The Utilities Generate a Thousand Points of Light

The current energy crisis is complex and presents a serious threat to all of us. In all the efforts to heal the patient, however, we believe that the bankruptcy serum that some consumer advocates are promoting as the cure is a bad prescription that would threaten not only the state’s major utilities but also the quality of life in the communities that utilities have served well for so long.

Private utilities provide more than an essential commodity that sustains our way of life--be it electricity, gas or telephone service. They also are part of the human fabric of society, serving as active and important corporate citizens in our neighborhoods. Their shareholders and employees have historically demonstrated a firm commitment to community development through philanthropy and active involvement in all segments of our uniquely diversified region.

Moreover, the survival of utilities is inextricably linked to our region’s economic stability and growth. After all, they are major employers, offering tens of thousands of family-supporting jobs. They’re substantial taxpayers, providing a solid and reliable revenue source for local government services that keep our cities and counties healthy and safe.

Like many private corporations, utilities and their employees give back to the community in both tangible and intangible ways. They volunteer their time and expertise and donate tens of millions of dollars annually to support health and human services, education, economic and job development, scholarships, the arts, the environment and an array of other services that help the people who need them most. They are the volunteer coaches, church elders, troop leaders, school board members, volunteer firefighters, homeless shelter aides, teen counselors and reading tutors who enrich our quality of life.

Moreover, in times of disaster--natural or otherwise--you’ll find utilities at the forefront with effective solutions. A memorable example was the 1992 civil unrest and violence that struck Los Angeles. Broadcast news played and replayed the destruction that stunned the nation. Leadership was urgently needed to rebuild a vital part of a torn and divided city.

Among the first corporate giants to step forward was Southern California Edison, whose corporate shareholders committed, without hesitation, $35 million to help rebuild the city’s economic and social infrastructure. It didn’t seem to matter to them that the ashes and ruins were located outside of Edison’s “neighborhood”--that is, its service area. They recognized that the impact of the devastation went well beyond the boundaries of a city. What affects one area affects the entire region.

We do not pretend to understand all the complexities of the state’s ongoing energy crisis. But we are confident that the bankruptcy advocates do not speak for the great majority of our community leaders, who represent millions of constituents and interests.

This situation is clearly a wake-up call for our leaders in Sacramento to prescribe a comprehensive solution that not only heals the power market of its many ills but also restores the financial health of the state’s utilities. Much of our community’s welfare is at stake.