06.15.01

Senator Maria Cantwell will Testify at a Senate Hearing on Relief from the West Coast Energy Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) today announced that she will testify about the lack of action by federal regulators in responding to the energy crisis in the West at a Senate Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on June 20, along with California Governor Gray Davis and all five FERC members.

The Committee, chaired by Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), is holding a series of hearings to examine the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) handling of the energy crisis. The first hearing was held yesterday.

"The Western energy crisis is not being adequately addressed by FERC and FERC has gone unchecked by Congressional oversight committees. One of the benefits of being in the Senate majority is that we can set the agenda - these hearings will focus attention on the energy crisis in the West," Cantwell said. "Washington state residents have suffered many of the early casualties of this crisis including layoffs, business closures and retail rate increases in high double-digits and deserve relief. FERC must act now."

Cantwell again called on FERC to fulfill its legal obligation to intervene. While not an ideal solution, the Senators said temporary government intervention will allow the West the time it needs to put its house in order and contain the damage that has already been done.

Intervention should include extending protections against price spikes to all Western states; tightening rules that prevent gaming by energy marketers; and aggressively pursuing refunds from profiteers who excessively inflated prices during previous demand emergencies.

"Western states account for approximately a third of the national GDP," Cantwell said. "FERC has sat idly by and allowed a tragically flawed and easily manipulated power market to wreak havoc on the economy and quality of life in Washington state and the West. If left unchecked, the economic impacts of the energy crisis will reverberate throughout the nation. Absent action by FERC, I will continue to fight for a legislative solution."