By PG&E warns, conserve energy

A PG&E spokeswoman warned the Los Altos City Council earlier this month that despite plans to build 20 new power plants in California, the energy crisis is far from over. The plants will take years to build, she said.

“This is a long process that won’t go away with the signing of a bill,” she said. “Conservation is the only answer in the short term.”

She named a shortage of power plants and growing energy demands as sources of the pending crisis, though January’s rolling blackouts were due to financial problems, not supply problems. PG&E couldn’t afford to supply power, she said. Deregulation of electricity had prohibited suppliers from purchasing long-term energy contracts until last fall.

She said that supply could be the cause of anticipated blackouts this summer. The state could prohibit residents from using air conditioners this summer in order to conserve energy, she said. PG&E recently met with Los Altos businesses to help them conserve energy, she said.

Mountain View

New Fire chief joins department

Los Altos

Mountain View City Manager Kevin C. Duggan last week named Marc Revere city Fire Chief and Karen E. Burnett Mountain View Library Services Director.

Revere has served as the fire chief for the Monterey Park Fire Department since 1998, after being promoted from operations/training battalion chief. He began his fire services career in 1977 with the Costa Mesa Fire Department and later worked in a variety of positions for the Carlsbad Fire Department, including firefighter, inspector, public information officer, company chief, training officer and acting battalion chief.

Burnett has more than 25 years of experience in working with public libraries. She currently works as a community library supervisor for the Santa Clara County Library and, in this position, serves as the Library Director in the Milpitas and Alum Rock Community libraries.

She worked for the Fremont Union High School District from 1991 to 1999 as the coordinator of library services.

As library director, Burnett will be responsible for directing the operations of the Mountain View Public Library, including 97 employees and a $3.8 million annual budget.

Revere and Burnett are scheduled to join the city April 16.

- Staff Report