Energy deregulation is a topic at the forefront of politics and society in the United States today. Although utilities that provide "energy," natural gas and electricity, can be deregulated in select states today, this was not always the case. A few key events led up to energy deregulation in our modern age: from the control of over 75 percent of electric energy by large interstate holding companies during the New Deal Era, to the 1935 Public Utility Holding Company Act that gave energy control to government-sanctioned monopolies presiding over specific territories that we are familiar with today, and eventually the required use of renewable energy sources in 1978, culminating in the 1996 act whereby Congress ruled that energy could be deregulated.
What does this all mean? The main focus of deregulation is getting rid of restrictions and giving individuals the power to choose their energy provider. In energy deregulation, utility monopolies are divided by separating the party that produces energy, manages the transmission, and reads the bill from the party that owns the rights to sell the energy commodity. In the simplest terms, the energy suppliers and deliverers operate separately. This differs greatly from regulated markets where vertically integrated utilities control the flow of energy – from …show more content…
Deregulated energy markets allow customers to choose their rate plans, much as one chooses a cell phone plan, by first selecting a company provider and then a specific rate. Similar to choices when purchasing a phone plan, consumers are empowered by having access to different features such as: rate type (fixed or variable), green energy choices, plan term, and reward incentives. Like phone retailers, energy providers create a variety of plans to fit the needs of consumers rather than implementing a flat rate for