• FEATURE STORY:  How is COMPETE trying to make electricity more competitive?

• New York shopping made huge gains this year

• Georgia's gas market architects didn't expect regulated provider

New York shopping made
huge gains this year

"It's a sprint, not a marathon," is New York PSC Chairman William Flynn's favorite saying about the growth of competitive markets.
     Nevertheless, 12 months after the PSC laid out its policy vision for getting small customers shopping, the state made huge gains.
     Shopping by all customer classes grew by 25% in the 12 months ending in July, the PSC reported, with load served by marketers growing by 26% (click here to see table).
     Shopping by large customers on time-of-use rates grew by 20% to nearly 56% while marketers' share of demand grew 16% to more than 75% of load.
     Other non-residential shopping grew an astounding 66% to 17.2% of customers and competitive load by 35% to nearly 44%.
     Residential shopping still lags other classes but has grown by 12.5% to 5.8% of the state's consumers and competitive load grew 38% in 12 months to 8.7%.

Georgia's gas market architects
didn't expect regulated provider

That job was added later by Georgia lawmakers.
     But since 2002, the job has belonged to Scana Energy Marketing, whose original two-year contract was extended for one year and this summer won the job again by default (RT, 6/24).
     No one else bid for it.
     Why?
     Commerce Energy, Infinite Energy, PS Energy Group (GasKey) and Shell Energy Services need more data on customers served by the regulated provider and clearer rules on what the job entails, they say.
     They want the RFP selection to be enhanced and reformed.
     The PSC plans to investigate.

BPA's Wright tells of big changes
in Pacific Northwest

CEO sees new role as RTOs are developed

BPA is essentially a major wholesale supplier of all kinds of firms -- public and private -- that's seen "substantial, fundamental" changes in its market over the past decade.
     "All kinds of people that we used not to have to deal with we now have to deal with," said Stephen Wright.
     He is administrator and CEO of BPA.
     Big changes in BPA's market have led it to rethink its role.
     Throughput is up "remarkably."
     He cited BPA's lesser role in resource acquisition as possible now because other players are out there who are willing to provide that service.

Jones sees bright future for Sterling Planet

The green power market is going to be a big place and Sterling Planet's poised to be a leader in the sector, says the firm's CEO and founder Mel Jones.
     Sterling Planet started in 2000.
     It sells green power via renewable energy certificates (RECs).
     It's signed up over 222,000 customers, he said, tallying the volume at over 2.4 billion kwh.
     The firm has partnered with 27 utilities to sell RECs where markets are open and where they're not.
     Utilities are where the rubber meets the road, he added, because that's where customers expect to get power.
     Collaborating with utilities and regulators makes expanding green choice easier, Jones said.