Low-Income Issues in Electricity Restructuring

Abstract

Lower prices. New technologies. More choices. These are benefits that competition through electric industry restructuring was supposed to bring customers. Thus far, results have been disappointing, and harmful to the most vulnerable-low-income people. Restructuring is no longer under active consideration in any state that has not already enacted it. In several states, restructuring has been reversed. This article focuses on the few states that have retained electric industry restructuring, providing a menu of necessary protections, strategies for putting them into place, and supporting arguments to keep them there. However, low-income protections are appropriate for anactment in all places because vulnerable low-income families live in states with both restructured and traditional electricity regulation. Copyright 2003 by The Policy Studies Organization.