Governor speaks out for Cabrillo Port

Perhaps as a distraction from the flailing special election efforts, Governor Schwarzenegger turned his sights on the State's energy needs, reiterating his support for the Cabrillo Port LNG terminal.

"I think the key thing is public safety on all of this," Schwarzenegger told reporters during a brief question-and-answer session following his remarks encouraging energy conservation at the California Independent System Operator in Alhambra.

"And I think that we have established - I think that the one, for instance (off) Oxnard, where you build it out approximately 11, 12 miles off the shore, could be probably the most safe one for California."

Schwarzenegger said his support for the site (which is actually 14.4 miles off the coast, according to BHP Billiton, the Australian energy company that is promoting the Oxnard location) does not mean he believes the other locations - particularly the one in Long Beach, which would sit near densely populated neighborhoods - are dangerous.

"It's just my personal preference is Oxnard," Schwarzenegger said. "But ... after we have studied all this and see the pros and cons, I think we will be able to make a better decision on that."