental protection = laws," Waxman said. "It is a contrived crisis in order to produce 1000 perc= ent increases in profits for some of these generators."=20 On the agenda when the committee meets Thursday will be a bill by Rep. Joe = Barton, R-Texas, that would allow California Gov. Gray Davis to temporarily= waive some air pollution limits to increase power production in the state = 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 utilities.=20 Earlier this month, a subcommittee chaired by Barton rejected Waxman's pric= e-cap amendment as some California Republicans complained that the idea of = limiting power rates was politically inspired and would do nothing to solve= California's crisis.=20 The Bush administration and the energy industry oppose price caps, saying t= hat such an approach would distort the market and worsen the electricity sh= ortage in California and many other western states by discouraging explorat= ion and production.=20 Waxman's plan would require federal regulators in many cases to tie wholesa= le power rates to production costs, plus a "reasonable" profit.=20 At the press conference, Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, derided Republican o= pposition to price caps.=20 Referring to wholesale power generators, Filner argued, "They were making m= oney at $30 a megawatt; now they are charging up to $2,000. Believe me: The= y can make money off the market with a cost-base rate. They have done it fo= r 100 years. They can continue doing it."=20 Rep. Jane Harman, D-Redondo Beach, said that California Republicans on the = energy committee would suffer politically if they give into pressure from p= arty leaders to oppose the price-cap bill.=20 "There are no party affiliations for rate payers," said Harman, a committee= member. "Republicans and Democrats have both seen the gouging of their rat= es in California."=20 Mexico: No limit on number of new plants to be built =09 =09 Energy chief says 'anyone who requests a permit will get it' By Diane Lindq= uist UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER May 22, 2001 Mexican Energy Secretary Er= nesto Martens said yesterday that Mexico won't set any limit on the number = of power plants in Baja California supplying electricity north of the borde= r. "Since there's a window of opportunity here because of the need in Cali= fornia for electricity, anyone who requests a permit will get it," Martens = said after speaking at the Institute of the Americas' 10th annual Latin Ame= rican Energy Conference in La Jolla. Power plant construction in Baja Cali= fornia has become one of the most immediate solutions to California's elect= ricity shortfalls. At least three plants being built in Baja California in = the next four years will send electricity north of the border, where blacko= uts have interrupted normal activity. One facility, a Sempra Energy Corp. = power plant near Mexicali, will export all of its electrical output to cons= umers north of the border. The San Diego company's project gained quick app= roval from Mexican authorities because the facility is not subject to restr= ictions imposed on private companies that supply electricity to the Mexican= market. Other Mexican energy officials have said several other enterprise= s are interested in building similar facilities in Baja California. Such a= mushrooming of projects is prompting concern on both sides of the border t= hat the plants might have harmful effects on natural resources and public h= ealth and safety. In his speech, Martens emphasized Mexico's commitment to= preserving the environment and local communities. But afterward, he said = Mexico will approve any number of Baja California projects to serve Califor= nia consumers. "I don't see any limit. The only limit is the ability of th= e interconnecting lines to transmit the electricity that is produced," he s= aid. With a capacity of only 400 megawatts each, the two transmission inte= rconnections linking the electricity grids of California and Baja Californi= a will not be able to transmit all of the 1,500 megawatts of electricity fo= r the California market produced by the new Baja California plants -- let a= lone any additional facilities. Sempra, whose San Diego Gas & Electric sub= sidiary owns both the interconnecting lines, plans to upgrade the interconn= ector near Mexicali, spokesman Michael Clark said yesterday. The improvemen= t will transmit electricity from Sempra's plant in Baja California to the c= ompany substation in Imperial Valley. The other connection links San Diego = and Tijuana. Clark said he doesn't know how the other companies building B= aja California plants plan to transmit their electricity. Representatives o= f the firms could not be reached yesterday. Even if the companies find a w= ay to send electricity across the border, the California grid system presen= ts another obstacle. To prepare for the possibility of more demands on the= Southern California grid, the Imperial Irrigation District is analyzing wh= at capacity it has for transmitting supplies on its lines and how to assess= tariffs for the service. "It's become very important because of our proxi= mity to Mexico," said district spokesman Ron Hull. The ability to transmit= electricity is only one force limiting plant construction in Baja Californ= ia. Another is the supply of fuel to drive the facilities. Sempra again is= a key player in this area. It plans to build a North Baja Pipeline that wi= ll supply natural gas to its own and two other power plants in Baja Califor= nia and the proposed Otay Mesa plant in San Diego. The pipeline won't provi= de fuel for any other facilities. "It's fully subscribed," said Clark. "In= the future if there is enough demand, the compression could be increased."= Energy Secretary Martens, however, hinted at the possibility of new natur= al gas supplies in Baja California. He said Mexico wants liquified natural = gas facilities to be built in Rosarito Beach and Ensenada. While several c= ompanies have expressed an interest in such an operation, Martens' comments= were the first to indicate that two, and not one, might be approved for Ba= ja California. =09 Potential governor candidate launches Northern California tour=20 ALEXA HAUSSLER, Associated Press Writer Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ?2001 Associated Press=20 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2001/05= /24/state1726EDT0229.