California Governor Asks for Extended Power Sales Order

Wednesday, December 27, 2000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - California Gov. Gray Davis, after meeting on Wednesday with President Clinton on his state's electric power crisis, said he asked that a U.S. Energy Department order for generators to sell power to California utilities be extended to Jan. 9.

"One request I made of the Department of Energy, which I'm relatively optimistic about, is that Secretary Richardson's order requiring the generators to provide California power will be extended from tomorrow to January 9," Davis told reporters after a 15-minute with Clinton.

"I think that...while that's not a done deal, I'm optimistic that they will say yes to that request before the end of the day and I mentioned that to the president."

Richardson last week extended a rarely used emergency order forcing dozens of generators to sell power into California, despite their concerns the state's utilities were not economically able to pay for electricity at current market prices.

Davis is ending a two-day Washington visit aimed at securing federal support in fixing the ongoing power crisis in his state, which has left consumers threatened with power blackouts and California utilities near bankruptcy.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - California Gov. Gray Davis, after meeting on Wednesday with President Clinton on his state's electric power crisis, said he asked that a U.S. Energy Department order for generators to sell power to California utilities be extended to Jan. 9.

"One request I made of the Department of Energy, which I'm relatively optimistic about, is that Secretary Richardson's order requiring the generators to provide California power will be extended from tomorrow to January 9," Davis told reporters after a 15-minute with Clinton.

"I think that...while that's not a done deal, I'm optimistic that they will say yes to that request before the end of the day and I mentioned that to the president."

Richardson last week extended a rarely used emergency order forcing dozens of generators to sell power into California, despite their concerns the state's utilities were not economically able to pay for electricity at current market prices.

Davis is ending a two-day Washington visit aimed at securing federal support in fixing the ongoing power crisis in his state, which has left consumers threatened with power blackouts and California utilities near bankruptcy.

http://news.lycos.com/headlines/TopNews/article.asp?docid=RTNEWS-ENERGY-CALIFORNIA-DC&date=20001227

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), December 27, 2000