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Bush Rejects Call for Price Caps on Energy Prices
Deborah Tate
Los Angeles
30 May 2001 04:01 UTC
 
President Bush has met with California's Governor Gray Davis to discuss the state's electricity shortage and 1)soaring energy costs, but the two men failed to resolve their disagreement over how best to address the 2)crisis. The Republican President and the Democratic Governor have blamed each other for the energy problems in the most populous U.S. state.
White House aides say Mr. Bush and Mr. Davis agreed to disagree on the need for price caps on 3)wholesale electricity prices.
In a speech to the World Affairs Council ahead of the meeting, the President rejected the Governor's request for such price controls, saying they would do nothing to reduce demand or increase supply. "At first blush, for those struggling to pay high energy bills, price caps may sound 4)appealing, but their result will 5)ultimately be more serious shortages and therefore even higher prices," he said.
Administration officials say the best way to address California's electricity shortage is through a comprehensive national energy policy that will provide more competition and build new power plants. Mr. Bush 6)unveiled such a policy earlier this month.
For his part, Mr. Davis said he told Mr. Bush he planned to file a 7)lawsuit against the federal government to force it to impose price controls. He warned that soaring energy prices could plunge his state into a 8)recession, a situation that he said could impact the rest of the nation.
The Governor has accused the administration of neglecting California, and ignoring price-gouging by Texas-based electricity generators, noting that Mr. Bush, a former Texas Governor, has ties to the energy industry.
Mr. Bush denied the charge. "I want to assure Californians that the federal government takes very seriously our responsibility to make sure that companies are not illegally 9)gouging consumers," he said. "I have publicly called on federal agencies to investigate all complaints of illegal gouging, and if those complaints are justified, to take strong and appropriate action."
Officials on both sides say there were areas of agreement between Mr. Bush and Mr. Davis, including on the importance of conservation. They described the 40-minute meeting as 'friendly'.
Earlier, in a speech at Camp Pendleton Marine Base outside San Diego, Mr. Bush announced $150 million in new federal aid to help low income Californians pay their energy bills.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Davis are 10)keenly aware of the political 11)ramifications of California's energy crisis, which was brought on by a failed 12)deregulation program.
The Governor's poll numbers have 13)plunged since the first of the year because of the energy situation. Mr. Bush, who lost this state to former Vice President Al Gore in last November's election, is also 14)lagging in the 15)polls, with nearly two-thirds of Californians saying they believe the administration should be doing far more to help their state.

(1) soaring[`sR:rIn]adj.高飞的, 翱翔的
(2) crisis[5kraIsIs]n.决定性时刻, 危机, 历史上的紧要关头
(3) wholesale[5hEJlseIl]n.批发 adj.批发的, 大规模的
(4) appealing[E5pi:lIN]adj.吸引人的, 恳求似的
(5) ultimately[5QltImEtlI]adv.最后, 根本
(6) unveil[Qn5veIl]vt.使公诸于众, 揭开,除去...的面纱vi.显露
(7) lawsuit[5lC:su:t, 5lC:sju:t]n.诉讼(尤指非刑事案件)
(8) recession[rI5seF(E)n]n.退回,工商业之衰退, 不景气
(9) gouge[^aJdV]n.圆凿, 沟vt.用圆凿子削除, 欺骗
(10) keenly adv.敏锐地
(11) ramification[rAmIfI5keIF(E)n]n.分枝, 分叉
(12) deregulation[ di:9re^jJ`leIFEn ]n.违反规定, 反常
(13) plunge[plQndV]n.跳进, 投入vi.投入 vt.使插入, 使陷入
(14) lag[lA^]n.落后, 囚犯, 迟延adj.最后的vi.缓缓而行, 滞后vt.落后于
(15) poll[ pEJl ]n.选举之投票, 民意测验v.投票, 获得选票