The ISO attributes improving conditions to increased availability of electricity imports thanks to direct intervention by U.S. Energy Sec. Bill Richardson. Imports had all but dried up in California causing threats of rolling blackouts and a daily crisis atmosphere earlier this week.
Dec. 18, 2000–Federal regulatory efforts Friday to reorder the California electricity markets don’t go far enough, state officials and utility executives complained. But continuing discord over deregulation will likely bring Congress into the debate when lawmakers reconvene in January, industry officials and analysts predict.
