31.   Under federal law, disaster aid cannot be awarded to commercial utilities, although municipal utilities can receive such aid.

32.   Under the latest plan to deregulate Texas electricity, cooperatives and taxpayer-owned municipal electric utilities would not have to open their markets to competition.

33.   Anaheim has its own municipal utility, which has separate long-term contracts with power generators.

34.   But Fogel said new municipal power systems should not expect such immediate benefits because most of the power is allocated through long-term Niagara contracts with existing municipal utilities.

35.   Caprino would like Lakewood to start its own municipal utility, but is finding out it is an expensive prospect.

36.   He said he envisioned a state power authority, or perhaps an entity controlled jointly by the state and more than two dozen municipal utilities.

37.   He spoke with power marketers, municipal utilities and public officials from the Pacific Northwest and Southwest.

38.   In addition, FERC says it only has jurisdiction over private U.S. companies that sold power, not municipal utilities or foreign companies.

39.   Los Angeles has a municipal utility with its own power sources, and a few other areas are similarly protected.

40.   That is in addition to paying for the electric lines a municipal utility would take over.