PREPARED TO GO DARK SANTA CLARITA READY FOR POWER SHORTAGES.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - City officials Friday outlined a plan to conserve energy and prepare for rolling blackouts this summer.

In a darkened City Hall conference room, department heads and Mayor Laurene Weste unveiled contingency plans if street lights and community centers go dark, along with an advertising campaign starring prominent local residents urging conservation.

``This state is at a critical juncture,'' Weste said. ``We have to work together and form new partnerships.''

Rolling blackouts hit Southern California and Santa Clarita last week, after the state could not purchase enough energy to serve all of California's residents. Pressures brought on by deregulation of the electric industry have pushed the state's two largest utilities, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric, to the brink of bankruptcy.

``We're all looking for creative solutions,'' Weste said. ``That's why we have the blinds open and the lights off in here. Natural light is good for us.''

Glen Becerra of Southern California Edison praised the city for taking the lead in trying to find answers to the electricity problems.

``Santa Clarita has the benefit of being a young city, and is more progressive and proactive than most,'' Becerra said. ``They responded when it wasn't a pressing crisis, unlike most cities.''

Parks and Recreation Director Rick Gould said city employees were prepared for the lights to go out during summer programs at the Sports Complex and parks throughout the city.

``We're training, and we'll be able to anticipate the blackouts,'' Gould said. ``We don't want parents rushing to make sure their kids are OK. We'll be ready and able to handle it.''

The amount of power being used by field lights and pools is also being closely monitored, Gould said.

By the end of July, city officials expect battery-operated generators to be installed at the city's 20 busiest intersections, to keep the lights on during a rolling blackouts. Several people have been hurt in crashes in other cities during the blackouts.

``It's a really effective way to make sure people are safe,'' said Terri Maus, the city's director of field services.

At 43 intersections throughout the city, the green and red lights will be replaced with light emitting diodes - which use 90 percent less energy and last four years longer than traditional signals. The city began this program several months ago, and is now expanding the push.

SoCal Edison will reimburse the city $250,000 of the $350,000 cost for the new signals and backups, Maus said.

Another local casualty of the energy crisis, which has shown no signs of abating, is the city's plan to spend $750,000 from Edison to ``underground'' power lines along Soledad Canyon Road. That money has been redirected to help keep the lights on, Becerra said.

The city will spend about $3,000 on ads urging residents to turn down the thermostat and conserve whenever possible. Don and Cheri Fleming star in the first ad - which shows them snuggling in bed, enjoying the cool temperatures. The Flemings own Valencia Acura.

``The key is not to panic,'' Becerra said. ``It's a horrible inconvenience, but the blackouts are not life-threatening.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Gail Ortiz, Santa Clarita public information officer, opens the blinds to let natural light in during a press conference on the city's efforts to conserve power during the energy crisis. Other measures include replacing traditional traffic lights with light-emitting diodes.

(2 -- color) Against a backdrop of past Santa Clarita, a sign at City Hall advises visitors of energy conservation efforts in the building.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer

Box: Power Interruptions