SS kt SS EI Sa eS w : Sat QOLe J SS RSS Sw How Los Angeles Has Avoided TheElectricity Crisis by Jack N. Gerard (NAPSA)—After weeks of enduring electricity shortages, rolling blackouts and higher energy prices, Californians probably feel like they've been cast in a low-budget, horror film. That is, unless they are living in Los Angeles. The state’s largest city has been virtually unaffected by the chaos that has turned California into an energy nightmare. Los Angeleans enjoy an electricity cornucopia so abundant it allows the city’s Department of Water and Power (DWP)to regularly sell excess supplies to instate power entities. Meanwhile, the .8 million people served by the DWP have not experienced a -@ VT Los Angeles has avoided the energycrisis affecting the rest of California becauseit relies on coal for much ofits electricity. based businesses in the state boomed during the 1990s, creating the world’s sixth largest economy. But electricity demand exploded at 15 times the rate of energy—U.S. reserves are sufficient to last at least 250 years at current rates of use. It is reliable—coal provides more than half of the electricity generated in America each day. It is affordable—coal prices at U.S. steam electric power plants have remained steady at about Outdated perceptions about coal’s environmental acceptability, on the part of both government actually declined about 0 percent, in nominal terms, over the past decade. cluded it as a source of electricity for muchof the state. Meanwhile, natural gas became the largest single generation source of electricity sold to Califor- generation is increasingly clean. National emissionsof criteria pollutants from coal-fired plants have declined by one-third over the past 0 years, even as coal use for electricity generation hastripled. The message is clear: an energy strategy that strives for full diversity, and makes appropriate use of domestic coal for electricity generation, is one that will achieve low cost, stable supply, and help our nation comply with its important air quality objectives. Just ask California and Los Angeles about the consequences. Jack N.Gerard is president of the National Mining Association. The NMAis the voice of the mining industry. NMA is headquartered at the National Mining Asso- rate increase since 1992. California’s population grew by some 4.1 million and Internet- new generation. officials and manycitizens, pre- nia consumers. Natural gas prices have doubled andtripled over the past year, and supplies have drastically tightened. Efforts to import electricity into California to make up the power shortage have run into problems, thanks, among other things, to transmission capacity limitations and the fact that neighboring states need more of the power they generate for themselves. When you consider the advantages offered by domestic coal, the question quickly becomes not why Los Angeles is relying on it, but whytherest of California isn’t. It is our most abundant $1.20 per million BTU, and have Most of all, modern coal-fired ciation Building, 110 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 2006.
