WASHINGTON -- California, America's most populous state, risks tumbling into yet another energy crisis. The only answer is increased supplies, which require new investment -- including in facilities for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In late July, California energy demand broke the record set five years ago. There were no blackouts, but later this summer, "There is a slight possibility we'd have to get back into forced interruptions," warns Jim Detmers, who administers the state's electricity grid.
Additional power requires genuine electricity deregulation, more efficient environmental controls and construction of new energy infrastructure. For instance, natural gas can help light California, but while the U.S. consumes a quarter of the world's supply, it possesses only 5 percent of its reserves.
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