The League of Women Voters of Los Altos-Mountain View is sponsoring a public forum on California’s energy future 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Los Altos High School’s Eagle Theater, 201 Almond Ave.

A panel of statewide energy experts will examine California’s choices as it faces growing dependence on oil and natural gas, spiraling energy prices, potential supply shortages and an aging infrastructure.

Panelists include Dana Appling, executive director of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC); California Energy Commissioner John Geesman, chairman of the committee that released the 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report; Frank Wolak, chairman of the market surveillance committee for California ISO, the entity that operates most of the state’s power grid; and William Ahern, former California Public Utilities Commission director.

As part of the discussion, panelists will look at whether competitive markets can be created if investor-owned utilities compete for long-term contracts.

They will explore the implications of opening the wholesale energy market to communities and consumer groups. They will also discuss the creation of a hybrid energy system, both market-based and regulated.

The panel also will touch on how municipal utilities should be regulated, the importance of “consumer choice” in electricity use, the best way to integrate all aspects of generating, transmitting and distributing electricity, and the most equitable method for setting regulations and drawing up rates.

The energy panel is part of a process by which the League of Women Voters of California will develop a consensus position on state energy policy.

The league’s positions on energy were last updated in 1980, long before an electric system that meshes regulation and free-market activity was envisioned.

For more information on the energy forum, contact the League of Women Voters of Los Altos-Mountain View at 941-4846.