6 Years After Deregulation, N. Texans Pay Some Of Nation's Highest Power Bills - $600+/Month

[hatrack]

North Texans thought energy deregulation, which debuted in 2002 for consumers, would lower their monthly power bills. Instead, prices in Texas are among the highest in the nation, with monthly bills pushing past $600.

Why so high? It's a combination of factors. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed in recent years. A congested power grid this spring forced a sharp wholesale price increase. Some power companies have shut down, sending unsuspecting customers to providers that charged much higher rates. And don't forget this summer's intense heat. On Monday, the state's main power grid saw its highest usage of the year.

EDIT

Even the founding fathers of Texas deregulation didn't foresee prices this high when the practice was announced in 1999. Natural-gas prices are four times more expensive today than when deregulation was proposed. That's hit Texans particularly hard because nearly two-thirds of the power plants use gas.

This spring, congestion along Texas' power grid forced prices up sharply as the wholesale market struggled to keep pace with a hot spring and population growth. The surges helped put five retail power providers out of business. Their customers were bumped into the highest-rate "provider of last resort," and some saw their power rates double.

EDIT

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/energy/stories/080608dnmetsummerbills.41b3089.html

[MadMaddie]

1. Republicans and their deregulation it just never seems to work

out for the little guy does it?

[Dover]

3. I wish it WERE just GOP. Plenty of Dems on the deregulation bandwagon.

Has anyone asked Dem candidates where they stand on this issue?

[Wapsie B]

2. How in the world can this conservative philosophy be touted

when time and time again it's shown to be totally wrong? How many screw-ups does it take for someone to wake up and say let's try something else?

[ladjf]

5. The closed mind is difficult to reach.

[phantom power]

7. One reason is, you can always claim it would be worse if it were regulated....

You know, something like "Well, if we hadn't deregulated, we'd be paying $1000 per month!1111!!11! So stop saying that!"

[ladjf]

4. Hmm. They are located in one of the windiest parts of the U.S.

and the last I heard there was a good deal of sunlight in that part of the Country.

[AdHocSolver]

6. Why the surprise? Deregulation: Definition: A license to steal. n/t