Editorial: Allowing ideology to obscure the facts

Thursday, April 12, 2001 | 8:22 a.m.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission left the comfort of its offices in Washington, D.C., this week to hold hearings in the West, so it could learn firsthand about the region's energy crisis. The commission, which regulates the wholesale distributors of energy, got an earful of complaints about its performance Tuesday during its first stop in Boise, Idaho.

Previously the Democratic governors of California, Oregon and Washington state had argued that FERC should cap wholesale energy prices. But the Bush administration, FERC and Western Republican governors opposed this option, saying that the free market should be allowed to work its course. But even some utility regulators, who come from Western states with Republican governors, were upset Tuesday with FERC's failure to curb these outrageous prices. Montana's utilities commission chairman, Gary Feland, chided FERC, noting that the agency has a legal mandate to ensure "just and reasonable" prices. "Montana is taking a hell of a hit," Feland said.

At least one member of FERC who hasn't supported price caps before, Linda Breathitt, did say that she now is inching toward some controls. Maybe the federal regulators should get out more often. It might remove some of the ideology blinders that have obscured them from seeing the grim reality of the battering the West is taking.