Good question -- No, this was an immediate 17% drop.
There certainly was a gradual slowing of the economy in general, but in California, in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, the consumption curve was still going UP, with server farms, one new one petitioning in San Jose for 30 megawatts of its own power plant at the time. And that's just for servers, if you can imagine (and cooling etc.), not msc R&D offices.
Price increases didn't play a significant role in reducing consumption, because the problem was wholesale prices increased while retail prices didn't. That's what bankrupted PG&E. That's because they sponsored prior legislation to gain upfront profits and what they thought would be lower energy costs in the future, for the stability of cost-plus. This strategy by the execs bit them in the butt, and caused them to simulate bankruptcy by shuffling all dollars to the parent company.
So while Enron was maliciously jacking up prices and bankrupting the utilities, PG&E was asking for a bailout, while at the same time moving money "offshore" so to speak, to their parent, and giving $30 million in bonuses to the execs, and of course laying off the poor schmucks who actually ran the place.
Cheney and Bush Inc., who could have at least asked for moderation in the rape and pillage by Enron, refused.
The secret meeting lists will show who and when.
Here's what you had to say to get into those meetings:
"Screw the weak" (raised hand, and single finger salute)
Funny thing is, these non-represented are the ones paying everyone's salaries, including Bush Inc., Enron, and PG&E... |
