Residential and business customers in Glendale do not have to worry about rolling blackouts, electricity shortages, or skyrocketing electricity rates. For a number of weeks, we have been hearing news that a power crisis is affecting other areas in California. Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric, the two largest investor owned electric utilities in California, have been predicting blackouts and electricity rationing for their customers, and possible bankruptcies of their companies. They attribute this mainly to the California electric deregulation plan that has allowed large increases in the price of the electricity they purchase.
Natural gas is the fuel used in many electric generating facilities.
In varying degrees, all electric utilities that use natural gas as fuel for their power generation have been affected by the hike in natural gas prices. The rise in natural gas prices has caused increases in the costs of the electricity we purchase from outside sources and the costs of generating power at our own Grayson Power Plant. It has also caused increases in the costs of electricity used for pumping water and for delivering the water we purchase from Metropolitan Water District. Even though, in Glendale, we are not experiencing the energy problems of other California areas, we know you will continue to use energy wisely and to follow good conservation practices.