Apr 1, 2001 - 01:34 PM

Desert Residents Brace for Power Shortage, Hot Summer By Chelsea J. Carter Associated Press Writer

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) - When news of the state's electricity shortage broke last year, Angelo Avramidis dimmed the lights in his restaurant - the Sidewinder Cafe - and offered customers dinner by candlelight. When rolling blackouts hit the state in January, he got rid of one of his two walk-in freezers. In February and March, when state officials announced utility rate hikes for residences and businesses, Avramidis replaced his air conditioner and ran it only a few hours a day.

Still, the Riverside County businessman knows he faces a long, hot summer in the desert after the California Public Utilities Commission announced a 42 percent electricity rate hike.

"My bill has gone from $900 to $1,400 even with all the conservation steps and it's not even summer. What am I going to do when it hits 100, 110, 120 degrees? I have to run the air conditioner," he said. "I'm probably going to have to close for the summer. It won't be worth it to stay open. ... Then I have to worry about my employees. How will they get by?"

It's a question many residents and business owners are asking in this high desert community about 130 miles southeast of Los Angeles, where the summer swelter can easily top 120 degrees.

During the cooler months, Desert Hot Springs becomes a Mecca for snowbirds from northern states seeking warm California sun. But during the off-season, May through early September, the tourists empty out when the heat sets in.

There is no major industry here, and many full-time residents are either retired or work in service jobs in Desert Hot Springs or neighboring cities.

Now, some residents facing the prospect of a hot summer, rolling blackouts and high utility bills say they are considering leaving. Others, like Avramidis, are considering closing their businesses. Still others worry they might lose more than their jobs.

Concerned about the effect the electricity shortage will have on residents, state Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Springs, introduced legislation last week to block utilities from blacking out areas of the state where temperatures top 105 degrees.

"It is a health and safety issue for people who live in the desert and other warm areas of California," he said. "My fear is that people will die."

Edison spokeswoman Clara Potes-Fellow said people in the desert have a higher baseline during the summer months.

The baseline is the average amount of electricity used in residential areas that are similar in geography and seasonal climate. Those in more extreme climates, more dependent on heat and air conditioning, typically have a higher baseline than those in temperate zones.

But, Potes-Fellow said, the company will offer no other special consideration to desert residents other than current assistance offered to low-income residents.

Those who receive assistance to pay their utility bill won't face any rate increases, said PUC spokesman Armando Rendon.

But that won't help Karin Rasmussen, 41, who bought a new home last year.

"I made buying a house my goal and worked until I got it. Right now, I can pay all my bills and take care of my kids," said the single mother of three. "If there's a huge utility increase, it could threaten everything I've worked for."

Rasmussen also faces the possibility of losing her job as a waitress at the Sidewinder Cafe, if her boss - Avramidis - closes for the summer.

"It's hard to believe a person could lose their job and possibly their house because of electricity. It just doesn't make sense," she said. "I guess I could move away for the summer, maybe get a job somewhere else for the summer. But I don't know what I'd do with my kids."

At the nearby senior center, a group of men participated in a musical jam session in the near dark. The lights had been dimmed and the air conditioning turned down by officials trying to conserve power.

But many of the men, who already spend time at the senior center during the summer to escape the heat and high bills, say they plan to spend a lot more time out of their homes.

"We live on Social Security. Try paying a $300 electricity bill with that kind of money," said Bob Ficke, 75. "We're luckier than most. We own our home and have some savings. We'll get through it. ... If it gets really bad, we'll go visit our kids."

But for Cody Emerson, 33, the threat of high utility bills and unemployment have him worrying whether he'll still have a roof over his head by the end of the summer.

"If I lose my job, how am I going to pay my rent? It's not like there are a lot of jobs here during the summer," he said.

AP-ES-04-01-01 1334EDT © Copyright 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001