By COLLEEN VALLES
Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO
(AP)--Gov. Gray Davis was in the holiday spirit when he lit the
Christmas tree at the state Capitol, but he quickly pulled the
plug as part of a statewide effort to conserve energy.
The 56-foot
white fir was lit in Sacramento for about five minutes Tuesday,
then turned off for 2 1/2 hours until 7:30 p.m., after the peak
of the day's electrical use.
``In some
parts of California, people are going without power,'' Davis said.
``I would love to keep the lights on. But it's important that
we all pull together to reduce the strain on the grid.''
Officials
have called on residents to delay the start of outdoor holiday
lighting, keep thermostats set at 68 degrees and turn off computers
and lights when not in use.
Pacific Gas
and Electric Co. customers face an average bill of $77 this December
compared with an average of $50 a year ago.
Part of the
problem is a decreasing supply of natural gas nationwide, said
Claudia Chandler, assistant executive director of the California
Energy Commission.
Low natural
gas prices over the past few years led to a decline in drilling
and production. That is now picking up, but the products of those
efforts will not hit the market for up to two years.
The high price
of electricity and petroleum also are driving up the cost because
much of the natural gas supply goes to electricity generation.
Electricity
shortages are plaguing the state, with Stage Two emergencies declared
Monday and Tuesday by the California Independent System Operator--leading
to the request for Californians to keep holiday lights off and
to lower home thermostats.
A Stage Two
emergency means the state is within 5 percent of running out of
power. During Stage Two emergencies, suppliers are allowed to
cut power to commercial customers with interruptible contracts.
The next step,
when reserves fall below 1.5 percent, is a Stage Three, which
triggers rotating blackouts.
Monday's peak
demand of more than 34,000 megawatts was close to the wintertime
record, and supplies could get even tighter with colder weather
forecast later in the week.
There have
been six separate Stage Two emergencies declared in the past three
weeks. The problem has been exacerbated because some power plants
are out of commission while owners perform needed maintenance.
Los Angeles
is not hooked to the California Independent System Operator, the
state agency that runs the electricity system for about 75 percent
of the state, and has sufficient power for all uses, including
holiday lighting.
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