While retail restructuring and RTO formation have occurred in some
states with high rates, Georgia lawmakers and regulatory bodies see no
need for change at this time. Georgia rates are well below the national
average. Additionally, Georgia has experienced customer choice since
1973 for large customers with a 900 kW connected load or greater. This
class of customers has been choosing an initial supplier for three
decades. This makes Georgia an attractive business location while at
the same time enabling cost-effective residential rates.As the
Georgia Legislature, Georgia Public Service Commission, United States
Congress and other regulatory bodies consider proposals for change to
the electric utility industry careful consideration must be given to
regions of the country where proper siting of facilities and management
of systems have insured reliable, cost-effective service. Siting
generation facilities in close proximity to load ensures greater
reliability than over-building a grid for inter-regional transfers of
power. Acknowledging incumbent utilities' obligation to serve
native load customers should supercede facilitation of merchant
transactions on the grid. Public power's unique system of
self-governance and local control should be recognized as an important
component of the industry and care should be taken to preserve the
delicate balance of those systems with private and cooperative
utilities.
Also, MEAG Power is a member of the Large Public Power Council
(LPPC), an organization comprised of the 24 largest public power
utilities in the United States. LPPC is an active voice for public
power at the federal level in restructuring efforts. Click here to visit LPPC.