Competitive Electric Services and Efficiency

Abstract

While FERC restructures the wholesale market for electrical energy, and the interstate network of transmission lines that supports it, state agencies and electric companies are rapidly redefining themselves to compete in the retail market. How vibrant the retail market for electrical and energy services becomes will either shut the door or open the floodgates for end-use technologies. Customer choice is required at some level if new technologies beyond central station generation, transmission and distribution are to enter the market at accelerated rates. Sophisticated load management i n response to spot market prices is not enough. Fuel diversity, protection from shifting environmental regulations, rate stability, environmental performance, localized reliability and power quality are all “products” that certain customers are willing to pay for. Integration of these functions, technologies, products and markets is key.