United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-06-29 monographic deposited born digital 30 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-865R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R P0b002ee18037f6de f:d01865r DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R GAO-01-865R Electric energy Electric power generation Energy conservation Energy consumption Energy costs Energy demand Energy shortages California Correspondence A01243 California's restructured electricity market has experienced rapidly rising prices and uncertain reliability since May of 2000. During the winter of 2000, and the following spring, disruptions in service, or blackouts, occurred. In response to these problems, the state has taken initial steps to increase electricity supplies--such as by streamlining the process of adding new power plants--and reduce demand through conservation. The California Independent System Operator, the agency in charge of balancing electricity supply with demand, expects high prices and reliability disruptions to continue, perhaps worsen, in the summer of 2001. This report reviews (1) the condition of California's electricity market, including changes in demand, supply, and prices, (2) the extent to which the Department of Defense (DOD) can help enhance western electricity supplies during the summer of 2001, and (3) available private backup generation resources and any benefits and problems associated with their deployment. GAO found that (1) electricity demand has increased sharply in recent years while supply has not kept up with the demand, causing higher prices, (2) DOD could help augment western electricity supplies by generating an estimated 90 megawatts of electricity and implementing conservation initiatives, and (3) the use of private generation is limited because of business and environmental risks. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R.pdf GAO-01-865R https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-865R Correspondence GAO-01-865R; California Electricity Market Options for 2001: Military Generation and Private Backup Possibilities; Electric energy Electric power generation Energy conservation Energy consumption Energy costs Energy demand Energy shortages California