Susan Davis: “we did have an opportunity to address this issue today. We had an opportunity to say something happened 4 years ago that…”

“we did have an opportunity to address this issue today. We had an opportunity to say something happened 4 years ago that needs to be remedied today. Unfortunately, we did not act. I want to go back for a moment and talk about what our experience was and what happened. When energy prices spiraled out of control beginning 4 years ago yesterday with the major blackout in California, we were told it was just because California had not built enough energy plants so there was not enough supply for the demand; but there was. Power had been turned off by the energy companies to create a false shortage and exorbitant prices. In fact, the power plants had 37 to 46 percent of capacity that was untapped. The tapes of Enron employees which were finally revealed recently make that abundantly clear. They said, ``There are ways you can go and run through the congestion process, get paid for congestion, and then cut your power and just collect the money.'' But in San Diego, we have known that the market was being manipulated for most of the 4 years since it began. Workmen at Duke's Otay Mesa Energy plant revealed early on that they had been ordered to turn off the generators and say that maintenance was needed. They had been ordered to do that. Then they were told to destroy parts so that no maintenance could be completed and the power supply would continue to be turned off to create an artificial shortage.”