Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK) yesterday called on Energy SecretarySpencer Abraham to provide the Senate Energy and Natural ResourcesCommittee with a comprehensive inventory of all possible energysources to head off the worsening power shortages that areanticipated for California and other western markets this summer.

“…I am concerned that this situation will only worsen and willaffect virtually every western state unless further action is takenin the near future,” the committee chairman said in a letter toAbraham Tuesday.

“While the long-term answer will require new generation andtransmission as well as conservation, to deal with our immediatecrisis, we need to fully understand what opportunities arepresently available from existing generating sources as well asthose that could be brought on line without delay in order for theadministration and Congress to work together on appropriateadministrative and legislative actions,” Murkowski said.

The requested energy inventory should: 1) identify the extent ofany back-up generation maintained by retail customers, and theactions that would be necessary to make this generation availableduring shortages; 2) examine any regulatory or other constraintsthat currently limit full operation of existing generation sources;3) investigate and detail opportunities for additional generationboth in and outside of the region, the nature of the generation,anticipated costs, likelihood of availability on a firm orinterruptible basis, the particular areas that could be served bysuch generation, and whether the service could release othergeneration capacity for areas under shortages; and 4) evaluate anytransmission constraints and identify what actions should be takento alleviate the constraints.

“Given the immediacy of the problem and the necessity for thisCommittee to consider alternatives expeditiously, I wouldappreciate receiving this inventory as soon as possible,” Murkowskisaid.

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