California is facing an electricity generation crisis because the state hasn't built a single power-generating plant for years. But while environmental activists have effectively put a clamp on California's power-generating capacity, they didn't stop millions of people from moving there and, yes, heightening demands for electricity. They didn't stop the explosive growth of Silicon Valley and the electricity it needed to fuel a global revolution in technology. They didn't stop individuals and businesses from making California home - with every one of them demanding electricity to power their homes, businesses, classrooms and communities. Neither will efforts to block expansion of metro Atlanta's transportation network keep people from moving here - and bringing their vehicles with them.
Environmentalists have the potential to wreak the same havoc here that they have in California.
Supply, demand collide They can clamp down on the supply of roads, but they can't control burgeoning demand for a balanced transportation system. And when supply and demand are out of whack, people suffer. Not only has the cost of electricity increased in California, but homes and businesses are going without power. It's costing millions of dollars and hurting lifestyles. Businesses that expected to move to California are now looking elsewhere, uncertain of the state's ability to provide something as basic as electricity.