Deregulation: Promise of Lower Rates?(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Market Competition, Results Will Take Time

After years of discussion and debate over the potential merits and pitfalls of deregulating the nation's electric power industry, the overriding issue has become a question of "when" rather than "if."

As of early August 2000, 24 states had passed laws or enacted regulations to introduce retail competition in the sale of electricity. Deregulation has taken effect in 15 of those states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, N