We have major concerns with 8.5 miles of beaches and 11 million visitors a year. California itself is stonewalling federal regulators. Unhappy with FERC's price controls and a requirement that the state join a regional transmission organization, California hasn't countered with a long-term proposal of its own. The divisiveness extends to the state's relationship with its neighbors. Instead, he said, California is turning isolationist.
Energy is no different.
When San Francisco was hit with blackouts and rationing in the 1920s, state officials drafted the Water and Power Act of 1922, a ballot initiative to wrest control over the supply and pricing of water and electricity from private utilities. The initiative was defeated in two elections amid fierce opposition from the utilities. There is a sense of deja vu because that was an attempt to get a master plan in the state that was shot down by political interests. The current lack of cooperation, including delays in building new power plants, will exacerbate the supply shortage this summer, officials said. California is expected to be 5,000 megawatts short of the 61,000 megawatts needed during peak periods, according to the California Energy Commission.