FoxNews: Price Caps Blamed for Further Power

The price controls, imposed June 19 by the Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission after much debate, were intended to maintain a steady supply of energy to watt-short Western states and prevent price gouging in times of dire need.

Instead, generators in some Western states are holding back supplies this week because they say they have no idea how much they will be paid for their product.

This energy withholding — coupled with the facts that several Nevada plants have been closed for repairs and soaring temperatures have nudged up demand — resulted in rolling blackouts in Nevada for the first time earlier this week.

Some critics are now blaming the FERC controls for California's "Stage 2" alert that occurred on Monday, the first alert that severe since the imposition of the controls. California suffered another Stage 2 alert on the Fourth of July holiday.

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