LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- - A key committee has postponed a vote on a bill designed to reverse California's disastrous experiment with electricity deregulation.

Sarah Reyes, chair of the California Assembly's Utilities and Commerce committee, opted to delay a vote on Senate Bill 888 until Thursday, saying members and legislative staff need more time to analyze the latest amendments to the measure. She told committee members a freshly amended version of the bill had been provided to her earlier in the day. Details of the amendments were not immediately available. The bill was authored by state Senator Joe Dunn who has said his goal is to end, not mend, energy deregulation in the state. Dunn led an investigation into price gouging during California's 2000-01 energy crisis. California in 1996 became one of the first states to pass legislation allowing residents to choose their power supplier in a bid to open the market to competition after decades of strict regulation. The measure backfired in 2000-2001, with electricity rates rising, the state suffering rolling blackouts and its largest utility filing for bankruptcy protection. Most of the state's residents can no longer choose their electricity provider although a few large industrial and commercial customers still receive power from independent suppliers rather than their local utility. Dunn's bill has proved controversial with the influential business lobby wanting to retain customer choice, at least for big commercial and industrial consumers. The bill has already cleared by the state Senate.

She told committee members a freshly amended version of the bill had been provided to her earlier in the day. Details of the amendments were not immediately available.

The bill was authored by state Senator Joe Dunn who has said his goal is to end, not mend, energy deregulation in the state. Dunn led an investigation into price gouging during California's 2000-01 energy crisis.

California in 1996 became one of the first states to pass legislation allowing residents to choose their power supplier in a bid to open the market to competition after decades of strict regulation.

The measure backfired in 2000-2001, with electricity rates rising, the state suffering rolling blackouts and its largest utility filing for bankruptcy protection.

Most of the state's residents can no longer choose their electricity provider although a few large industrial and commercial customers still receive power from independent suppliers rather than their local utility.

Dunn's bill has proved controversial with the influential business lobby wanting to retain customer choice, at least for big commercial and industrial consumers.

The bill has already cleared by the state Senate.