It is true that a significant part of California's "electricity shortage" can be
traced to three years of below average rainfall in Washington and Oregon. For
decades power has been traded seasonally -- shipped south in the summer, north in
the winter. But there is less to come south because of the lack of water behind
the dams. Plus the new emphasis on saving Salmon, which calls for water by-passing
the turbines and thus not generating electricity. And it is true that other states
have increased electricity consumption faster than Calif in the 90s.
The deregulation in California was driven (at the political level) by 5 out of
5 Republican PUC commissioners, and then signed and sealed in the Republican
governor's office -- Pete Wilson. But the Dems in the legislature were aggressive
in supporting deregulation as well.
Gene Coyle
Margaret Coleman wrote:
> The only problem with using a reasonable (?) solution to California's problems
> as a way to tout democrats over republicans is that it was the democrats who can
> be blamed for creating the problem in the first place. On another note,
> according to recent articles in the Wash Post, most of the energy shortage is
> due to growth in other western states who have increased their demand at a much
> greater rate than California in recent years, and, to a drought. Is this true?
> maggie coleman
>
> Nathan Newman wrote:
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jim Devine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >
> > At 12:48 PM 01/29/2001 +0000, you wrote:
> > >California's politicians have decided to issue bonds to publicly repay the
> > >utilities' debt, with taxpayers gaining stock in the assets of the bailed
> > >out corporations.
> >
> > -though it will probably work out poorly in practice in California (given
> > -the political balance), it's a good idea in theory: when corporations get
> > -government subsidies, they should have to give equity in return. Goodbye to
> > -corporate welfare?
> >
> > I'll go out on a limb (without promising heaven) and note that the whole
> > utility debacle in California is a good test of the proposition that Dems
> > are in fact a better alternative to the GOP. California is one of the only
> > states in the country right now where Dems control both houses of the
> > legislature and the Governor's office. So if they do deliver a moderately
> > progressive solution - such as gettig equity in exchange for subsidies - it
> > does support us lesser-evil proponents. And if they end up selling us out
> > for the corporate boys completely, Nader does begin to look more attractive.
> >
> > So we will see - a nice real world experiment in political opportunity and
> > results.
> >
> > -- Nathan Newman
