EDITORIAL VIEWPOINT.(Brief Article)(Editorial)

Public Works, April, 2001

Electricity--Can we get enough and at what cost?

The question of an adequate and reasonably priced power supply affects public works operations just as it does the general population. Water and wastewater treatment facilities, street signals, computer systems, vehicle fueling stations, maintenance facilities--all run on electricity. Critical systems have emergency backup power sources, but these are not intended for long-term use.

The much-publicized power shortage in California, which significantly affects not just California but the entire Western United States, graphically demonstrates our dependence on readily available, affordable electricity. Deregulation has hit power suppliers hard, and put power producers in the driver's seat....