DIMMING HOLIDAY LIGHTS NOT THE SOLUTION

Cold weather, the shutdown of some generating plants for repairs and the effects of utility deregulation have combined to create an energy crisis in California.

To save energy, people are being asked to wait a few extra hours after dark before turning on their holiday displays.

You might not think the displays use that much electricity, but the company that controls the power grid for most of the Western United States said the lights require as much energy to operate as 1 million homes.

That's a lot of electricity.

To many families, putting up holiday lights is a tradition that requires days of work that gives them many nights of enjoyment. Asking them to dim their displays seems unfair during this holiday season.

The real problem, it seems, is not a lack of energy-saving measures. And cutting down on holiday lighting is a temporary step at best.

No, the real problem is a lack of foresight in getting California hooked up to adequate supplies of electricity. The state, which is one that has embraced deregulation of utilities, now must shop on the open market for power.

This year, its shopping list wasn't long enough.