At least two California biotech firms have warned investors that the state's power problems could hamper production and affect their bottom line. The bankruptcy of California's largest electrical utility company on April 5 underscored the state's ongoing energy crisis (Nat. Biotechnol. 18, 1127, 2000), which is expected to only worsen during the summer months. Idec Pharmaceuticals (San Diego, CA) stated in early April that temporary power losses have threatened production of the firm's monoclonal antibody, Zevalin; diagnostic kit-maker Quidel (San Diego, CA) said the energy problems could “damage our reputation, harm our ability to retain existing customers, and result in lost revenue.” Meanwhile, in a more general response to the nation's energy crisis, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (Washington, DC) is drafting legislation to present to the Bush administration for federally funded research into the use of biomass energy sources that use bioengineered enzymes as a way of increasing energy supplies.