Expansionary Institute

Michael Zey
futurist3000@aol.com

 
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said Thursday that conservation alone would not have enough impact on long-term U.S. energy supplies to enable the rest of the nation to avoid a California-style crisis of power blackouts and high prices.

Speaking at a meeting of San Francisco-area business leaders, Abraham said the United States also needed to upgrade its transmission system to ensure there is not only adequate power but also a reliable supply.

"We have ignored the signs for over a decade and many people are still ignoring those signs," Abraham told the meeting in a 30-minute speech outlining the Bush administration's long-term energy plan.

The speech comes amid a severe power crisis in California, where the state has spent some $8 billion to keep the lights on in what is the world's sixth-biggest economy.

But Abraham did not spend much time focusing on California's power woes. Instead, he talked about the administration's long-term energy solution for the entire nation.

He also did not specifically address sensitive issues such as California's demand for $8.9 billion in refunds for electricity overcharges by power generators -- a request that has been rebuffed by federal regulators.

"This isn't just California's problem," he told reporters after the speech, noting power outages across the nation have cost more than $100 billion.

Part of any solution, Abraham added, will include tapping new energy sources such as hydrogen, providing market-based incentives to conserve and possibly creating a two-way power grid where homes and business could sell back their excess power.

"Real-time pricing will let consumers choose when and how they will use electricity," he said.

00:48 07-20-01

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