Alternatives to Rolling Blackouts

I am a frequent business visitor to Los Angeles. One co-worker already has been delayed in an elevator due to a rolling blackout.

Aren’t there smarter alternatives? I wonder if the L.A. industrial community has considered a voluntary one-day-per-week shutdown to reduce the industrial power load. This plan would ask major power-consuming businesses to pick one day in the week to shut down. The business would operate on a four-day, 40-hour week. If all the businesses got together and each chose a different day, the result could reach a 20% industrial load reduction. Many businesses would want to pick Monday or Friday. Perhaps incentives could be given to close on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Additional areas to consider the same plan might be government facilities and amusement parks.

Ed Beaver

Laurel, Md.

Apparently, rolling blackouts are not a disaster, so why can’t they be used simply to put a damper on the bidding up of wholesale electricity prices? The idea that electricity should be available, no matter what, is reasonable, but it is not reasonable independent of circumstances, such as lack of capacity. One might as well say that milk should be available, no matter what, even if there are not enough cows. This would be magical thinking.

William F. Magaletta

La Puente

The latest bill from Southern California Edison contained a notice about Gov. Gray Davis’ 20/20 rebate program. According to the notice, if I reduce my use of electricity during a summer month to 20% below what I used that month last year, I will get a 20% credit on my bill.

Several years ago, in response to a layoff, my family reduced its use of electricity. When I was again employed, we continued these measures. In general, our bills indicate that we stay well below our baseline. Having reduced our use of electricity already, we might not be able to reduce it another 20%. Thus we will not receive the 20% credit. Those who have been wasting electricity in the past will be rewarded if they merely adopt the measures my family already adopted some years ago. Where is my reward for not being part of the problem?

David E. Ross

Oak Park

I read letters from well-intentioned people who want to do something about the power crisis but are misinformed. Letters refer to lights left on in buildings and auto dealerships at night as being associated with the potential for blackouts. They have nothing to do with the potential for blackouts. Our problem is that power at crucial times--noon to 6 p.m.--is difficult to get or too expensive to buy. Rather than concentrate on building lights, let’s set thermostats to 78 degrees, go to a movie or the mall and shut off the air conditioning.

Joseph M. Nolan

Apple Valley