In other news from the Golden State, California’s two Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, have introduced legislation that would prevent energy companies in Mexico from using Californian natural gas in their plants near the California-Mexico border unless those plants complied with the state’s strict air-quality standards. The legislation would apply to natural-gas-powered generators that produce more than 50 megawatts of electricity and are located within 50 miles of the border. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has introduced a similar bill in the House. The legislation would have its most immediate effect on two new plants planned for Mexicali, Mexico, just across from Imperial Valley, Calif., which suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the state. Both of the proposed new plants are owned by U.S. companies.
