Power: Re-Regulate, Require Solar Panels
Re “Suit Claims Firms Limited Gas Supply to Raise Prices,” Feb. 4: This is a most infuriating revelation, with officials alleging a conspiracy meeting between El Paso Natural Gas and Southern California Gas to manipulate natural gas prices in California. The article came a day after I received a form letter from Ed Guiles, the chairman of Southern California Gas, with my gas bill, which increased 65% over last year. He gives the lame excuse that the problem is the high price charged by his suppliers.
It is becoming very apparent that the greedy utility monopolies throughout the U.S. cannot handle deregulation fairly. Perhaps it is time for the government to get back involved in re-regulating certain monopolistic businesses to protect the powerless consumer.
JOHN OWENS
Los Angeles
* Phil Reimert (Voices, Feb. 3) has a great idea in suggesting that new or substantially remodeled houses be required to have solar panels. But why limit this requirement to residential construction? New and substantially remodeled commercial buildings should also be required to have solar panels. The state government should install solar panels on all government buildings and should increase the financial assistance it provides to property owners who wish to install solar panels on existing structures.
Such measures would increase the supply of electricity much more quickly than building new natural gas-fired power plants (which take several years to construct). With the right incentives and assistance from the state, we will be able to keep the lights on with clean power. Even better, we can wean Californians from the dependence on the big utilities that has gotten us into this power crisis.
LEE R. MILLER
Cypress
* Re “California: The State That Everybody Loves to Punish,” Opinion, Feb. 4: Of all the arrogant attitudes to have in commenting on the energy crisis in the West, where does Susan Rasky get the urge to deride the federal government and President Bush? California is too big to let fail? Remember the savings and loan debacle? I think what California really needs is the long-overdue reality check that rolling blackouts would readily provide. All of us up here in conservation-minded Washington and Oregon would appreciate not having to share our power with the forward-thinking Golden State.
Perhaps the president realizes that it’s not that California is too big to fail, but rather so big that it has many parts that it cannot reach with a “washcloth”--its own supply of energy.
CHASE NORDLUND
Tacoma, Wash.
