Here in Texas, deregulation kicks off in January 2002, less than a year away. We certainly hope so. On the West Coast, power demand outstripped supply. Republicans and Democrats blame one another. Utility executives blame environmentalists.
Consumers point to power company greed.
We probably never will learn all the reasons for the catastrophe. While California imports electricity, Texas has a surplus of it. During periods of peak power demand, California imports as much as 25 percent of its electricity from outside the state, while Texas imports less than 1 percent at such times. Here in Texas, distributors will be able to negotiate long-term contracts that help diminish price volatility. Deregulation advocates say these differences are significant, that Texas will not repeat the California disaster.