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Energy Choice
The term "Energy Choice" describes the paradigm of competition in the electric power industry where customers are free to do business with their energy provider of choice.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the electric industry had been controlled as a regulated monopoly in franchised territories. In 1992, the United States Congress passed the National Energy Policy Act, opening the industry to competition in wholesale markets. In Canada, Alberta and Ontario deregulated their electricity markets in 1991 and 1993 respectively.
Over the past decade, a number of individual States and Canadian provinces have initiated and passed legislation to allow for competition in their retail electricity markets, as well. While still in its early stages, Energy Choice has been producing competitive prices, quality customer service and product innovation in the States and provinces that have opened to competition.
About Energy Choice
There are three core elements of electricity service: generation, transmission and distribution.
Energy Choice gives you the power to choose who you buy your electricity from and how it is generated. Your electricity is still distributed through the same regulated transmission and distribution system it has always been.
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Unregulated
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Generation: The power plants that produce the electricity. With Energy Choice, you're able to choose the company that produces or buys on your behalf electricity to sell to you.
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Regulated |
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Transmission: The high-voltage transmission line infrastructure that delivers electricity from the power plants to your geographic area. This is still a regulated industry where independent system operators or utilities manage the transmission of large amounts of electricity.
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Distribution: The same network of power lines that has always delivered electric service to your address. Maintained by your local distribution company, this part is still regulated by the utility commissions of each State and is not open to competition.
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You may be able to choose a different energy provider if the energy market in your State or province has been opened to competition. Constellation NewEnergy operates in every North American deregulated energy market, so if you are in one of those markets, the likelihood is high that we can serve you.
To find out more about Energy Choice in your market,
click here.
Click here for more specific information regarding current events in specific states:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/chg_str/restructure.pdf
Why Switch?