Revamping and repowering

Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy

Volumn 15, Issue 2, 2000, Pages 12-18

  Hirsh, Richard F ^a  

^a VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

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EID: 27844490256     PISSN: 08878218     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (25)

1. I prefer to use the term restructuring rather than deregulation because, even in an era when generation and retail sales of power are deregulated, much regulation in the utility system will remain. Transmission and distribution of power will continue to be regulated by state commissions, and plenty of regulations concerning environmental safeguards will stay in place - or be added to.
2. George L. Priest, "The Origins of Utility Regulation and the 'Theories of Regulation' Debate," Journal of Law and Economics 36 (1993), p. 296.
3. Richard F. Hirsh, Power Loss: The Origins of Deregulation and Restructuring in the American Electric Utility System (Cambridge. MA: MIT Press, 1999), p. 48.
4. Verne W. Loose and Theresa Flaim, "Economies of Scale and Economics of Large Versus Small Generating Units," Energy Systems and Policy 4 (1980), p. 43.
5. For more details of the managerial and technical problems encountered by the utility industry, see Richard F. Hirsh, Technology and Transformation in the American Electric Utility Industry (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989).
6. Richard H. Rosenzweig, "The Federal Interest in Electric Restructuring," Public Utilities Fortnightly 133 (November 1, 1995), pp. 17-9.
7. Response to members' questions by FERC Commissioner Charles G. Stalon. "Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act," Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Power (September 22-23, 1987), p. 164;
8. FERC Chairman Martha Hesse agreed in a comment on p. 5. For more discussion of the impact of PURPA, see Richard F. Hirsh, "PURPA: The Spur to Competition and Utility Restructuring," Electricity Journal 12 (August/September 1999), pp. 60-72;
9. and Hirsh, Power Loss, chapters 4-7.
10. Taylor Moore, "Utility Turbopower for the 1990s," EPRI Journal 13 (April/May 1988), p. 7.
11. Dennis Wamsted, "Siemens: New Turbine is World's Most Efficient," Energy Daily (January 27, 1995), pp. 1, 4.
12. See Harvey Averch and Leland L. Johnson, "Behavior of the Firm under Regulatory Constraint," American Economic Review 52 (1962), p. 1052-69.
13. Recent examples of "regulatory capture" are described in Peter Bradford, "A Regulatory Compact Worthy of the Name," Electricity Journal 8 (November 1995), pp. 12-15.
14. For a historical view of the influence held by utility companies over regulators, see Hirsh, Power Loss, pp. 41-46.
15. In 1999, ELCON'S member companies consumed almost 6 percent of the country's electricity supply. ELCON Report, No. 3 (1999), p. 8, at 〈http://www.elcon.org/Documents〉, then scroll to locate ER12_99w.pdf.
16. New Hampshire's tortuous road toward deregulation is summarized in U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, "Status of State Electric Industry Restructuring Activity as of February 1, 2000," at 〈http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/chgstr/tab5rev.html〉,
17. and New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, "Electric Choice Update," at 〈http://www.powerischoice.com/〉.
18. California Assembly Bill AB 1890, for amending Chapter 2.3, "Electrical Restructuring," of the state's Public Utilities Code, Article 7, Research, Environmental, and Low-Income Funds, Section 381(c)(1) to (c)(3).
19. U.S. DOE, EIA, "Status of State Electric Industry Restructuring Activity as of March 1, 2000" 〈http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/chgstr/regmap.html〉.
20. News Release from Pennsylvania Energy Choice Program, "Five Million PA Electric Customers to Receive Instructional Information on Electric Choice Program," September 2, 1999, at 〈http://www.electri choice.com/public/press.htm〉
21. One such company. Green Mountain Energy, sells to environmentally conscious customers in California and elsewhere who pay a premium to purchase power generated by wind, biomass, geothermal, and water resources. See 〈http://greenmountain.com/electricity/products/compare_ca.asp〉.
22. Warren W. Byrne, "Green Power in California: First Year Review from a Business Perspective" (February 2000), at 〈http://www.cleanpower.org/crrp/b.htm/〉.
23. James Ritchie, "British Utility Giant to Acquire Louisville Fortune 500 Company" (Associated Press Newswires, February 28, 2000), available from Dow Jones Interactive.
24. The merger was completed in November 1999. See 〈http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/merger/〈.
25. This article condenses many arguments taken from the author's book. Power Loss. The author has retained copyright.