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Californians hate power plants. A major power plant near my home was denied permission to build, until just before the blackouts hit. Another plant has been held up until they can "prove" they have enough water, as if someone would invest hundreds of millions in a plant without being sure.

Enviros have tried to stop construction of a large plant in Blythe, and have been actively trying to shut down plants in the Bay area, and in the LA basin. In the middle of the blackouts, they were doing this.

Despite the fact that they propose wind farms everytime a real plant is proposed, enviros oppose wind energy, and have fought to stop every wind project.

When a plant is going down for maintenance, power companies buy replacement power through brokers, usually at very high prices, for the few hours or days the plant is going to be down. The high cost normally doesn't matter, as it is only a short-term expense. But in California, due to its own silliness, they were forced to buy large amounts of power at short-term prices, and then blamed the brokers for their own incompetence.

They can sell this story to their constituents, who want to believe. But in the real world where energy is produced, plants built, or not built, their whining is just embarrassing.

"But in the real world where energy is produced, plants built, or not built, their whining is just embarrassing."

Especially when you consider that Enron itself sold a grand total of 200 MwH of electricity to the state (for a total of $57,000).

Other reports have Enron, plus its subsidiaries, responsible for a massive 4% (that would be four per cent) of the power sold to California.

Thus, the prostrate Enron profited little from the Cal Power Crisis. But, discredited and unable to defend itself, is became a convenient political scapegoat for Gov. Doofus and his cronies.

The media seem somehow incapable of discovering this information. Or, if they have, find it impossible to comprehend.