<<This isn't a wonderful little free market at work. This is market manipulation. Power supplies in California could very easily be seized by the government sooner or later. The governor has threatened this. Then who's crying.>>
Who is going to seize it? Eh? California has no power of condemnation on any powerplant outside it's state, period. The federal government? The federal power of condemnation is RARELY used, and if they did use it, who do you think will pay the MARKET rate for the power plant they are seizing?
<<The power distributers cannot be blamed for pursuing the maximum profit in a capitalisitc society.
Wrong again. They can be blamed for limiting supply and manipulating the market, and price fixing.>>
Wrong again. Price fixing is illegal, if it has occured there is legal remedy. Frankly no one has launched a lawsuit yet so I would say that it is highly unlikely that it has occured.
<<Davies plan to buy power with state coffers is an attempt to coverup the true cost of power, it would solve nothing
Wrong (assuming I interpreted you English correctly). Please read about the Davis plan's with long-term contracts. How you got from long-term contracts to a coverup is beyond me.>>
Wrong, look at the contract. The state negotiates and buys the power, then the utillities pay no more than what they charge consumers. If the state can't negotiate a contract for the 7-9cents/kwh that the utility charges, the STATE will eat the difference. Davies is pulling a typical political stunt to hide the cost to the tax payers (I can't tell you how many times I've seen crap like this).
<<Don't you think it's odd that California has not built power plants for a long time, has had undersupply for a long time, and magically, and purely randomly, that simultaneous with deregulation that shortages occur, peaking out right after the state of the state address? Think about it.>>
No I don't, with a typical growth rate in California exceeding 8% and no power plant construction in 10+ years I would say that the evidence speaks for itself. Over the past 20 years excess power supplies in California have been decreasing. The federal DOE guidlines are for an excess supply of 25% above peak rates to buffer any excess demand or disasters. 20 years ago california had excess of 25%, by neglecting to construct new power plants that excess has decreased to less than 8% up till last year. With the extremely hot summer in both northern and southern cali, power excess fell below 5% last summer. Because of this emergency power situation a couple of the utilities took powerplants offline during the low usage time of year (read winter) to perform ROUTINE maintence so the power plants DON'T shut down during the next summer for emergency maitenance. Their actions are COMPLETELY justified and have been confirmed by the indepenent regulators as necessary to avoid a disaster during the summer.
Frankly conspiricy theories DON'T fly. Deregulation of supply side during the WORST power shortage in Cali history is the reason for the current crisis.
<<Hey I have a great idea asswipe, why don't we build a Nuclear Plant in your backyard. That way when an earthguake hits only your worthless ass will be Radiated. On second thought, Radiation isn't particular and I'm sure most of Irvine isn't populated with Limbaughism spewing morons like you.>>
Personally I wouldn't care, for one, nuclear power plants are earthquake proof. I know how safe they are and in fact given the choice between nuclear and any fossil fuel plant I would prefer to have nuclear.