Power Grinch could steal California's bright Christmas

SAN FRANCISCO, California -- California was under a power emergency for a third consecutive day Wednesday, as the prospect of a traditional brightly lit Christmas dimmed a bit.

Power industry officials declared a Stage Two emergency Wednesday morning, as they had on Monday and Tuesday. A Stage Two emergency means the state is down to its last 5 percent of power, and suppliers are allowed to cut power to commercial customers whose contracts allow for interruptions.

"The supply conditions in California have not changed significantly from Tuesday," said Patrick Dorinson, a spokesman for the California Independent System Operator (ISO), which oversees operation of about 75 percent of the state's power grid. He said the situation would probably improve later Wednesday, as emergency supplies are tapped from both in and out of the state.

Officials have asked residents to keep outdoor holiday lights off, keep thermostats set at 68 degrees and turn off computers and lights when not in use. Los Angeles is not hooked into the ISO, and has enough power for all uses, including holiday lighting.

At the state Capitol in Sacramento Tuesday, the power crunch imposed on the Christmas spirit. Gov. Gray Davis lit the state Christmas tree, but pulled the plug five minutes later to save energy. The 56-foot white fir was illuminated again about two and a half hours later, after the peak of the day's electrical demand.

"In some parts of California, people are going without power," Davis said. "I would love to keep the lights on. But it's important that we all pull together to reduce the strain on the grid."

California came close Tuesday to a Stage Three emergency, which would trigger rotating blackouts to prevent the entire grid from failing. There has never been a statewide Stage Three emergency.

The problem has been complicated by the fact that several of California's state's power plants are shut down for maintenance. Demand could increase later this week, as colder weather moves in.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers face an average bill of $77 this December, compared with an average of $50 a year ago.

Part of the problem is a decreasing supply of natural gas nationwide, said Claudia Chandler, assistant executive director of the California Energy Commission.

Low natural gas prices over the past few years led to a decline in drilling and production. That is now picking up, but the products of those efforts will not hit the market for up to two years.

The high price of electricity and petroleum also is driving up the cost because much of the natural gas supply goes to the production of electricity.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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California Energy Commission
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