L.A. HAS REASONS TO CONSERVE SAVINGS FREE UP POWER FOR SALE TO OTHER AREAS.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Los Angeles residents could help themselves, their city and their power-less fellow Californians by embracing a program of consistent conservation of electricity.

With nearly all of California facing an energy crisis, residents of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale and two dozen other cities with their own municipal power utilities are in the luxurious position of having a secure source of electricity at reasonable rates and in some cases a surplus to sell at a premium.

As the state moves to impose mandatory and voluntary energy conservation measures, the advantage of the energy-rich communities could even grow if their residents cut down on their own use of power.

``Conserving for a day or two won't affect it that much,'' S. David Freeman, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power general manager, said last week. ``Where we would benefit would be if there is a long-term conservation effort that would allow us to consistently free up power for the state.''

The DWP has reaped a $200 million windfall from selling its surplus electricity into the state grid, much of the money coming during the summer energy crisis and the recent daily siege of shortages.

The DWP and other cities with their own generating capacity have been exempt from the problems and high costs associated with the energy crisis because, as publicly owned utilities, they were allowed to avoid the deregulation program that took effect last year.

To deal with the shortage of energy, Gov. Gray Davis has called on all Californians to conserve as much energy as they can to avoid the threat of blackouts.

But increased conservation in Los Angeles would have little effect unless it was achieved consistently so that power officials could sell off the savings secure in the knowledge the needs of city residents and businesses would be met, Freeman said.

``We are separate from the (power) grid and don't have to worry about blackouts,'' Freeman said. ``Where conservation is important - and where I tell people why it is - is that it will save them money.

``Even with our low rates, people can see substantial savings in their bills if they conserve power.''

Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, who chairs the City Council's Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said it is her own frugality that prompts her to conserve.

``I have some halogen lamps that burn up lots of power and turn them on only when I need to,'' Galanter said. ``And people should just get in the habit of turning off devices when they aren't using them. A lot of people get home and automatically turn on their television sets and then go off and do other things.''

Freeman said he also has urged people to convert to more-energy-efficient appliances.

``You'd be amazed at how much money you can knock off your bill with the energy-efficient refrigerators and air conditioning and other devices,'' Freeman said.

While the DWP raked in huge paper profits from the suffering of others, Mayor Richard Riordan noted last week that $130 million of the $200 million has yet to be paid.

Freeman said the DWP has been making as much energy available to the state as it can during the crisis.

``We have been dipping into our reserves to the 3 percent level to help out the rest of the state,'' Freeman said.

Los Angeles residents have been using between 3,600 and 3,900 megawatts of electricity per day during the past week, he said, and the agency has been able to sell off about 400 megawatts per day.

That is only a portion of the total DWP capacity when it is at its maximum operation and able to produce 7,000 megawatts a day. However, this is the time of year that capacity is reduced as plants undergo maintenance.