Texas electricity rates skyrocketed after dereg

Oh so true, our electricity rates through our coop have gone way up, so what do we do? Can we get the lege to do something about this? Worth considering.
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Texas electricity rates skyrocketed after dereg



Dave Montgomery
dmontogomery@star-telegram.com
AUSTIN – Electricity rates in Texas have soared well above the national average under a 10-year-old deregulation law, according to a study by a coalition of cities.
"As this report illustrates, consumers have paid too much for too long under deregulation," said Jay Doegey, chairman of the Cities Aggregation Power Project, a non-profit coalition of 103 municipalities.

An industry group immediately challenged the findings, saying the report was based on "flawed reasoning" that resulted in erroneous conclusions.

"The simple fact is that in most parts of the state, there are lower competitive prices today than when prices were regulated," said the Association of Electric Companies of Texas. "The Texas competitive market is working, even if CAPP thinks otherwise."

The conflicting viewpoints point to a contentious battle in the 2009 Legislature over electricity rates. Several lawmakers say they plan to pursue legislation to protect consumers from rising costs on a number of fronts, including insurance and utility rates.

The CAPP report examined the impact of Senate Bill 7, which was passed by the Legislature in 1999 in what its sponsors said was an attempt to rein in rising electricity rates.