The Devers substation north of Palm Springs distributes power through the Coachella Valley. After laboring quietly for a decade in the shadow of public interest, power plants are in vogue again. Back to main story. State's rules deter new power facilities. Renewable energy sources regain nation's attention.
Cities look at producing own electricity.
Even California, which consumes 40 percent of the West s electric power yet makes it as tough as any place to build new plants, is opening the door wider to generators with a plan to pump up the kilowatts. Gov. Gray Davis recently outlined a plan to speed up regulatory review of proposed power projects and ease up on the environmental rules they must meet, especially if the plants can be in operation by the energy-draining days of summer. He even promised an acceleration bonus to developers who can get new plants in operation by July. We will demonstrate that California can cut red tape, build more power and protect the environment, Davis promised when he announced his plan. Right now there are plans to add as much as 62,623 new megawatts of electricity in the West by 2007, according to the California Energy Commission, though 15,000 of the proposed new megawatts are only press releases at this stage.