By Dan Morgan
POWER SHORTAGE?
     Do you find yourself wondering about the electrical power situation that the country and in particular the North West finds it's self in these days?  It seems that almost over night we find ourselves short of power.
     In looking back it appears to me that the problem started when the State of California deregulated electricity.  As with almost all other industries that have been deregulated in the end it is the consumer that has to pay the higher prices.  I am sure that the executives of the power companies and those manipulating the price of electricity on the spot market are not having any trouble in making the utilities payments these days.
     The questions I find I am asking myself during these times of 20-30-40 Percent rate increases are:  Are we as a region producing less electrical power than we did a year ago? I am sure that there are some fluctuations in the process of power generation but over all I would say the amount generated would be very steady.  So if we are producing approximately the same amount of power then we must be using more power than a year ago.  I would say that this is true we are using more, however; I do not think we are using an amount of power more now than one year ago that would equate to the power shortage we find ourselves in today.
     Could it be that due to de-regulation that power wholesalers are buying power and holding it off the spot market there buy creating a shortage, and the price to increase so they can then sell the power they bought at the higher price?  The same power they withheld to create the shortage in the first place.
     Ask your self if the de-regulation of the power industry has put you in a better position than before?
     Also keep in mind that we here on District 160 have may Brothers and Sisters that work in industries that are very dependent on high volumes of electrical power. Alcoa Intalco Aluminum Works in Ferndale, WA. Is just one example. They are faced with the prospect of shutting down for two years, because of the high cost of power.  750 of your Union Brothers and sisters could find them self's unemployed.   The reality is if their plant shuts down for two years, it will most likely never reopen. These Brothers and Sisters will be visiting your Local Lodge meeting in the very near future to explain how you can help them in their fight to keep their plant open.