Posted 1/25/2007 05:37:00 PM by Douglas

California bans buying power form dirty, high-polluting sources. In future news, California is shivering, in the dark:

California regulators approved rules Thursday banning power companies from buying electricity from high-polluting sources, including most out-of-state coal-burning plants.

The rules _ aimed at reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases linked to global warming _ could have a far-reaching effect on the energy market across the West.

While there are almost no coal-fired plants in California, the nation's most populous state, about 20 percent of the state's electricity comes from coal plants in other Western states.

The commission voted 4-0 to prohibit utilities and other energy providers from entering into long-term contracts with sources that emit more carbon dioxide than a modern natural gas plant.

The new standard is aimed at encouraging investment in cleaner energy sources such as wind and solar, while discouraging the use of coal and other high-polluting fuels.

Good luck with that, California. As soon as California figures out a way to repeal the second law of thermodynamics, I'm sure the rest of the nation will rejoice as well.