Some Maryland lawmakers want the Public Service Commission in that state to do more to advertise that residents have options in choosing electricity providers. Read the article here. Could the same situation prevail here in Texas? The answer is positively yes.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) budget for conduct of the Right of Choice awareness campaign was set at $12 million dollars at the beginning of deregulation but was reduced to $750 thousand for the past six plus years. These funds are barely enough to operate the Power to Choose website and the associated telephone call center with minimal outreach to texas electricity consumers.
As of January 31, 2010,, the percentage of residential customers.....statewide.....remaining with the affiliate/incumbent REPs, including Reliant and TXU, stood at 50.8%. Fewer than half have switched. In the opinion of many, this fact is a major contributor to lack of competition in the open market.
It might be added that Mr. Paul Hudson, Chairman of the PUCT in '07, in his 15 January report to the state legislature of that year, wrote: "there remain a large number of residential and small commercial customers who have not chosen a competitive supplier and are paying electric rates that are higher than the rates paid by customers who have shopped for another supplier". That same report proposed new legislation that, if enacted, would require those still receiving service from the incumbent providers such as Reliant and TXU to be switched to the new competitive REPs by some mechanism to be developed. We all know that didn't happen due to the political climate in support of deregulation..
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