Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Electric Utility Restructuring: What Does It Mean For Residential And Small Retail Consumers In Maine?, Lewis Tagliaferre, Susan Greenwood

Maine Policy Review

On March 1, 2000, Maine will offer electric power through open competition, a restructuring that poses both advantages and disadvantages to residential and small retail consumers. While electric restructuring in Maine has been thoughtfully developed, the basic question of whether electricity rates will be lower for the average consumer will remain uncertain for some time. This uncertainty is linked not only to Maine’s electricity rate bidding process but also to potentially oligopolistic national trends. In addition, whether individual consumers achieve savings in their electricity costs will be determined, in part, by their choice of electricity supplier. While some consumers may …