Okay I can see why your splitting the hair, but you're premise of an abundant supply is also shaky. See the link below
This page contains information on California energy crisis, California Electricity Situation, California Assembly Bill 1890, California electricity competition, wholesale electricity activities, independent system operators,regional exchanges, commodities trading centers, electricity futures...
www.eia.gov
The abstract: Bolding is mine
California's new wholesale power market and customer choice program, which started in March, 1998, worked fairly well for about a year and a half. In the summer of 2000, retail electricity prices in southern California reached all time highs, and generation capacity shortages forced temporary power outages in northern California.
Since then, coverage of California's energy crisis has been reported on television and in newspapers around the country. The complexity of problems, the contrasting views and sometimes conflicting solutions offered by politicians, government officials, and other stakeholders make it difficult to follow what has happened.