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 June whether to jump into the race for governor, although he appeared to = be campaigning for the job this week.=20 Trailed by a group of reporters Wednesday, the wealthy Pacific Palisades in= vestment banker visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and took a f= ew jabs at both Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and his potential GOP primary op= ponent, Secretary of State Bill Jones.=20 "I think there's a leadership crisis in Sacramento," said Simon, who critic= ized Davis' handling of the state's power crisis.=20 "You have the same elected people today trying to figure out a solution to = the crisis that got us into the crisis," Simon said.=20 Pressed to explain how he would end the crisis that has brought rolling bla= ckouts and soaring power bills, Simon said he still is preparing his own pl= an.=20 The son of Ford administration Treasury Secretary William E. Simon insisted= he has yet to make a final decision on whether to run in 2002, adding he w= ould 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 said he owns a "small piece" of a Texas-based company that makes equipmen= t used in extracting or processing oil and natural gas.=20 Before founding his investment banking firm with his father in 1988 he was = an assistant U.S. attorney in New York.=20 Simon started forming a campaign team in March, including John Herrington, = former U.S. energy secretary under President Reagan and former chairman of = the state Republican Party.=20 Of potential primary opponent Jones, Simon said: "He seems like a perfectly= nice fellow. ... I just don't think that he provides the contrast to Gray = 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: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2001/05= /24/state0922EDT0156.DTL&type=3Dnews =20 (05-24) 06:22 PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --=20 Over the past four months, Californians have developed increasingly negativ= e feelings toward state and federal officials and agencies involved in Cali= fornia's energy crisis, according to a Field Poll released Thursday.=20 A large number of those surveyed are also fearful that Pacific Gas & Electr= ic's bankruptcy filing will make it more difficult for the company to provi= de service to its customers.=20 Fifty-seven percent of those questioned in May by the Field Institute, a Sa= n Francisco-based nonpartisan polling organization, gave California's priva= te electric utilities a poor rating. That's more than the 40 percent of res= pondents who rated the utilities performance as poor in January.=20 The same negative feelings held true for out-of-state energy providers. Fif= ty-five percent of respondents this month rated their performance as poor, = a noticeable increase from the 44 percent of respondents who gave them a po= or rating in January.=20 Specifically, those surveyed were asked to rate the job being done by offic= ials 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 Comm= ission a poor rating rose from 42 percent in January to 52 percent in May.= =20 * 41 percent of those surveyed gave the state legislature a poor rating in = May, as opposed 36 percent in January.=20 * 38 percent gave Gov. Gray Davis a poor rating in May for his handling of = the state's energy woes, a sharp increase from 22 percent who gave him a po= or rating in January.=20 The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also drew negative ratings from re= spondents. In May, 52 percent said FERC was doing a poor job, as opposed to= 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 diff= icult for the company to supply electricity to customers, and 49 percent sa= id they thought it would.=20 The poll, which questioned 1,015 California adults between May 11 and May 2= 0, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, the instit= ute 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=20 Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ?2001 San Francisco Chronicle =20 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/20= 01/05/24/MNS121240.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. = And drop out of the power grid by using alternative power sources and alter= natives 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 rathole, as our own utility bills skyrocket and as blackouts roll across= the state, someone will write a statewide ballot initiative and get it on = the ballot.=20 It will do two things.=20 First, it will undo the deregulation of the state's energy industry. It wil= l 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 utility or it will require that the state take over the industry entirel= y.=20 Huge amounts of money will be spent against it. Opponents will outspend sup= porters by a substantial amount.=20 TV ads will run constantly, predicting dire consequences if the initiative = is approved.=20 We'll be told it will be bad for business. Labor leaders will tell us that = it will cost jobs. Experts will say it will have no effect on the problem, = or 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 the two main causes of the current energy crisis -- a badly bungled dereg= ulation and unbelievably greedy energy producers.=20 It will pass because the initiative's authors will understand that most of = us are furious about the way this mess was created and that we're eager to = take 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= are the people who got us into this disaster in the first place, and we wo= n't believe them.=20 It's much harder to say whether the energy crisis will have more immediate = political repercussions for some of the elected officials we might blame fo= r the problem -- such as the state Legislature and Gov. Davis, who could ha= ve 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 and the Legislature.