U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said Friday that conservation would be key to California avoiding blackouts this summer, but stressed that adding new energy generation capacity was critical to the state's long-term power strategy. The Bush Administration made it clear Friday that power-short California should not expect much more than federal energy conservation programs to help the state survive an expected tough summer of electricity shortages and blackouts. People all over the West are being hit by higher prices. Taking aim at the Bush administration, California's energy czar said on Friday that conservation will be more crucial to getting the power-starved state through the next few months than adding new power plants. Lawmakers criticize Duke Energy's pledge of political help if state drops investigations.
Company says it was trying to remedy crisis.
The Defense Department plans to eventually free up 200 megawatts of electricity in California by reducing power use at its facilities in that state, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said on Thursday. All school districts should receive more school construction money more often, according to a report released Tuesday by the legislative analyst's office. As California's electricity crisis exploded this year, so did lobbying by energy companies. Hackers vandalized Web sites Monday operated by the California Energy Commission and Secretary of State Bill Jones, posting anti-American statements on the sites and in one case a picture of a Chinese flag. Williams Energy agrees to pay but admits no wrongdoing in taking plants offline.