Why are states deregulating/restructuring electric utilities?
Historically, states have regulated the supply and sale of electricity to ensure adequate power to all customers at reasonable prices. Non-utility generators emerged over two decades ago, so utilities no longer need to provide power from their own resources. In fact, most utilities now rely on power supplied by competitive wholesale markets to meet reserve requirements and for load growth. Federal regulations require utilities to transmit power from these sources throughout regional markets, which has significantly reduced the wholesale price of power.
