Arizona Safe from California Power Crunch

Arizona utility executives attending an energy summit Friday reassured business leaders that there will be enough power to keep the air conditioning and lights on this summer.

“We are prepared for the summer but an extended period of high heat will stretch the system,” Jack Davis, president of Arizona Public Service, told a group of about 150. “We've got enough to use but not to waste.”

What worried many of those at the meeting was the possibility that Arizona will suffer because of California's energy problems.

California has suffered through rolling blackouts and its utilities have been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy because of problems with the way the state deregulated its power industry.

“I think that California made a decision early on that it would rely on sources of energy outside of the state to meet fairly significant portions of its demand,” said Terri Moreland with the California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state’s power grid. “California has to now look forward to building energy supplies on its own and I think the state is taking some fairly aggressive action to do that immediately.”

Arizona utility officials at the summit said they are better prepared to handle residents' needs. Power officials say California generates 5.78 megawatt hours per resident, while Arizona can generate 17.59 megawatt hours per resident, allowing them to sell excess power to neighboring states like California.

http://www.12news.com/12_News/printstory.html?StoryID=4984

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 24, 2001