At an executive meeting earlier this month, he talked of the need for a "cultural revolution" in the company's electric distribution, to avoid blackouts.

Enough power became available on the wholesale market to enable all the utilities to avoid blackouts.

It was soon clear that strict demand reduction programs would be needed to avoid widespread blackouts.

This resulted in interruptible customers being cut off to avoid rolling blackouts.

Lower temperatures and the completion of repairs at some power plants helped the state avoid blackouts today.

The jockeying has begun among California businesses desperate to avoid blackouts this summer.

But, he said, "To be prudent, to avoid blackouts, we have to explore all sources of generation."

At right, an outline of options for those hoping to avoid future blackouts.

To a great degree, planning revolves around the need to have adequate supply for that crucial moment so as to avoid blackouts.

Q. Could a smarter system monitor energy use in homes to avoid blackouts or brownouts?