Let State and Private Power Plants Compete

Your editorial, “A United Defense” (May 21), only touches upon a workable solution. Let the state build as many power plants as it wants, let the independent producers do the same and then let the rates be set by competition among them all. But it remains that more facilities must be completed, and more basic energy (natural gas) must be acquired. Power lines don’t generate anything.

And tell me how much more specific (realistic) conservation steps will conserve in megawatts. (Sport-utility vehicle targeting is divergent.)

John McShane

Westminster

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We Californians don’t like nuclear power plants. We don’t like power plants of any kind. We don’t like oil refineries or power lines either. And of course we don’t want our beautiful state marred by those ugly oil wells and pumps.

However, there are things that we do like. We love our SUVs, our computers, VCRs and TVs. Our kids spend hours playing Nintendo, PlayStation and every new power-dependent toy that Japan can produce while the sun is shining outdoors.

We have a problem. Those selfish people who live with oil refineries, power plants and miles of power lines won’t share their energy with us. Didn’t we offer to trade oranges for oil?

Agnes Peterson

Malibu

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Deregulation of electricity promised that if price controls were removed, the price would go down. Oh, God, are we stupid.

John Hackl

Arcadia

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It seems to be a favorite point of some--mostly Republicans and non-Californians--to say that Californians are responsible for their own energy crisis and that they--we--can darn well solve it ourselves. How is it that the citizens are responsible for the energy crisis? The citizens of California are the second-lowest energy consumers in the country, and the energy crisis was brought on mostly from a failed deregulation policy that was a bipartisan effort, beginning with our last Republican governor. Is not President Bush the president of all the people? Is he punishing Californians for not voting for him? Not very admirable.

Robert E. Nofer

Pasadena