Energy Policy

I want to applaud The Times for its three editorials critical of the lack of a national energy policy (Dec. 9-11). As the events of the last several months show, it is clear the United States is not adequately prepared to absorb the impact of an energy crisis.

As chairman of the County and Cities of Los Angeles Energy Commission, I can only reiterate that most elected officials and our energy agencies have not done enough to plan ahead. As a result, the American public is in many ways more vulnerable today than it was in the 1970s.

Today, for example, alternative energy sources can produce substantial amounts of power which is non-polluting--and at a price competitive with foreign oil. In the past five years, the cost of solar power has been slashed dramatically, from 24 cents to eight cents per kilowatt hour. Similarly, geothermal and wind power is little, if any, more expensive than imported oil and one-half the cost of newly commissioned nuclear power.

Los Angeles-based Luz International Limited is the world’s largest solar energy company. It has 13 solar facilities currently in operation or planned, which, by 1993, will serve more than 1 million people. With some foresight, we could meet the needs of 30 million Californians within the next generation.

Public and private utilities ought to be investigating closely the long-term benefits of alternative energy. I think the utilities will discover it makes good economic, environmental and political sense today to support renewable energy--and, by doing so, America’s energy independence as well.

JERRY B. EPSTEIN

Marina del Rey