Power Play Over Immigration Law
LA's boycott resolution sparks a threat over power the city receives from Arizona
An Arizona utility commissioner said he's willing to pull the plug on Los Angeles if the city goes through with a boycott of his state.
In a letter to the city of LA, a member of Arizona's power commission said he would ask Arizona utility companies to cut off the power supply to Los Angeles. LA gets about 25 percent of its power from Arizona.
"That is one commissioner who has that idea -- whether he can do that or not is another idea," said LA Councilman Dennis Zine. "They are the ones who have to make the move, not us."
The commissioner's power grid play is in response to the city's approval of a resolution directing city staff to consider which contracts with Arizona can be terminated.
Here's part Arizona Corporation Commission member Gary Pierce's letter to the mayor:
"...If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation.
I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands. If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona’s economy...."
...Councilmember Tom LaBonge said he'd like to talk with Pierce. LaBonge said the city needs to look into its long standing utility agreements with Arizona.
LaBonge met Wednesday morning with LA Department of Water and Power officials.
"We have right of ownership of the power plants," LaBonge told NBCLA. "We partially own them."
Other California cities, including Oakland and San Francisco, have passed similar measures.
On Tuesday, Berkeley became the latest California city to boycott Arizona. The City Council voted unanimously to restrict staff from traveling to the state on city business....
From an article in FOXNEWS last week this boycott be painfull not only to Los Angles but California too:
The Golden State gets almost a third of its electricity from Arizona -- most of it coming from a nuclear power plant outside Phoenix, as well as coal-fired power plants in northern Arizona and two giant hydroelectric power generators along the Colorado River.
California also contracts to house 4,000 inmates in Arizona prisons, not to mention a $22 million contract at city-owned Los Angeles International Airport for Phoenix-based U.S. Airways and millions more in trucking contracts at the port of Los Angeles.
OK Mayor Villaraigosa and Governor ARNOLD....do you really mean it...will you cut off Arizona...and will the people of CA like it when Arizona cuts them off!
So, California started a "pi$$ing contest". Looks like Arizona folks tanked up on a couple of cases of beer and are ready to play.
ReplyDeleteI'm think of that great line from The Warriors...
ReplyDelete"California, come out and play..."