Obligation to serve
Proposals to change the regulatory structure of electric utilities are not new, but there is a difference in the growing consensus that the current system is not producing optimal (or even acceptable) results for either the industry participants and their shareholders or the public they serve. The core of the proposals is a faith that competition, in substitution for or in combination with regulation, can better achieve social goals of resource efficiency, consumer protection, and least-cost power supply. The competition would occur in the bulk power markets by easing market entry to non-utility suppliers, relaxing wholesale rates, and increasing the availability of intermediary transmission over larger geographic areas and across political borders. The author examines how this will affect the utility obligation to provide adequate and reliable service now that utilities are shifting to small incremental adjustments of capacity to match changes in the load profile. Policy makers may want to move in the direction of consolidation and concentration.
- Research Organization:
- Van Ness, Feldman, Sutcliffe and Curtis, Washington, DC
- OSTI ID:
- 5463296
- Journal Information:
- Electr. Perspect.; (United States), Journal Name: Electr. Perspect.; (United States)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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