ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the process of choosing among energy options, with due regard for the limited mandate of a particular agency and the many bureaucratic and political constraints faced by such an agency. It describes how the scenarios can be used to make policy choices, compares the two contrasting energy strategies, and draws out further implications of the scenarios. California's population has risen to 35 million; in 1975 it was only 60 percent of that. But population and industry are more evenly dispersed, so crowding in urban areas has actually decreased slightly. Californians are wealthier than they were in 1975; average personal income has roughly doubled and economic disparities have been reduced.
