Lodi Utility Refuses to Participate in Rotating Blackouts

While California spent the day struggling with rotating blackouts, the lights stayed on in Lodi. The city's electric power utility refused to take it's customers off line both yesterday and today.

The Lodi Electric Utility generates and buys power for 26,000 customers. Director Alan Vallow says despite a call to start blackouts, he decided to keep the lights on. It was largely a matter of keeping the faith with customers. Vallow points out the company recently had to spent $10 million more than expected to purchase power, costs that were passed on to customers. "It would be insulting if not just plain wrong to say you paid for it. Your rates are going to go up. Now you can't use it," said Vallow.

Vallow has good things to say about power customers in Lodi. He says they've done their part by doing what they can to conserve. He's returning the favor. "We're going to try to keep their faith by keeping the lights on."

Another reason for Lodi Electric's maverick stance is an ongoing disagreement with California's major utilities. When Lodi Electric sold electricity to California's power grid, it didn't get paid. Now the company is owed more than $1.5 million.

Lodi Electric says only action by the state legislature or a court order could force the company into complying with a call for rotating blackouts. The company maintains that its refusal to implement blackouts doesn't violate any law.

http://www.kxtv.com/news-story/March2001/032001/lodi-power.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 21, 2001

Answers

Gee, this is just great. If a few more take this attitude, the whole western grid could go down and it could take 2-7 days to get the whole system restored.

But now that I think about it, this could be a good thing, get some of the industries, and jobs out of the western U. S. The freeways would be a lot more pleasant to drive. And, it would help the economy of the rest of the U.S. (for a while).

Eventually, we could even go back to a hunting and gathering society - -population self limiting by starvation, disease, etc. No need for electricity, gas, diesel, and all their associated pollution then.

This would be a good experiment to see if Evolutionary Theory is true.

I'll buy into it, but, don't take away my battery powered computer. (Wait a minute, where am a going to get the power to charge them?) How'm I going to drive on the open freeway without gas?

Oh, well, the govenment will figure it all out. Won't they? Isn't that why we elected them in the first place? I shouldn't worry about it, I have to go play golf this afternoon

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), March 21, 2001.