Electricity, Blackouts and Deregulation

Utility bills are soaring in San Diego and Southern Orange County--partly because of inaccurate estimates of how much power would be needed to fuel a booming economy based on high-tech, high-energy-using technology. But most of the blame goes to the deregulation of California's big power monopolies and the market system that is replacing them. The former Mayor of San Diego says deregulation is "turning into a nightmare" for consumers whose bills have doubled. The leader of the State Senate says, "Today it's San Diego, tomorrow Los Angeles." An archived audio stream is available on the KCRW website.

Thanks to Chris Steins