=20 But elections for office are not yes/no propositions -- you don't get to vo= te up or down on Davis.=20 They are a contest between two major party candidates, which means election= s are always a matter of comparisons -- Davis compared with his opponent. S= omeone has to come along and convince voters he or she can do the job bette= r than Davis.=20 There might, indeed, be such people. It's unlikely one of those people will= appear on the ballot in 2002, however.=20 The current political landscape is heavily populated with profiles in disco= uragement -- people who, fearful of losing, lack the nerve to run against a= well-financed incumbent.=20 The great irony here is that voters thought term limits would solve that pr= oblem -- rather than being stuck with a well-financed incumbent, we'd force= him out of office.=20 In reality, we're stuck with the well-financed incumbent until his term lim= its are up -- in six or eight years.=20 That does nothing to solve the problems that might arise in those six to ei= ght years. It has done nothing to embolden would-be candidates. Now, they j= ust meekly wait their turn.=20 And it has made a shambles of the legislative process by populating the Cap= itol with people who don't know what they're doing, only where they're goin= g next. Meanwhile, the people who do know what they're doing have been kick= ed out office.=20 It's no coincidence that the deregulation mess was made in a Legislature fu= ll of people elected during the term-limit era.=20 A statewide initiative, brave candidates, ending term limits -- those are a= ll 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 = eye at your own habits.=20 Turn off your appliances, your lights, your air conditioner and reduce your= individual energy consumption. It's much easier than it appears.=20 Energy consumption has dropped in my household by more than a third by swit= ching off some lights, converting to fluorescent light bulbs, turning down = the refrigerator and connecting some appliances to a power strip, so that t= hey truly are turned off.=20 Finally, drop out of the power grid. Look for other ways to power your home= -- 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= " on cable Channel 26, and at other times on local access channels. You can= reach him at (650) 299-8071, by fax at (650) 299-9208, or e-mail at msimon= @sfchronicle.com . Write him c/=20 Power tips=20 Chronicle readers' suggestions for coping with California's energy crisis= =20 =20 Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ?2001 San Francisco Chronicle =20 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/20= 01/05/24/MN59652.DTL&type=3Dnews =20 I live in Sacramento, where we do use air-conditioning in the summer. I cov= ered two skylights with aluminum foil to keep the heat out. Two east- facin= g windows have exterior roll-up blinds. . . . I adjusted my pool pump from = six hours per day to two hours from 6 to 8 a.m. This saves electricity and = puts the usage in the morning, which is not the peak usage. I keep my compu= ter power strip and music/VCR power strip switched off. This alone saves ab= out one kilowatt hour per day. I replaced four of my most used lights with = fluorescent bulbs. You really don't need to change all of your bulbs, just = the ones that are on for several hours per day. So far, I've cut about 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 of an evaporative cooler (a.k.a. swamp cooler), ideal in low-humidity lo= cales such as California. They consume only about 25 percent of what it wou= ld take 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= ice cubes are put in Tupperware because it won't waste energy trying to "d= efrost" trays of ice cubes is pure nonsense. The duration of the defrost cy= cle is controlled by a timer, which turns on a heater for a fixed duration = of time daily. Putting ice in Tupperware will, in fact, prevent the cubes f= rom "evaporating" (technically - sublimating) as they do when left in their= trays for long periods, and as such is a good idea - but not because the c= ompressor will run less.=20 Jack Petit=20 The five major league baseball teams in California need to move to a day- o= nly schedule for the rest of the year. That will also mean no Monday night = games for the NFL teams this fall or winter. . . . No more private and publ= ic tennis clubs leaving their lights on their courts late into the night. .= . . Attempt to combine or limit the venues in which public meetings are he= ld. Often these halls are overly well-lighted, with only a few citizens att= ending. Reduce hours amusement parks are opened, and reduce the amount of l= ighting in underused areas. Limit the hours movie theaters are open. The ma= tinees are sparsely attended, but use a lot of power to light and cool the = theater.=20 Hugh Cavanaugh=20 When is San Francisco going to catch up with the rest of America and begin = to install high-density sodium vapor lamps (the "yellow light") in place of= all of its outside public lighting? They use one-third the energy of "whit= e light" and put out three times the light. Also, if the state would give b= uilding owners a tax incentive to install "motion sensor"-controlled lighti= ng systems, all these empty office buildings' lights could safely be shut o= ff 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 day recently on upper Market Street when it was 55 degrees and windy, I = took 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= the racks and there will be a big whoosh of steam. The hot temperature of = the dishes and glasses themselves (from the wash cycle) creates instant eva= poration. In a minute your dishes are dry and cool. The only reason for a d= rying 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= the switches are off, except maybe a clock. Most circuit breakers are not = rated for switching purposes. They are for over-current protection only. Ov= er 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,= 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103; or send e-mail to energysaver@sf= chronicle.