[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 108 (Monday, July 30, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H4785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CALIFORNIA NEEDS BALANCED, LONG-TERM ENERGY PLAN

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, Americans deserve to know when they need 
electricity that a steady supply will be ready and available. 
Unfortunately, California's consumers and business cannot count on 
steady electricity this summer.
  That is not right. It is time to place the peoples' quality of life 
and family budgets before politics. California needs to solve its 
electricity crisis with a balanced, long-term plan that uses technology 
to provide clean, reliable electricity for all the families in the 
Golden State.
  Leaders in California have a responsibility to make sure that 
electricity is plentiful and affordable. Californians are suffering 
because their State government increased government regulations of the 
energy industry.
  Today politicians in California are demanding additional government 
regulations as a pathway to relief from consequences of their earlier 
government regulations. This is the wrong approach; and by avoiding the 
real source of the problem, it can only prolong the electricity crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, this problem took years to develop, and it will not be 
fixed overnight. California needs to solve its electricity shortage 
with a broad and balanced plan that taps a variety of sources to 
produce a sufficient supply of electricity.

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