California Acts To Conserve And Broker Sale Of Electricity
As california acts to calm the power market that has sent rolling blackouts across the state and shock waves across the country, the program taking shape promises to involve the state deeply in the power industry for years to come. But the rescue program, which so far includes ambitious conservation measures and long-term contracts for bond-backed power purchases, may have little effect on what many observers are calling the fundamental problem--generation-capacity shortages.
A special meeting of the Western Governors' Association Feb. 1-2 in Portland, Ore., on the regional impacts of California's power shortage produced unanimous agreement on 13 short-term remedies. They range from encouraging California and its generators to enter into long-term contracts to requesting President Bush's interagency energy task force to help streamline the process to reactivate retired plants and get new generation on the grid. The governors also agreed to develop long-term policies to streamline processes for siting new generation, electrical transmission and natural gas pipelines, accelerate development of renewable energy technologies and explore and develop oil, gas, coal and wind resources.