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Electricity Crisis Like California's Not in Forecast Hunter T. George, Associated Press The Spokesman Review - August 10, 2000

Avista, other utilities huddle with state panel

OLYMPIA _ Washington state consumers who have seen the headlines about California's electricity crisis can breathe a little easier -- the Evergreen State is not expecting brownouts or retail price surges any time soon.

Representatives of the three private electric utilities regulated by the state briefed the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Wednesday on the status of their electricity supplies and their ability to cope with emergencies.

Puget Sound Energy, Avista Utilities and PacifiCorp said the consumers they serve have been shielded from the energy crisis that's straining California's power grid and sending bills soaring.

"The purpose of this meeting was to clear the air," WUTC spokesman Tim Sweeney said. "We're not California."

That's not to say that Washington's electric utilities are humming along with no problems. When the utilities have to dip into the wholesale market to buy electricity at peak times, they are paying the same wholesale rates that have driven up prices in California by as much as 200 percent in some areas.

But Washington utilities are charging consumers rates set by the WUTC, while California is struggling to maintain the nation's first deregulated electric market. California's problem is further compounded by rapid growth in the state's high-tech sector, which is adding to the strain on the power grid.

Bill Gaines, Puget Sound Energy's vice president for energy supply, said Puget has achieved a "relative balance" between supply and demand so that it is not reliant upon the wholesale market. The company expects to maintain that balance for the next three to four years, he said.

During that time, Puget intends to work on developing a way for consumers to have a better understanding of their individual impact on the electricity market. The utility is planning a pilot project this fall that would allow a homeowner to see the price of electricity by the hour, and thus be able to adjust usage to less expensive times during the day, Gaines said.