A California gubernatorial candidate and current secretary of state, Bill Jones, Thursday told major power generators and marketers they need to make some changes in how they do business in the state, or face the possible wrath of the state voters next year with an anti-electric industry ballot measure.

While strongly criticizing current Gov. Gray Davis for taking a “manageable problem and making it into a crisis,” Jones nevertheless was unsparing in suggesting the private sector generator/marketers have to be willing to give on some issues to help return stability to the state’s energy markets, regulation and government processes.

Jones, the Republicans’ only announced opponent to date to go up against Davis next year, spoke in Ojai, CA, to the spring general meeting of the Western Power Trading Forum, a trade group for most of the major energy suppliers throughout the western states.

“Gov. Davis is trying to buy the energy system, rather than fix the problem,” said Jones, noting that people have forgotten why California six years ago embarked on electric industry restructuring–namely, because the old system was inefficient and broken. “The governor put politics ahead of policy.”

While not being uncritical of his supplier audience, Jones said he supports the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s price mitigation order June 19, and he urged the generators to support it. He also said he supports “temporary price caps because California has a temporary failure in the market.” Jones, a conservative from the central agricultural valley in the state, also supports “sound investments in conservation,” excluding mandatory service interruptions.

In what could be viewed as an early political speech, Jones said his approach to energy would include:

Taking a jab at Davis’s chief energy adviser, S. David Freeman, Jones said he would not want anyone as state energy secretary who would try to “socialize” the industry as Freeman is doing.

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