It is interesting to me that so many people believe that industry should be able to charge whatever the market will bear, until THEY are the one paying UNFAIR prices for gas or electricity.
In the FRG, when I was there, gas was appx $4.00 US for a gallon. Prices are higher in Britian now. Europe has cheap mass transit and fuel effecient cars. (think there is a connection?)
The US has had cheap energy for a long time. But nowadays it is much harder to get a power plant or a pipeline built. At the same time we are more energy dependent, computers, AC, and so on. On top of that many people drive SUV's or large cars. There is only so much energy that can be transmitted, whether by pipeline or as electricity. So if the actual available supply is finite we must live within our "energy means".
Having said that CA is a disaster. It has areas where any smog emitted will be trapped by mountains. It doesn't have enough water where the people are. Basically there are just too many people in the highly built up areas of the state. On top of that there's all type of "green" types who don't want power plants, pipelines, or refineries to be built. Every state should have a plan to take care of it's needs within its borders, energy, garbage etc. Or have a plan to take care of its needs regionally, like New England, but that should be a cooperative plan.
California needs more electricity and needs the means to fuel new plants. They should have planned ahead.