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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thomas A Watson who wrote (138498)	4/14/2001 11:10:52 PM
From: American Spirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

You make my point exactly. Once deregulated, they can fake shortages and jack up prices. Who's to know? And it's not even against the law. So long as they have no competitors they can do what they like. And they did. Everyone knows the power industry was #1 behind Bush from the beginning. Joining with oil, gas and other interests they could collude to create a targeted energy shortage. Meanwhile Cheney and Bush could assure OPEC that cutting production was fine and fit right into their agenda, of dismantling environmental laws by creating fears of more shortages. Everyone wins except US consumers and the environment.

To: Thomas A Watson who wrote (138498)	4/14/2001 11:18:15 PM
From: dale_laroy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

"Dear Amer, can you explain why fully unregulated electric power in Pennsylvania has led to a capacity surplus and I think 20 to 30% lower electricity costs." To begin with, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania wants to become a net exporter of electricity as the wave of deregulation sweeps the surrounding states. Of course, the single most important influence is probably that most of the power in Pennsylvania is supplied by the consumer owned Rural Electric Cooperative.

To: Thomas A Watson who wrote (138498)	4/15/2001 2:07:18 PM
From: Windsock	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Re:"can you explain why fully unregulated electric power in Pennsylvania has led to a capacity surplus and I think 20 to 30% lower electricity costs." Well for starters the Pennsylvania system has fixed prices for its energy purchases. Not exactly "fully unregulated" but close enough for a technology genius like you. However, trouble is on the horizon when deregulation kicks in. usnews.com Pennsylvania is frequently cited as a state where deregulation has worked relatively well. In 1997, as the state was deregulating utilities, some school districts, towns, counties, and nonprofit groups joined forces to buy electricity. Together, they thought they'd get a good deal. And they did: The 350-member group, called the Pennsylvania Energy Consortium (PENCON), saved itself $12 million in 1999, about 10 percent of previous costs. No takers[:] But now it's time to negotiate a new deal. And when PENCON went looking last November, only one supplier made an offer; it would cost group members more than they paid under the old monopoly system. It's not an immediate problem; even if PENCON can't find a better deal by May, state law guarantees consumers the right to go back to their former power companies at former prices through at least 2004. [Is this "fully unregulated" ??] "Hopefully in that time frame, we will find some cheaper energy," says Jeffrey Kimball, PENCON's president and cofounder. New power supplies are expected to come online, including those generated by highly touted windmill farms. Kimball is convinced high prices are temporary, "although there may be this dry spell in the middle."