Power and Energy

Five years after the electricity crisis, California remains at risk of statewide blackouts and is without firm energy leadership. There have been power outages in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Sacramento, emergency energy cutbacks by state agencies, and a Stage Two blackout alert was sounded across the state.  We can – and we must – do better to protect California's economy, families and most vulnerable citizens.  The sixth largest economy in the world should never sit teetering on the brink of blackouts.

Arnold Schwarzenegger promised us in 2004, "Trust me. Everything will be under control. Your lights will stay on." And for three years, Governor Schwarzenegger has failed to lift a finger to prevent another energy crisis and now expects Californians to do all the work by turning off our lights.   He even de-funded the California Power Authority, which was created after the energy crisis to protect consumers and ratepayers from energy company price gouging. The Governor's energy policy can be summed up in four words: "Pray for Mild Weather."

As Governor, Phil Angelides will move California forward by taking three immediate steps to foster an environment to attract the construction of new, clean power for California's future.

• First, within 100 days of taking office, Angelides will unveil an action plan to make sure the state has sufficient power - with a 15 percent reserve – and make needed improvements to the transmission grid to provide adequate power to protect our families, our economy, and our businesses.
• Second, he will re-invigorate the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority – also known as the California Power Authority - to finance large scale solar and renewable power projects and finance transmission improvements to meet and exceed the state's renewable energy portfolio standards.  This action will protect us from price manipulation, gouging, and blackouts.
• Third, Angelides will name an energy czar to focus on attracting new renewable and gas-fired generation to the state and improve the state's energy efficiency programs.

Phil Angelides supports legislation (AB 974) to streamline the electrical transmission facility permitting and siting process. The plan would address eliminating regulatory overlap, reducing review and approval times, and providing expedited review of transmission lines.

"We need to have enough power - even if the state has to build the plants itself - so that a 78-year-old woman living in an apartment can have the air conditioner on during the hottest day of the year, and businesses aren't forced to send their workers home and cut production," said Angelides. Power needs to be available, affordable, and reliable.  As Governor, Phil Angelides will be on your side to make sure that when you flip the switch, the power will come on.