Speaking of Slow Learners

It's seems that California is a state of slow learners. A few years back, California faced an energy shortage that resulted in rolling blackouts and astronomical utility bills because it had banished new generating capacity construction within its borders.

Yesterday, Californians started it all over again.

The morning after the State Lands Commission rejected a proposed liquefied natural gas facility off the Southern California coast, supporters regrouped on Tuesday while opponents hoped the vote was a sign that LNG is doomed in the state.

With three other offshore LNG terminals at various stages in the approval pipeline, Monday's vote could be seen as a test case. A fifth project, planned for Long Beach, is in court.

"Hopefully this is the beginning of the turning of the tide," said Jim Metropulos, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club, which is among the environmental groups opposed to LNG, which is supercooled until it turns from a gas into liquid and shipped across the ocean in tankers. They argue that LNG, a fossil fuel, would lead to more dependence on foreign energy, possibly pollute the air and water, and pose a risk of explosions.