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American Morning
California Power Outages Threaten Lives
Aired May 15, 2001 - 09:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin this morning with the energy crunch that's generating concern from the nation's capital all the way to California.
Just two days before President Bush unveils his energy blueprint, Democrats are set to announce their own plan.
And in California today, residents should find out who will be paying the most for power this summer. A rate-hike decision was postponed yesterday. One idea would have businesses and farms pay the biggest share of the increases. Another would spread the rate hike more evenly between residential and business customers.
Utility officials in California are hoping that the rate hikes will reduce the rolling blackouts the state's been going through, but, for most Californians, the power outages are just an inconvenience. But, for businesses, they can be a threat to the bottom line.
But, for some, electricity is a critical lifeline, and CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has one family's story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RENEE JONES, MOTHER: I found my angel today.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this Los Angeles home, Shenae Jones fights to stay alive. She has severe encephalitis caused by a near drowning accident 11 years ago.
R. JONES: It's really been hard. She can't do anything for herself. She can't hold anything. You know, she can't feed herself.
GUTIERREZ: Shenae is tethered to a series of machines that help her live. A feeding tube delivers her only nourishment. A suctioning tube keeps her from choking. A humidifier helps her breathe.
PAUL JONES, FATHER: My daughter -- she's got about four machines that she have to have constantly, you know, 24 seven.
GUTIERREZ: Machines that run on electricity.
R. JONES: You hear on the news, you know, to watch out for the blackouts. You don't know if it's going to happen in your area.
GUTIERREZ: The prospect of a blackout isn't just about inconvenience. It's about life and death.
(on camera): The Jones family is covered by Southern California Edison. A company spokeswoman told CNN they cannot guarantee electricity to any of the 27,000 families in this predicament because, they say, it's the independent systems operators who decide if the blackouts will occur.
(voice-over): The moment Edison learns there will be a blackout, they will pass a two-minute phone warning on to families like the Jones Advocates say that's just not good enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone needs to recognize that someone's going to get hurt, someone's going to die.
GUTIERREZ: Without electricity, the only way to keep Shenae's machines going is with a backup generator, but that could cost thousands of dollars.
R. JONES: We can't afford a generator.
GUTIERREZ: So they have a backup plan -- to rush to the hospital in a blackout. And that's the way Paul and Renee must live, in constant fear the plug will be pulled on their daughter.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Will there be enough electricity to keep the lights on where you live this summer? A group that tracks power systems around the country is releasing its assessment on that very question this morning.
The North American Electric Reliability Council is holding a news conference in Washington. You see a live picture from there right now. It's also known as NERC for short.
It was formed as a result of the Northeast blackout back in 1965. It's made up of utility companies, power producers, and government agencies. We'll have those results for you a little bit later in the morning.
Meanwhile, Democrats are saying that President Bush's energy plan focuses too much attention on the future. They are promoting their own plan as a way to provide immediate relief. They're going to unveil it at a gas station near Capitol Hill later today.
Vice President Dick Cheney will be discussing the administration's energy plan with Republican and Democratic senators. Mr. Cheney heading the task force responsible for developing the proposal for the Bush administration, which is being released Thursday.
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