There's a limit to how much people will pay for most things in life, but if the cost scares off enough buyers, prices eventually fall. The question would have been absurd just a few months ago and even now the notion seems surreal, given the possible consequences. Inviting even more blackouts inevitably would hurt businesses and frustrate consumers, threatening to further depress California's already slumping economy - the sixth largest in the world. Faced with the prospect of a significant budget deficit, some lawmakers think it's time for California to take a stand against the power wholesalers - many of whom are based outside the state.
Economists give the bill little chance of succeeding.
The business lost during blackouts would mean more layoffs in a state already skittish over the technology downturn and the looming Hollywood writers strike, economists say. Other ripple effects include diminished gasoline supplies, leading to even higher prices at the pump, and distribution headaches that could leave store shelves bare. Without electricity, Manteca resident Betty Jarzemkoski said she wouldn't be able to help her ailing husband to get out of his motorized bed at home. Extended blackouts pose an even greater cost, economists say. All rights reserved.