The action occurred after an emotional debate in which lawmakers maintained that California's economic and social future could be jeopardized if the energy mess is not fixed. Three Republicans sided with most of the Senate's majority Democrats on the vote, which some described as the most difficult of their careers. If the bill is enacted, state officials are poised to sign contracts, based on bids received last week. Fearing some of those bids would expire today, lawmakers took a series of urgent actions Wednesday. State officials have not revealed any details about the proposed contracts, nor would they say when the deals would be signed.
Time is of the essence, however.
Until the contracts are implemented, the state must buy power on the highly volatile spot market, where rates have skyrocketed. Wednesday morning, some lawmakers complained that Gov. Gray Davis was not providing enough leadership on the power issue. Within hours, the governor sent them a letter urging quick passage of the legislation by Assemblyman Fred Keeley, D-Santa Cruz. To encourage conservation, the potential rate increases provided for in the bill would be targeted at those customers who use the most power. The bill does not say how much the rate increase would be, and lawmakers offered no firm estimates of the potential costs.