Gas Alternatives

Carpools, mass transit, satellite and home offices--all resulting in more personal time, less traffic and less pollution. Gasoline at $10 a gallon in Los Angeles sounds like a bargain!

For those of us who prefer the grind of a morning commute, rest assured that the U.S. is blessed with an abundant supply of natural gas that can be used for fueling combined-cycle power plants or fuel cells to produce cheap electricity for electric vehicles.

Natural gas will run out eventually, but not to worry. California has more diverse supplies of electric energy--geothermal, wind, solar, biomass, nuclear, waste-to-energy and hydro--not just in the U.S. but in the entire world!

Richard Anderson is right in advising L.A. to start planning (Commentary, April 8). Not to prepare will encourage imposition of government controls, preventing the energy market from adjusting to rising oil prices with substitution and evolving technologies.

MARTIN G. MUTSCH

Seal Beach