SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gov. Gray Davis was in the holiday spirit when he lit the Christmas tree at the state Capitol, but he quickly pulled the plug as part of a statewide effort to conserve energy.
The 56-foot white fir was lit in Sacramento for about five minutes Tuesday, then turned off for 2 1/2 hours until 7:30 p.m., after the peak of the day's electrical use.
"In some parts of California, people are going without power," Davis said. "I would love to keep the lights on. But it's important that we all pull together to reduce the strain on the grid."
Officials have called on residents to delay the start of outdoor holiday lighting, keep thermostats set at 68 degrees and turn off computers and lights when not in use.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers face an average bill of $77 this December compared with an average of $50 a year ago.
Part of the problem is a decreasing supply of natural gas nationwide, said Claudia Chandler, assistant executive director of the California Energy Commission.
Low natural gas prices over the past few years led to a decline in drilling and production. That is now picking up, but the products of those efforts will not hit the market for up to two years.
The high price of electricity and petroleum also are driving up the cost because much of the natural gas supply goes to electricity generation.
Electricity shortages are plaguing the state, with Stage Two emergencies declared Monday and Tuesday by the California Independent System Operator — leading to the request for Californians to keep holiday lights off and to lower home thermostats.
A Stage Two emergency means the state is within 5 percent of running out of power. During Stage Two emergencies, suppliers are allowed to cut power to commercial customers with interruptible contracts.
The next step, when reserves fall below 1.5 percent, is a Stage Three, which triggers rotating blackouts.
Monday's peak demand of more than 34,000 megawatts was close to the wintertime record, and supplies could get even tighter with colder weather forecast later in the week.
There have been six separate Stage Two emergencies declared in the past three weeks. The problem has been exacerbated because some power plants are out of commission while owners perform needed maintenance.
Los Angeles is not hooked to the California Independent System Operator, the state agency that runs the electricity system for about 75 percent of the state, and has sufficient power for all uses, including holiday lighting.
On the Net:
California Independent System Operator: www.caiso.com
California Energy Commission: www.energy.ca.gov
Pacific Gas and Electric: www.pge.com