Letter: California power ‘crisis’ engineered

Friday, May 25, 2001 | 10:17 a.m.

Regarding George Dix's May 22 letter, "Davis blames Bush":

Dix appears to be another conservative who doesn't allow facts to get in the way of his opinions.

In Clinton's "8 years of vacuous inaction" there was no hint of an "energy crisis." No significant rise in the cost of energy, no blackouts, no skyrocketing gas prices. California licensed new power plants, started construction on six and two are expected to go on line this year. However, energy suppliers declined to invest in these plants citing lack of consumer demand!

You blame the "greenies" and the previous administration for "wrecking California" but the facts show that California's overall usage of electricity rose at about 2 percent each year for the last 10 years, and her peak usage, which stresses the system, was actually lower at the end of 2000 than in the year before.

In 1996 Pete Wilson, Republican governor of California, signed a bill that deregulated the utility companies: Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric. This deregulation allowed the new holding companies to withhold supplies of electrical power at crucial times in order to gain concessions from California. So Gov. Gray Davis sure didn't force them into bankruptcy.

This engineered "crisis" by the holding suppliers has cost California consumers at least $5 1/2 billion in unjustified price increases.

Maybe this summer's energy bills will adjust your attitude.

VIVIEN CARDINAL