California’s statewide electricity ballot referendum that wouldturn back parts of the state’s ongoing power industry restructuringis losing by a bigger margin in the latest nonpartisan FieldInstitute survey, but the percentage of undecided voters (36%) isstill large, according to political polling experts.

With a coalition of nearly all major business, labor andenvironmental interests, led by the state’s three majorinvestor-owned utilities, the anti-Proposition 9 forces havecommitted to spend as much as $29 million to defeat the measuresupported by several state and national consumer groups, some withties to Ralph Nader. The Field Institute Poll completed earlierthis month showed 19% of those surveyed favoring the measure (down1% from August); 45% opposing (up 2%); and 36% still undecided(down 1%).

The ballot initiative proposes to undo parts of California’s1996 electricity law that mandate ratepayers to pay for pastinvestments in nuclear and other traditional power plants, alongwith creating special rate revenue bonds-also paid for by utilitycustomers- to grant an across-the-board 10% rate cut forresidential and small business customers of the threeinvestor-owned utilities.

Richard Nemec, Los Angeles

©Copyright 1998 Intelligence Press, Inc. All rightsreserved. The preceding news report may not be republished orredistributed in whole or in part without prior written consent ofIntelligence Press, Inc.