Energy talk in Palo Alto
Assembly speaker pro tem to address Commonwealth Club

By Elizabeth Lorenz

The California energy crisis will be the subject of a speech tomorrow night by Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Fred Keeley at the Palo Alto Art Center.

Keeley (D-Boulder Creek) will be addressing the Commonwealth Club/Silicon Valley at 6:30 p.m. Registration is at 5:45 p.m.

Admission is $10 for Commonwealth Club members and $15 for non-members. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-847-7730 or by going to www.commonwealthclub.org.

Keeley has been at the forefront of the efforts to find a resolution to the continuing electricity crisis. He carried Assembly Bill 5X to restructure the governing board of the state's electricity trading entity, the Independent Systems Operator, and was the author of Assembly Bill 1X, which authorized the state to buy electricity for sale to consumers.

He will explain the causes of the current crisis, the efforts being made to end it, and provide insight into the future of energy in California. He will be introduced by Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto).