Arizona Official Threatens to Cut Off Los Angeles Power as Payback for Boycott

Fox News ^ | May 19, 2010 | Judson Berger

[Mozilla]

A member of Arizona's top government utilities agency threw down the gauntlet in a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, threatening to cut off the city's power supply as retribution for the city's boycott of Arizona. If Los Angeles wants to boycott Arizona, it had better get used to reading by candlelight.

That's the message from a member of Arizona's top government utilities agency, who threw down the gauntlet Tuesday in a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa by threatening to cut off the city's power supply as retribution.

Gary Pierce, a commissioner on the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission, wrote the letter in response to the Los Angeles City Council's decision last week to boycott the Grand Canyon State -- in protest of its immigration law -- by suspending official travel there and ending future contracts with state businesses.

Noting that a quarter of Los Angeles' electricity comes from Arizona power plants, Pierce threatened to pull the plug if the City Council does not reconsider.

"Doggone it -- if you're going to boycott this candy store ... then don't come in for any of it," Pierce told FoxNews.com.

In the letter, he ridiculed Villaraigosa for saying that the point of the boycott was to "send a message" by severing the "resources and ties" they share.

"I received your message; please receive mine. As a statewide elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission overseeing Arizona's electric and water utilities, I too am keenly aware of the 'resources and ties' we share with the city of Los Angeles," Pierce wrote.

"If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation."

[Pessimist]

My thinking too.

I guess people get caught up in emotion.

[NC28203]

>>>"If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation."

I just thought conservatives were generally opposed to the state "encouraging" private corporations to act in certain ways. State entities tend to be heavy handed in their encouraging.

[MEGoody]

Since I’m comfortable that LA would make sure critical users such as hospitals would get the power they need, I’m on board with this. In fact, now is a good time. Air conditioning season is coming. :)

[RickB444]

MASTER BLASTER RUNS BARTERTOWN!!!

[Pessimist]

“If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation.”

Let me translate that for you. “If talking tough boosts my approval, even though I have not right nor power to effect any change, then I’ll gladly do it!”

[OrangeHoof]

Give LA a 24-hour taste of their future, hopefully during a Suns-Lakers playoff game. That would be justice.

[MEGoody]

93% yes.

[marajade]

Who owns the electricity in NC?

[Boiler Plate]

PULL THE PLUG—NOW!

Already on it!

[MEGoody]

So it appears that folks here approve of the State of Arizona telling the private utilities operating in that state to whom they can sell the power that they produce.

As I understand it, the power is owned by the state through agreements signed long ago relating to the sharing of power coming from resources common to multiple states. The power companies carry it and profit from it, but they don't "own" it.

That is not to say there isn't some power generated by the utilities themselves through coal-fired plants or something, but the state does have some say over how the power they "own" is distributed.

[NEMDF]

Notice how every time the Dear Leader takes sides, he takes the stand that is against the hard-working, patriotic American taxpayer/voter/citizen?

I wonder if LA has even been paying for that power they get from AZ or just sending IOUs.

[NC28203]

>>>Who owns the electricity in NC?

I pay my bill to Duke Energy. They are a publicly traded company (DUK). I assume it comes from the nuclear plant just up the road.

[CaliforniaCon]

Should be an interesting summer in L.A. all right — good thing I have excellent a/c in the car, and am getting my very furry dog her ‘summer cut’ next week.

Well, I’ll save on electric bills at least! Yeah, should be fun for sure!

[softwarecreator]

I can see when push comes to shove you will not know who is on your side though. That is what scares me.

I know the feeling all too well.

[ninergold3]

That is the best response I’ve seen to these stupid boycott ideas!

[marajade]

And NC doesn’t care if Duke Energy sells it to you considering they are operating in their state?

[DejaJude]

The Mayor was at the White House visiting with the Mexican President, but an aide read a statement that said the Mayor wouldn't respond to threats. It's funny that when you threaten to harm AZ economy, it's sending a “message”, but it's a “threat” when you tell them what may happen in return.

[NC28203]

>>>And NC doesn’t care if Duke Energy sells it to you considering they are operating in their state?

As a regulated utility serving my locality, the state of NC does have an interest in Duke Energy's sales of electricity to me, a NC resident. I, however, doubt that the state of NC has much of a role in the pricing that Duke Energy charges to a resident just over the state line in SC for energy produced from that same nuclear power plant here in NC.

[353FMG]

One day of a Los Angeles brownout, with all the criminals taking over, will make the city kiss AZ’s again and again and again.

[Ditto]

Pierce threatened to pull the plug if the City Council does not reconsider.

No he didn't. He does not have that authority. He stated clearly if LA wants to be consistant with the stated intent to not purchase Arizona products, they should not be importing electricity from Arizona and as a public service comissioner, he would be glad to allow the Arizona utilities to end their contracts with a city that does not want their product.

In other words, he called LA's bluff showing them to be hypocrites. Without that electricity they import frm AZ, the lights go out in LA.