[full article at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Americas/2000-12/calif141200.shtml Emergency powers to prevent Californian blackouts By Patrick Connole 14 December 2000 President Bill Clinton's administration took the rare action yesterday of invoking emergency powers to stave off electricity blackouts in the nation's most populated state, California. The state's huge thirst for electricity combined with tight supplies and repairs at some utilities pushed California to the brink of a crisis that threatened to trigger blackouts. The US Energy Secretary, Bill Richardson, said the federal government would step in to require power generators and marketers to ship electricity to California to prevent imminent blackouts. "Our objective is keep the lights on in California," said Mr Richardson after meeting a US senator, Dianne Feinstein of California, as well as California's Governor, Gray Davis, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chief, James Hoecker. Mr Richardson said he invoked the government's rarely used authority under the Federal Power Act to require out-of-state generators and marketers to sell power to California immediately.
