Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists . Looking for a solution to California's power crisis, state lawmakers are set to consider a proposal that would use the state's good credit to buy and sell electricity. The man who introduced California's power deregulation says it won't die. The developments come with California under a Stage 3 electrical emergency, meaning power reserves have fallen below 1.5 percent and rolling blackouts are a possibility.
Blackouts are an emergency measure to prevent a collapse of the power grid.
Rolling blackouts involve switching off entire neighborhoods for about an hour at a time to relieve the strain on the system. It remains in effect all day. ISO spokesman Patrick Dorinson said a shortage of natural gas is forcing many power plants in Southern California to switch to oil. Power-producing problems are possible and could worsen Tuesday's power shortage. Last week, a Stage 3 alert was called when the biggest storm to hit the state in three years cut electricity generation at a key nuclear plant.