Citizens for Energizing Michigan’s Economy
Ad Justification: “State”
The Transcript
Voice: What happened when California
deregulated their electricity?
Rolling blackouts across the state.
Documentation
PBS Frontline, June 2001 “The
California Crisis”
“California suffers its largest planned blackout
since World War II.”
“California faces unprecedented energy alert.
Suffering from low supply and idled power
plants, the California ISO declares the first
statewide Stage 3 power alert, meaning power
reserves had dipped below 3 percent. Although a
Stage 3 alert authorizes the ISO to declare rolling
blackouts, they are avoided when the state
temporarily halts two large state and federal
water pumps to conserve electricity.”
“The California ISO orders rolling blackouts for
two days in a row, affecting several hundred
thousand consumers in northern and central
California.”
“the California legislature approves a $10 billion
power-buying plan in an attempt to avoid further
blackouts and stave off the bankruptcy of
Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas &
Electric.”
New York Times, 4/7/2001: “California’s
Largest Utility Files for Bankruptcy”
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company ,
California's largest investor-owned utility, filed
for bankruptcy protection today, declaring that
politicians and regulators had not moved quickly
enough to resolve an energy crisis that has
caused periodic rolling blackouts and is costing
the state billions of dollars.
Voice: Electric bills skyrocketed
PBS Frontline, June 2001 “The
California Crisis”
“Within a year, as wholesale power costs
soar, consumers see their electricity bills
triple.”
“The state approves record rate hikes.
The CPUC unanimously approves a rate
increase that would average 40 percent for
Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas &
Electric customers in an attempt to help
reduce the disparity between the
skyrocketing wholesale rates and the
lower rates paid by consumers”
Voice: And while Californians were left
in the dark, energy marketers like
Enron raked in millions.
New York Times, 5/7/2002, “Enron
Forced Up California Prices,
Documents Show”
“Electricity traders at Enron drove up
prices during the California power crisis
through questionable techniques that
company lawyers said ''may have
contributed'' to severe power shortages,
according to internal Enron documents
released today by federal regulators.”
San Francisco Chronicle, 2/5/2002,
“Ken Lay leaves California in the dark
---again”
“But this isn't the first time that Lay and
his company, Enron, have left
Californians in the dark. As it turns out,
Enron's employees were not the first to
fall victim to this scandal. Californians
were.
As we connect the dots, it is becoming
increasingly clear that California's skyhigh electricity prices were brought
about by Enron's methodical plan to free
itself from all government oversight to
hike up energy prices in secret.”
Voice: Would that be wise? Call now.
Tell them no to higher bills, blackouts,
and unfair pricing. No to electricity
deregulation.
Blackouts, Higher Bills, Unfair
Pricing:
PBS Frontline, June 2001 “The
California Crisis”
“California suffers its largest planned blackout
since World War II.”
“California faces unprecedented energy alert.
Suffering from low supply and idled power
plants, the California ISO declares the first
statewide Stage 3 power alert, meaning power
reserves had dipped below 3 percent. Although a
Stage 3 alert authorizes the ISO to declare rolling
blackouts, they are avoided when the state
temporarily halts two large state and federal
water pumps to conserve electricity.”
PBS Frontline, June 2001 “The
California Crisis”
“Within a year, as wholesale power costs
soar, consumers see their electricity bills
triple.”
“The state approves record rate hikes.
The CPUC unanimously approves a rate
increase that would average 40 percent for
Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas &
Electric customers in an attempt to help
reduce the disparity between the
skyrocketing wholesale rates and the
lower rates paid by consumers”
New York Times, 5/7/2002, “Enron
Forced Up California Prices,
Documents Show”
“Electricity traders at Enron drove up
prices during the California power crisis
through questionable techniques that
company lawyers said ''may have
contributed'' to severe power shortages,
according to internal Enron documents
released today by federal regulators.”