All you have to do is mention the words "electricity crisis" and "California" in fhe same breath and you conjure up those horrible visions of the 2000-2001 meltdown, in which power sold at hundreds of times its value only weeks before, utilities were pushed to the wall and deregulation became a four-letter word. So do we face another problem now?
From the WSJ's Rebecca Smith (who broke the original story more than a decade ago at the Mercury News): "California is weighing how to avoid a looming electricity crisis that could be brought on by its growing reliance on wind and solar power."
"Regulators and energy companies met Tuesday, hoping to hash out a solution to the peculiar stresses placed on the state's network by sharp increases in wind and solar energy. Power production from renewable sources fluctuates wildly, depending on wind speeds and weather."
"California has encouraged growth in solar and wind power to help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. At the same time, the state is running low on conventional plants, such as those fueled by natural gas..."
Meanwhile, speaking of problems, the rain and snow in the north state ain't happening -- and that's bad.
From the Bee's Matt Weiser: "California is poised to shatter an all-time weather record by notching the driest January-February period in recorded history across the northern Sierra Nevada."
"The northern Sierra is crucial to statewide water supplies because it is where snowmelt accumulates to fill Shasta and Oroville reservoirs. These are the largest reservoirs in California and the primary storage points for state and federal water supply systems."
"If February concludes without additional storms – and none are expected – the northern Sierra will have seen 2.2 inches of precipitation in January and February, the least since record-keeping began in the region in 1921."
A lot of people like to bet on sports, but in California you can't do it legally. A lawmaker known for his expertise in gambling matters -- he's chair of Senate GO -- hopes to change that.
From Cindy Baker in Capitol Weekly: "There's a lot more than table stakes in play: In neighboring Nevada, where sports betting is currently legal, fans bet a record $98.9 million on the 49ers-Ravens Super Bowl game. That’s a hefty piece of change. And the winners include more than the bettors -- the casinos kept about $7 million for themselves."
"As California's economy starts tentatively to recover, backers of legalized sports wagering are betting that this is the year that the practice becomes lawful."
"State Sen. Rod Wright, an Inglewood Democrat and the lawmaker viewed as the most knowledgeable on gaming issues, is crafting a new version of SB 1390, a bill he submitted last year that was blocked. His legislation allowed card clubs, casinos, horse racing tracks and other designated locations to offer sports wagering. The bill, supported by the tracks and a number of card clubs but opposed by some tribal interests, required that all bets be made by those of legal age, done in person and cannot be conducted over the phone or online. He's now retooling the proposal for this year.|
The running tab for the San Onofre nuclear power plant, which hasn't been operating following mechanical problems, has exceeded $400 million for repair and power-replacement costs.
From the OC Register's Pat Brennan: "The quarterly report showed a total of $402 million in combined costs; future costs remain uncertain."
"But the manufacturer of the steam generators has repaid $45 million to Edison under a warranty agreement, and Edison has submitted a total of $106 million in invoices, expected to further reduce the repair and inspection total."
"The plant has been shuttered for more than a year. Four steam generators, two for each reactor at San Onofre, were installed between 2009 and early 2011 in a $671 million operation, but a small leak of radioactive gas prompted shutdown of the Unit 3 reactor Jan. 31. Unit 2 already had been taken offline for maintenance."
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is going to court to get access to the financial records of Kinde Durkee, the convicted fraud artist who handled scores of Democrats' political campaigns over the years -- including Feinstein's.
From News10's John Myers: "Attorneys for California's senior United States senator want detailed information from the files of convicted campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee, in an effort to help explain how millions of political dollars disappeared over the course of several years."
"A court filing on Tuesday by representatives of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-San Francisco, seeks computer files that they believe contain "evidence of Durkee's pattern of conduct" in using campaign cash to cover business and personal expenses."
"Durkee was sentenced in November to 97 months in a federal prison on mail fraud, as part of what investigators have called the biggest political embezzlement case in U.S. history. In all, some $10.5 million in cash from scores of political and non-profit organizations disappeared."