Comments on: Georgia electric consumers want competition to help protect against higher prices, just like they have for natural gas

By: José Antonio Vanderhorst-Silverio, Ph.D.

José Antonio Vanderhorst-Silverio, Ph.D. — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:37:17 +0000

I guess Richard is dead wrong. Please read the disclaimer on the link http://www.psc.state.ga.us/calc/GasBillCalc/GasCalc_1.aspx

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:33:20 +0000

Ms. Brown does not get to choose her natural gas supplier, as there is no natural gas in the area. The gas companies she refers to are propane suppliers.

By: D.O.U.G.

D.O.U.G. — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:59:40 +0000

Actually retail choice has existed in electricity in Georgia for many years. But it is a one-time choice made when an account is established. The applicant can choose any utility in the state. The key is that Georgia’s transmission network is jointly owned by the IOUs, the munis, and the co-ops. All co-owners have rights to use the transmission system, and there is a pooling arrangement that facilitates transactions. Of course, a one-time choice isn’t exactly free-wheeling competition, and it isn’t available at the residential level.

By: Eric Schubert

Eric Schubert — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:42:18 +0000

One of the problems with trying to provide Georgians with retail choice in electric service is that there isn’t an RTO wholesale market in the SE United States that could support retail choice. Retail choice has flourished only in areas with RTOs.