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=20 Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ?2001 San Francisco Chronicle =20 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/20= 01/05/24/MN2963.DTL&type=3Dnews =20 Sacramento -- Gov. Gray Davis will issue an executive order today requiring= that Californians be given at least one hour's notice before blackouts hit= , according to a top administration official.=20 The one-hour notice is double what the California Independent System Operat= or, managers of the state's electrical grid, proposed earlier this week. Th= e 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= official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. But any plan would have= to 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 black= out scenarios. Administration officials said the two-day notice would go 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 = Jeanne Cain, vice president for government relations for the California Cha= mber of Commerce. "There are concerns about employee safety issues. The mor= e notice we have, the better we can accommodate the blackout."=20 Carl Guardino, an ISO board member and president of the Silicon Valley Manu= facturing Group, has been pushing for an advanced notification plan and wor= king 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 = 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 adv= ance notice for planning purposes, but small businesses will still be hurt = by the blackouts," said Shirley Knight, assistant state director of the Nat= ional Federation of Independent Business.=20 "Most small businesses are in the service sector so they're open during the= day, which means small-business owners aren't going to be able to recoup t= hose 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 from happening in the first place.=20 "It's like saying you're going to know a half hour earlier that an earthqua= ke is coming," said Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer= Rights. "We should be stopping blackouts by standing up to the energy gene= rators, rather than giving us an extra 30 minutes."=20 'POWER WATCH'=20 The Independent System Operator's proposed plan for forecasting potential b= lackouts envisions a system that would provide a 24-hour notice of high- de= mand days. A "Power Watch" would be declared whenever a Stage 1 or Stage 2 = alert is likely, while a "Power Warning" would be issued whenever there is = at least a 50 percent chance of a Stage 3 alert, when electricity reserves = drop below 1.5 percent.=20 Until now, the agency has refused to give more than a few minutes' warning = of blackouts, saying it did not want to alarm people when there was still a= 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= able to notify customers who rely on electricity for life-critical equipme= nt and large businesses.=20 "We welcome advance notice from the ISO that would allow us to communicate = to 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,= spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network in San Francisco. "They create = public safety hazards, and all of those issues cannot be addressed from war= nings. 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 c= urrent information about how much electricity is being used and how much is= available. It will also establish a system this summer through which that = information can be sent in an hourly e-mail.=20 This information may make it easier for larger users of electricity to plan= their operations.=20 Enlightening advice to prepare for blackouts Here's some advice from PG&E a= nd local utilities about how to prepare for blackouts:=20 -- Have a flashlight and radio with fresh batteries available. If you light= candles, observe the usual safety precautions.=20 -- If the lights go out, check with neighbors to determine if your home alo= ne is affected. It may be a downed power line or some other problem, in whi= ch case you should alert PG&E or your city electrical bureau.=20 -- Unplug or turn off all appliances, TVs and computers. Leave one light on= to warn you when the power comes back on.=20 -- When the power returns, turn one appliance on at a time to prevent power= surges.=20 -- Don't plug a generator into the wall; when the lights return, it can sen= d a high-voltage current through the system that can electrocute power work= ers.=20 -- Don't open your refrigerator, so your food will remain cold.=20 -- Tell children who are home alone to remain calm, turn off the TV and com= puters and not to use candles.=20 Chronicle staff writer Greg Lucas contributed to this report. / E-mail Lynd= a Gledhill at lgledhill@sfchronicle.com .=20 Californians angry across the board in energy crisis=20 Poll rates Bush worse than Davis=20 John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writer=20 Thursday, May 24, 2001=20 ?2001 San Francisco Chronicle =20 URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/20= 01/05/24/MN222247.DTL&type=3Dnews =20 =20 Californians are increasingly unhappy with the way Gov. Gray Davis has hand= led the state's power crunch, but he has plenty of company in their energy = doghouse, a Field Poll shows.=20 The state's power companies, out-of-state energy providers, President Bush = and the Legislature all come out worse than Davis in the survey.=20 "Davis' ratings have gone down, but a lot of others are given lower ratings= " when people are asked to rank how the politicians and institutions are ha= ndling the state's energy situation, said Mark DiCamillo, director of the F= ield Poll.=20 Growing worries about the seriousness of the power problem have sent rating= s skidding for anyone connected with the energy business.=20 "Everyone has gotten tarred," DiCamillo said.=20 A solid 57 percent of those surveyed believe that Pacific Gas and Electric = Co. and the state's other private electric utilities have done a poor or ve= ry poor job with the energy problem, with out-of-state power providers rank= ed almost as low. But 54 percent also put Bush's efforts in the poor/very p= oor category, and 52 percent co
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