Energy Crisis in California

14 Pages 3558 Words

sylvania has done - then utilities are still regulated, leaving them no room to gouge consumers. The flaw in Pennsylvania's plan is that as soon as the rate caps expire beginning in 2005, the utilities will have the incentive to artificially inflate prices.
On the other hand, alarmed by the chaos in California, many states scheduled to deregulate have slammed on the brakes. Arkansas has delayed implementation for another year. Nevada has halted it indefinitely. Montana will likely significantly alter its deregulation law after experiencing skyrocketing prices. New Mexico will delay it for another five years, and Oklahoma lawmakers are considering delaying implementation for an additional two years.
Still other states believe that quickly building new power plants will shield their state from a California-like crisis. Public Citizen believes policymakers should pursue far-cheaper conservation measures and renewable energy sources. While some new power plants may be needed, a short-sighted building spree, which could have devastating conseque...