[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 73 (Thursday, May 24, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H2683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ENERGY CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA

  (Mr. CUNNINGHAM asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side spoke 
about the California energy problem. There is a desperate problem in 
California and all over the West Coast.
  However, I want to tell my colleagues, special interests have kept us 
from building power plants in the State of California for over 20 
years. While our population growth has increased, our ability to 
produce our own power has reduced. They have stopped nuclear power, 
they have stopped new generating power, and now we are facing the 
biggest crisis in decades. At a time when most of our power generators 
in California were forced to be outside the State because of these 
special interest groups, Governor Gray Davis, exercised no 
responsibility for the newly deregulated energy market place, and that 
put us in the situation we are in right now, especially for San Diego, 
because San Diego Gas & Electric is a private industry and cannot buy 
inexpensive public power.
  There were two natural gas power generators, two different types, 
built to be environmentally safe. The President offered to help Gray 
Davis obtain these generators. Gov. Davis said, we do not need them. 
Another company upgraded its energy plant and went to get the operating 
license from Gray Davis, our governor said, if you unionize this plant, 
I will give you your license.
  The biggest problem we face in California is the governor of 
California, he has failed us in his handling of this energy crisis.

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