The Los Angeles Times

Re: “Oversee the Power to the People,” Commentary, April 29:

In arguing for regulated electricity for small consumers and a deregulated system for big business, Bill Ahern and Michael McCauley get it half right. They are correct in pointing out that electricity deregulation devastated California’s consumers, but the hybrid system advocated in their commentary would impose unnecessary costs on the very residential and small-business consumers who were victimized the most by California’s disastrous policy experiment. The theoretical advantages of such a proposal would be obliterated by the practical reality of Sacramento politics.

The powerful big-business lobby would see to it that no meaningful “exit fees” were imposed on companies that escaped the state’s long-term power deals and residential and small-business consumers would pay more to cover the large industrial companies’ share of the contracts. California’s public policy should move us in the direction of cleaner, cheaper power that is regulated in the interests of all ratepayers.

Joe Newlin

Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights

Santa Monica