deregulation - The Environment Report

Government Losing Grip on Natural Gas Pricing?

When natural gas prices were deregulated in the 1990s, your bills were supposed to go down. You may have noticed that’s not what happened. Lester Graham reports the government has had a difficult time determining why:

Transcript

There are three things that affect the price you pay for natural gas. The first is the local distribution system that gets the gas to your home. The second is the national pipeline distribution system. Those prices haven’t changed that much since deregulation.

But the third portion of your bill, the portion that makes up the bulk of it, has nearly doubled since deregulation of the natural gas market in 1993. The commodity price used to make up about 30% of the consumer price. Today, it’s more like 60% of your bill.

The Government Accountability Office reports, since deregulation, even though the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission doesn’t control natural gas prices, it’s supposed to make sure the prices are fair. But, since there are millions of natural gas commodity transactions, the Commission says it’s hard to tell if there’s any market manipulation that could cause prices to rise unfairly.

For the Environment Report, this is Lester Graham.

Utilities Prepare for Summer Demand

As summer approaches power companies will brace for rising demands for
electricity. During peak demand periods in past summers, utilities have
been caught short of power. However, deregulation of the electric power
industry has led to some innovative changes. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:

Summertime Smog

As summertime temperatures go up, so does our need for air conditioning.
But with much of our electricity coming from coal plants, this also
increases smog levels. As Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Suzanne
Elston points out, the coming deregulation of the electricity industry may
provide us with some relief.

Wind Power Expands With Deregulation

According to the Worldwatch Institute, wind power is the fastest
growing energy source in the world – growing at an annual rate of 22%.
Here in the U-S, the Midwest accounted for most of this country’s wind
energy growth. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David Hammond reports
that energy deregulation is fueling much of this development:

States Act on Energy Deregulation (Part 1)

So far nearly two dozen states have tackled the difficult task of
deregulating their electric industries. California was the first to
approve it, and its residential and commercial users choose their
electric suppliers. Ohio is the most recent state to deregulate. It
took two years for the Buckeye state legislature to come to agreement.
Though each state’s experience is different, there are some common
threads. In the first of a two part series, the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Ley Garnett looks at three Great Lakes states (Illinois,
Ohio and Pennsylvania) where deregulation is taking root:

Nuclear Power Looks to Redefine Itself (Part 2)

More than 20 states have now approved some version of electric
deregulation and the new laws have set off a wave of changes within the
electric industry. Though this industry has always deeply affected the
natural environment, deregulation is bringing a new set of wild cards to
the table. It may provide one industry, nuclear power, the chance to
redefine itself. In the second of a two part series on deregulation,
the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Ley Garnett reports that conservation
groups and industry officials are just now beginning to sort out what it
all means:

Amway in the Utilities Business

Now that states have started deregulating the sale of natural gas and
electricity, companies are busy vying for customers. But it’s unlikely
to create the same feeding frenzy unleashed by the deregulation of the
telephone industry. That’s because there’s not as high a profit margin
for natural gas and electricity – so most companies are concentrating on
signing up high-volume users, like big business. Still, home owners and
small businesses probably won’t escape the sales pitches. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

The Cost of Cheap Electricity

Concern about the environmental impacts of deregulating the electricitymarket have taken a back seat to promises of cheaper power and customerchoice on both sides of the border. But, as Great Lakes RadioConsortium Commentator Suzanne Elston has discovered, proponents ofgreen power just got a very strong ally:

Windpower Manufacturer Gets Government Boost

Advocates of renewable energy are hoping the deregulation of electric utilities will give solar and wind energy a chance to flourish. A small company in Duluth, Minnesota thinks they have designed a new wind-power electric generating system that will work equally well on Midwestern farms and in small villages in the developing world. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports:

Energy Efficiency Neglected in Deregulation

Laws deregulating electrical industries have been passed in many states nationwide. Last fall, the Illinois state legislature approved such a measure. But energy efficiency provisions were left out. Legislators pledged to consider them this spring. But now it seems all bets are off. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports:

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